# Derealization- a bigger hurdle?



## Guest (Jun 24, 2011)

I have full blown visual distortion, highlighted especially outside when I am in nature...It appears as if my filter changed, and I am now looking through a magnifying glass or fish bowl. I am trying to understand how DR is anxiety based, because no matter what I am doing, even stuff that is fun and relaxing, I feel really "off" and things no longer look crisp or exactly how they used to. I also feel off, like an unnatural feeling in my senses and perception that seems to always be there.
While it appears that DP is anxiety based, DR seems to be a different mechanism...a deficiency in neurotransmitters? damaged receptors? 
Has anyone gone from seeing in DR to normal vision?


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## Aridity (Jun 12, 2011)

Lisa32 said:


> I have full blown visual distortion, highlighted especially outside when I am in nature...It appears as if my filter changed, and I am now looking through a magnifying glass or fish bowl. I am trying to understand how DR is anxiety based, because no matter what I am doing, even stuff that is fun and relaxing, I feel really "off" and things no longer look crisp or exactly how they used to. I also feel off, like an unnatural feeling in my senses and perception that seems to always be there.
> While it appears that DP is anxiety based, DR seems to be a different mechanism...a deficiency in neurotransmitters? damaged receptors?
> Has anyone gone from seeing in DR to normal vision?


I only have DR,never really had a symptom of DP. It's so fucking bad,and it also seems that DR is totally not Anxiety related because it all started when I got a heavy Aura Migraine,so there could be something wrong in my brain,nothing it sharp anymore I'm looking through a fog,at life. It's horibble.


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2011)

Yeah I am thinking that DR is more of a brain dysregulation (perhaps in the visual cortex) rather than anxiety based. I believe the DR symptoms give us anxiety though because we don't understand them...and reality looks too different.


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## Timer (Feb 10, 2011)

Lisa32 said:


> Yeah I am thinking that DR is more of a brain dysregulation (perhaps in the visual cortex) rather than anxiety based. I believe the DR symptoms give us anxiety though because we don't understand them...and reality looks too different.


Same for me really, dp symptoms lasted very short and mainly I've been struggling with DR and the ways things look. My visual symptoms are horrible and they are directly linked to DR which in a way CREATE my anxiety.

However this is all part of the cycle I feel, kill the anxiety, things will look normal <> See things normal and the anxiety will go. I have ALWAYS felt it is a change in the brain as it just came about one morning, however stress/pressure/trauma etc can make changes in the brain, I feel the key thing is to keep positive and trying to get through it without looking too deeply into exactly what is wrong.

What I mean is no doctor has said, - "Oh you have DR and not DP so we can treat that different".

Its all treated the same way, removing anxiety, meds to remove anxiety/depression etc.


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## BusyBee (Aug 7, 2010)

Aridity said:


> I only have DR,never really had a symptom of DP. It's so fucking bad,and it also seems that DR is totally not Anxiety related because it all started when I got a heavy Aura Migraine,so there could be something wrong in my brain,nothing it sharp anymore I'm looking through a fog,at life. It's horibble.


EXACTLY the same as me! I just cant get any answers about this, as the one big problem looms over the whole issue- was this caused BY the migraine, or was the migraine caused by the stress that is ALSO causing this DR?

The thing that gets me is, ALL the advice and diagnostic evidence is that, 'the aftermath of a migraine should last no longer than about 2-3 days'

I get those exact symptoms, and although I had DP too for a while, I am mainly plagued by the visual symptoms. I also feel trapped inside my own body however.

All I can say is, if this was caused by migraine like the doctors all said, I'm taking a bloody long time to recover from a migraine.


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## blastedbrainfog (Jan 7, 2009)

Haha, I've struggled for years to try and describe my visual change to family and friends. Some just don't get it.









I'm still baffled how DP sufferers can go to an optometrist and have pefect vision, yet clearly our vision is not perfect. It's a puzzle.

I used to think similarly, that maybe the visual distortions aren't cause by anxiety. Maybe there was some damage to the brain during the migraines/anxiety attacks/marijauna high, or whatever triggered the DP? I think I've shifted to thinking that the perception changes are mostly linked with anxiety though. Every time we *think* about how we see things, it causes a reinforcement that it's different, which is a hard cycle to get out it.


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## Totally DP'D (Jun 8, 2011)

I had a couple of DR experiences as a teenager. Once after being hit on the head with a football and once after an all night training exercise with the Air Training Corps. This wasn't accompanied by any visual distortion as such, just the experience that what I was seeing was no longer real.

The DP/DR I have now feels quite different


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## Chris P Bacon (May 31, 2011)

I disagree really, I think I have DR more than DP but mine are definitely symptoms of anxiety, I got visual snow as my only visual symptom and immediately went to the Optician's. You can rule out all sorts of problems by just getting your eyes tested like brain tumours etc... and everything was fine for me, all just down to anxiety.


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## Guest (Jul 4, 2011)

Chris P Bacon said:


> I disagree really, I think I have DR more than DP but mine are definitely symptoms of anxiety, I got visual snow as my only visual symptom and immediately went to the Optician's. You can rule out all sorts of problems by just getting your eyes tested like brain tumours etc... and everything was fine for me, all just down to anxiety.


I wish VS were my only visual symptom, that would be so much easier to handle tbh. I would not say you have full blown DR, if you did, you would sympathize haha!! I have had plenty of moments when I felt absolutely no anxiety, the visual snow is still there.


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## gill (Jul 1, 2010)

Lisa32 said:


> While it appears that DP is anxiety based, DR seems to be a different mechanism...a deficiency in neurotransmitters? damaged receptors?


It probably depends on how you got DR.

I have a lot of visual distortions too, continuous. But, I took a lot of psychedelics, so it's not much of a mystery to me, it's hppd.

Maybe you have something along those lines....


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## Chris P Bacon (May 31, 2011)

Lisa32 said:


> I wish VS were my only visual symptom, that would be so much easier to handle tbh. I would not say you have full blown DR, if you did, you would sympathize haha!! I have had plenty of moments when I felt absolutely no anxiety, the visual snow is still there.


Yeah, I don't think my dp/dr is as bad as a lot of people's on this site, I've made quite an improvement since February.

Charles Linden says that people who get this condition from anxiety disorders usually suffer with dr more than dp, which is true for me, although there will be exceptions I suppose.

I also only really see the Visual Snow when I look at dark surfaces or when its dark, its nothing more than annoying really, it was really bad in March, I could see it whatever surface I looked at but now as I said its just dim colours.


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## Guest (Jul 5, 2011)

Yeah mine started a few weeks after a bad mushroom trip, i feel like I am on a mild trip! Gosh I hope I am not stuck like this forever.


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## Chris P Bacon (May 31, 2011)

Lisa32 said:


> Yeah mine started a few weeks after a bad mushroom trip, i feel like I am on a mild trip! Gosh I hope I am not stuck like this forever.


Thats the thought pattern you have to change, "I hope I'm not stuck like this forever", that sends a negative message of uncertainty to your subconcious that keeps you in the state you're in.

When you're feeling low, tell yourself "I will get better!" and think positive thoughts, you'll probably see a difference quite quickly.







Good luck.


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## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

*Yeah mine started a few weeks after a bad mushroom trip, i feel like I am on a mild trip! Gosh I hope I am not stuck like this forever.*

Much of what you describe is common for people diagnosed with HPPD.

*Has anyone gone from seeing in DR to normal vision?*

I have improved a lot, but not normal yet. So don't despair - you may improve a lot too









*I am trying to understand how DR is anxiety based&#8230;*

By definition, DP, DR and HPPD are NOT anxiety disorders. While it is common to have anxiety with these disorders, and reducing anxiety might help, again it isn't the definition of these disorders.

Have you look at sites about HPPD? Perhaps it would be helpful for you too.

How long have you been suffering?

What have you tried so far?


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## Guest (Jul 7, 2011)

Have you look at sites about HPPD? _Yes, originally this is what I diagnosed myself with. I accidentally discovered dpself forum because it was formerly hppdonline. When I read about DR I could relate to it. HPPD is more about tracers, and static...things looking ultra magnified or unreal reminded me more of DR. Maybe I have both?
_
How long have you been suffering? _11 months_

What have you tried so far?
[/quote]
_Benzos for a short while
Supplements all kinds...currently on St Johns Wort, Cod Liver Oil, B-complex, Magnesium, Melatonin, and L-theanine. _

I just ordered Mucuna Pruriens because it is a good source of dopamine but because it also contains Serotonin, 5-HTP, and Nicotine, as well as N,N-DMT, Bufotenin, and 5-MeO-DMT (the latter ingredients make me paranoid) I will probably not take it.


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