# Severe derealization



## PositiveThinking!

My derealization has been getting worse and worse, things around me look extremely unfamiliar, I feel completely lost, everything's unknown for me, what should I do? I'm starting to panic


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## girlie

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## woob

I'm not an expert, but I have bouts of derealisation most days and I have found that distraction can help. Do something you enjoy: read a book, watch a film, go for a walk, phone a friend you haven't spoken to for a while and ask how they are and what they have been doing lately - anything pleasurably that can take your mind off it for a bit and hopefully bring you down. I realise this might be a bit simplistic - I guess it depends how severe your DR is, but try not to panic, it will only make things worse.


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## wtheck

to positive thinking:
do you know what triggered your dp/dr?


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## gill

benzo withdrawals?


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## PositiveThinking!

girlie said:


> I'm not an expert, but I have bouts of derealisation most days and I have found that distraction can help. Do something you enjoy: read a book, watch a film, go for a walk, phone a friend you haven't spoken to for a while and ask how they are and what they have been doing lately - anything pleasurably that can take your mind off it for a bit and hopefully bring you down. I realise this might be a bit simplistic - I guess it depends how severe your DR is, but try not to panic, it will only make things worse.


That's exactly the problem though, I feel normal whenever I'm distracted with something, but whenever I'm not, things get complicated, very complicated.. I just don't know what to do anymore, I've tried "Overcoming depersonalization" (the book) all over again, but nothing helps, I feel helpless


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## PositiveThinking!

wtheck said:


> benzo withdrawals?


Well no but I have been on the same medication for months now, half a year maybe, could it be because of that?


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## gill

PositiveThinking! said:


> Well no but I have been on the same medication for months now, half a year maybe, could it be because of that?


Something to keep in mind. I used to build tolerances to klonopin, and I think it worsened my dissociation at times because of that....


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## PositiveThinking!

gill said:


> Something to keep in mind. I used to build tolerances to klonopin, and I think it worsened my dissociation at times because of that....


I guess it could be.. I need to get rid of these useless meds


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## never_giving_up

Sorry to hear

the DR has been getting pretty bad for me too.

I think it's made worse by alcohol but I can't seem to stop drinking


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## girlie

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## PositiveThinking!

never_giving_up said:


> Yeah, most of them are just totally clueless, I have many bad experienes with so-called mental health professionals too. Someone had come into a conclusion you've got severe schizophrenia!?? Just a crazy bastard, doesn't know anything!
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> However, ISSTD people are specialized in trauma and dissociative disorders, and that is why you might (don't say you will, but only might) find someone who is knowledgeable about what you are going through. Not everyone is similar even in psychiatrists/psychologists.


Yeah my first psychiatrist said I was entering a severe state of schizophrenia, I believed him back then, but then I came to the forum, made a post about it and everyone said he was completely stupid, and I agreed, then my psychologist says I don't even need meds, then my new psychiatrist admits she's clueless, amazing isn't it lol..

After all this time I've realised that the only thing that helps is sharing my pain in the forum, but some people say the forum is kinda bad because it brings you down, it doesn't in my case


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## girlie

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## PositiveThinking!

girlie said:


> This is true to me too, and also sharing the pain with trusted people in rl. I have two forums, where I visit regularly, dpselfhelp and A Minds Journey, which deals mostly with DID, but one section there is also for non-multiples who experience dissociation. However, it is a pretty quiet forum compared to dpselfhelp, but for me it is irreplaceable, as currently I cannot talk much about my insiders in rl. Only with my boyfriend, if there is some little girl inside me who feels bad - it helps so much if she can cry with me when my boyfriend is around. Sharing the psychological pain is important, no matter what is the source of that pain. It helps going through the pain and that is the only way to get better. At least this is what I believe. And I agree wholeheartedly with you about sharing one's pain


I feel completely horrible when I keep things to myself, I don't usually share my problems with my friends though, only with my mother, but she can't handle this it's just too much for her, that's why I come to the forum a lot


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## wtheck

do you guys experience mild headaches on a daily basis? - I am a smoker and by the end of the day I end up with this weird pressure on the top of my head, more like someone is squeezing my brain. I was wondering... Thanks


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## PositiveThinking!

wtheck said:


> do you guys experience mild headaches on a daily basis? - I am a smoker and by the end of the day I end up with this weird pressure on the top of my head, more like someone is squeezing my brain. I was wondering... Thanks


Omg yes! I've been getting that sensation for months now, I've asked people, I've created threads in the forum but no one has any idea of what it is, that's basically my suffering, the pressure in the head and the severe derealization, those are the only things that are making my life a living hell at the moment..


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## girlie

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## PositiveThinking!

girlie said:


> Yeah, me too must be mostly HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY for my friends. They are not that close to me to share my deeper problems, and - what is most important - they would be just clueless even if I told anything. Luckily I have a caring boyfriend though.


You're lucky, maybe someday I'll find a girlfriend who can handle all my problems as well


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## girlie

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