# DP After Drinking? - Hello from the UK!



## MDP91

Hello all!

I am Mark, from the UK, aged 21.

This is a bit of a long post so bare with me!

It seems whenever I go out on a big drinking night out I sometimes get stuck with the horrific feeling of DP. I must stress that I am not a heavy drinker, I go out once every few months, if that. But when I do I normally drink to much, and get quite drunk when clubbing.

Its very odd and it freaks me out. It usually lasts for about a week and then it slowly just disappears and I'm back to normal. I first noticed DP many years before in my childhood one Christmas, I was overly tired and I remember feeling very spaced out and lost for a day or two, I remember being quite scared by the experience and my parents being a little worried as it upset me quite alot and I couldn't explain what it felt like.

I have since had it about 5 or 6 times, each last about a week after a messy night out. I know the simple answer is for me not to drink, however what I find most odd is it's a gamble. I have been out and drank a lot and not had any DP, just the usual hangover, where as other i've drunk less and been stuck like it for a week??

It really is horrible when I get it, I feel trapped inside my own head, with only my own voice talking to me trying to get out of it, trying to get back to normal. I also feel paranoid that everyone is thinking and talking in a negative way about me. I cant even make eye contact with people. I find it hard to concentrate on anything, driving, gaming, simple chat with friends etc. Its horrible, I turn into the complete opposite of how I am normally, I usually a very focused, social person. All I want to do when I get stuck like it is sleep, or just sit around and do nothing whilst a constant battle goes on inside my head. I can't even be bothered to talk to my mates or girlfriend.I find I am forgetful and seem to over think things in my head, to the point where I am scared to open my mouth, I constantly worry I'm going to do something wrong. 
I am lucky however that in all cases I managed to return to 'normal'.I'm finding this odd to write because I can't fully describe how it feels when I'm 'normal' but I don't have the confidence to post when I've had symptoms before.

I only ever found out about DP because of this forum and having only realised what my problem was on my episode before last of DP, it really was a massive relief to know that I'm not a nut job and I'm not alone, and I am lucky that I don't get stuck for long.

Thank for reading, and any help on how I can prevent this from occurring would be great.

Mark


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## Hot Dog Water

Deleted. Sorry, I was in a bad mood.


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## Timer

TheFallOfIdeals said:


> WOW. 5 or 6 episodes lasting short periods of time!!! You're a trooper. Take a look around on these forums and you'll find people who can't even function because of severe CONSTANT DP/DR. You don't even have it that bad. Suck a dick and move on with your life.


Damn..hes only asking for a bit of advice, perhaps you could offer him some so he doesn't develop dpd and isn't in that bracket of people who can't function fully?

OP - My DP developed much similar to yours. I drank a lot more frequently its worth mentioning along with drugs from time to time and a high pressure situation unfolding. However it was after a night of ONLY drinking when I had the actual constant DP state from.

Leading up to this, similar to yourself, for 2 - 3 days after going out on a friday night I was completely DP'ed, couldn't do much and it amazed me how people would get up the next day and go out somewhere in the day when I could barely move. I thought I just got extreme hangovers however its quite evident now this was DP on its way...

I would not be able to focus at work, speak to people, think straight even if I only had 1 or 2 drinks the night before. So I would refrain from drinking at all in the week and then go for it on the weekends.

How to stop it? Well I can only advise you to cut out drinking, or drink less while out as I know completely stopping drinking might not be such a sutible option. However you dont want it to just not leave after one of your heavy nights out..I'm proof that is a possiblity. I would take it easy and cut down on the actual amounts you drink while out.


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## InfiniteDivine

TheFallOfIdeals said:


> WOW. 5 or 6 episodes lasting short periods of time!!! You're a trooper. Take a look around on these forums and you'll find people who can't even function because of severe CONSTANT DP/DR. You don't even have it that bad. Suck a dick and move on with your life.


Really? Come on man this isn't necessary. DPed once or DPed for life, this forum is for support. Take unhelpful feedback somewhere else.

As for my drinking friend from the UK. I've also had to cut my drinking down considerably. I used to love drinking with my friends, especially in bars or at parties. However I found that whole "gamble" thing you are talking about to be exactly the same for me. Sometimes I would get completely sloshed and wake up feeling okay but not feeling a sever DP episode. Other times it's like I have 2 beers with my dad and anxiety hits me from all directions. I don' know why this happens.

For me, I'm DPed 24/7, so it's not whether it causes me to DP, it's whether or not it enhances the effects of my DP and DR. At this point in the game I have stopped drinking to the point of being drunk. I usually just buy expensive microbrews that I enjoy and drink one beer over an extended time. I do this because I like drinking beer and I can still be social and fit in at parties. People don't need to know how much you've had. Sometimes I pretend to act more drunk than I am so I still seem to being doing what everyone else is doing and people arent coaxing me to drink more.

My advice would be anything that can cause your DP to worsen isn't worth dabbling with. I would be weary about getting too drunk. Good luck man!


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## MDP91

Well that was a nice supportive first reply! I understand I am a 'lucky' one but it doesn't make dealing with it an easier when it happens. I have read through many of the stories on here and I cannot imagine how I could live feeling like it 24/7. I never posted here wanting people to feel sorry for me, but I wanted to post to see if anyone had similar experience with DP after being drunk and how its best to combat it.

As for the serious replies, thank you for the support. I used to think I was a nutter or I had something seriously wrong, but having joined this forum it has filled me with great relief. I didn't even know what it was, and I could never explain it to my friends of family. 
I haven't been out drinking since the last time I had DP, 2 weeks ago now, I am actually a little scared of drinking now. I think I just need to learn when to stop, I normally get a DP episode if I continue to drink past the point of being drunk. I never used to get it, but because I don't go out every weekend like I used to, when I do now, it really shocks my systems. If DP has done one thing, it has made me realise just how fragile we really are, and how we should look after our bodies more than we do.

Thank you again for the supportive replies, greatly appreciated.

Mark


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## MDP91

On a side note.

I am still a little confused about what actually causes me to DP after drinking?? At most it lasts for a week then I'm back to my normal self? Why does your mind DP??


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## InfiniteDivine

You know I think there's a lot of evidence that people who suffer from dissociative disorders like DP or DR are genetically pre-disposed. Some people get it from smoking weed, some people get it from traumatic childhoods, other people have been DPed for life just by looking into the mirror one day and asking "what I am?" The list goes on.

Usually DP is a defense mechanism brought on by anxiety. This isn't always true but I feel like this accounts for the majority. If a person undergoes a certain amount of stress or anxiety in their mental process, the brain will attempt to save itself through depersonalization or derealization. It separates one from the self and the mind and sort of saves the person from themselves.The problem is afterwards it doesn't go away. It would work great if it lasted only for the duration of trauma and anxiety and then went away, but for many this isn't the case.

I find, like you said above, my DP shows me how delicate we really are. I have become so much more aware of any change within myself, be it a cold or having a buzz from alcohol. I think this is part of the disorder.


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## MDP91

InfiniteDivine said:


> You know I think there's a lot of evidence that people who suffer from dissociative disorders like DP or DR are genetically pre-disposed. Some people get it from smoking weed, some people get it from traumatic childhoods, other people have been DPed for life just by looking into the mirror one day and asking "what I am?" The list goes on.
> 
> Usually DP is a defense mechanism brought on by anxiety. This isn't always true but I feel like this accounts for the majority. If a person undergoes a certain amount of stress or anxiety in their mental process, the brain will attempt to save itself through depersonalization or derealization. It separates one from the self and the mind and sort of saves the person from themselves.The problem is afterwards it doesn't go away. It would work great if it lasted only for the duration of trauma and anxiety and then went away, but for many this isn't the case.
> 
> I find, like you said above, my DP shows me how delicate we really are. I have become so much more aware of any change within myself, be it a cold or having a buzz from alcohol. I think this is part of the disorder.


Thank you. So I would class myself as someone with DP, but it is triggered by alcoholic binges? It make me wonder what has caused this


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## InfiniteDivine

Well that's the thing, you maybe just have some sort of pre-disposition towards depersonalization. In this case there is no reason. It's like trying to explain gravity. It happens but we don't truly know how or why, it just does. For you it sounds like you are a person who may just have the kind of genetic makeup for DP to take place. Like I said some people who are born into wonderful families without any trauma can become DPed at a young age for no apparent reason other than it just happens.

If I was to give you any advice it would be not to label yourself as someone with DP, but just accept your conditions of what life has given you and try to continue living as you normally would while also being weary of triggers that can enhance your possible episodes of DP.

Best of luck to you man.


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## MDP91

I seem to understand it now. I think with me its almost like my body tried to shutdown if Ive been abusing it on a night out, mixed in with really late nights and that's what always seem to trigger it. I will just be more wary in the future I guess. Thank you for your replies


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