# Any UK DPD sufferers?



## Janeinahole (Jan 14, 2008)

Hi,

I'm nor new to DPD. I first starting suffering in 2001 when I ingested pot, and woke up the next morning 'not real'. I tried to explain what was wrong to the doctors, but none of them had ever heard of anything like it. I was trated with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder and recovered eventually in 2004. I have had three bouts since (one at the moment!) but they are shorter and I know that I'm going to get better so it doesn't have the same effect (even tho it's still horrendous and I hate it, it's never the same as the way it feels first time).

I joined the support group to try to find some guys in the UK who suffer from DPD with a view to maybe setting up a sister site to this one for UK sufferers/ I want to do this because I really want to raise the profile of DPD in the UK. Even most of the specialists have still never heard of it. America is so much further ahead of the uk in researching this, and I'm really concerned that GP's in the UK need to start helping people who come to them with DPD. Anyone got any thoughts/ideas/suggestions about this?

Anyhow, I almost didn't write this post because I spent the first hour on the forum in tears reading other people's posts. It reminded me so much of how I felt when I first got ill. It's such a petrifying feeling, and so isolating because nobody around you understands it. But in a way it was such a relief to read them because it's like hearing myself speaking 5 years ago, and I could tap into everything so well.

If anyone has any thoughts on how to raise the profile of DPD in the UK (or in general) I'd love to know, so that other people don't have to be so isolated in the future.

Also, just to say, and I know it doesn't help much, but you do come out of this thing, and you do feel real again, and however much you feel like you're going to lose a grip on reality, you won't, so please don't give up hope!

I know it's a dopey thing to say but I feel like you're all friends because you understand this thing.

Charlie.


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

me! well kinda, I was in the south east but had to come home to my parents in the channel islands when i had a seizure and consequently got dp. Hoping to move back to the mainland this year though


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## Robsy (Dec 3, 2007)

im from the uk too, we could call jeremy kyle even though i think he's a nob or trisha goddard? haha


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## Robsy (Dec 3, 2007)

im from the uk too, we could call jeremy kyle even though i think he's a nob or trisha goddard? haha


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2008)

greetings fellow pommies lol


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## ash_is_sad (Oct 27, 2007)

Hi-dee ho!

Yeah, its not very well known, check out one of Rozannes latest posts about Holistic healing, she's trying to raise awareness.


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## Springbok (Mar 2, 2008)

Hi there, I'm from the UK too. I'm afraid I haven't got too many ideas on how to raise awareness of DPD in our country. Both the doctors I went to see diagnosed me with simple anxiety disorder, and when I told the second one I was suffering from DPD she said I should see a therapist if I wanted to discuss it further. Sounded like she wasn't interested. I'm going to see an alternate therapist this week about my anxiety, I'll ask him about DP and see what he says.

Out of curiosity, how many people do you think suffer from DPD in the UK? I wonder how many are on this forum..


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## Robsy (Dec 3, 2007)

can you imagine, all the people out there that suffer from it, and dont ave internet access or knowledge as to what it is? I guess i count myself lucky at times x


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## Mani (Mar 27, 2008)

Hi guys, Im the from UK. Have had this hell for 5 years. Ive been to the dp clinic at the maudlsey hosp in London a few times in the past and due to go again soon. Thinking of trying out some meds but not too sure. My gp only became aware of this problem because of me but he has been very good in terms of referring me to the dp clinic and is willing to prescribe under their direction. Are there any self help groups for dp set up in the UK? Perhaps we should think about doing this.

Mani


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## Cathal_08 (Apr 7, 2008)

im from ireland if it helps but go to the GP in northern ireland(which is the uk) anyway, cuz i live just beside the border and my mam is from the north and still works there.

im goin for some kind of brain scan and a few more tests soon.


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## kirk (Mar 21, 2008)

hi iam from glasgow and have suffered this illness for over 10 years without knowing what it was , i had all the symptoms mentioned on this forum it was a nightmare , i accidently found this site and it was such a relief to find out what was wrong with me and that i was not alone , now i have hope just by relating to other peoples experiences which are simaler to mine and how they are recovering has been a massive help ,


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## Bosko (Nov 9, 2007)

yeh im from uk are thre any specialist centers in the uk for this shit? ive had it 8 months nw and if im gonna be like this for the rest of my life im gonna kill myself simple as! id love to know scientifically why THC has fuked my thoughts up so much, like why do i knw im fine but feel weird. I feel like my thoughts are echoing in my head all the time there must be a reason y this happened i need to knw what this is.


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## smitfraud (Dec 29, 2007)

hey , am from uk, south yorkshire, sheffield.
suffered for nearly a year now, not getting better, but my mood to the whole idea is improving. I can accept the way i am at least xD.


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## RonsonJohnson (Jul 28, 2008)

Hey charlie, thats a great idea. I was thinking about doing this recently. I will send you an email and we will talk about it


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## Robsy (Dec 3, 2007)

im from the north east of england ( newcastle)


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## Guest (Dec 11, 2008)

Yeah, I'm from the UK. North Yorkshire. The medical professionals I've managed to see have been pretty clued up to this condition too. Maybe I've just been lucky. None of them - when I've said 'I feel like I'm going mad, everything is weird and scary' - have looked at me with a blank stare and gone, 'Huh? Wha?' or anything like that.

Nice to see some compatriots suffering with this evil affliction too. Well, not nice. Reassuring.


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## MajorTom (Dec 17, 2008)

Hey

I'm from the UK, down South. My DP/DR is getting worse at present and I am so frustrated as I don't know if it's a combo of increasing an anti-psychotic (needed for bipolar), giving up drink and nicotine, tapering off Valium or or just some separate ones. I always thought giving the latter ones up would help the DR...which is worse for me than the DP.

The psychs recognise it where I am but are not very directive. They are good in that they want me to experiment myself with meds to see what helps , but they don't seem v clued up as to any definitive treatments.

Am very happy to get involved any way I can. Am working in mental health charity which might help matters!

Take care


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## discomushroom (Jan 19, 2009)

yo, i'm from good old west yorkshire (huddersfield). probably had depersonalization for a lot longer than derealisation..just didn't realise.i'm finding derealization much harder to cope with.had a massive attack all of a sudden in december last year when i'd got home from yet another night out on the sesh..i stopped with all the drugs now and cut down on drink, but it still comes in unmeasurable phases..and i thought i was messed up before.
dead releived that i've found people who suffer the same thing, and really nice to see everyone helping eachother out..nothing worse than thinking you've created a new mental illness all by yourself, heh. 
x


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## Surfingisfun001 (Sep 25, 2007)

nothing is worse, welcome discomushroom


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## Anthony1985 (Jan 18, 2009)

Hi, Im Anthony from down south (Kent), am new to all this and doing my best to work a way out of this hell, and am trying to stay as positive as I can - thats the only way out I believe. Its a simple condition with a very non simple result!!

All the best, feel free to add on facebook/msn. Anthony Froom/[email protected]


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## mymumbad (Jan 23, 2009)

Well I live in the uk too. I stopped being real when I was 9. My mother was very cruel to me and everyone around me was so scared of her they did nothing and allowed her to fractrure my personality. I'm also a manic depressive so any odd behaviour is always written off as manic and I end up being sectioned(detained against my wishes in an acute psychiatric hospital). But I've read a lot and had a lot of help and finally found a consultant psychiatrist to take me seriously and promise me psycho-therapy which is what I've wanted for years. But the weirdest things of all is that you can get great psycho-therapy in hospital from nurses, nursing assistants and doctors but also from some of the patients, both individually and as a group. I dont know if you smoke but for me the smokers room was like having a family someone was always happy to talk, noticed if you were down, would listen, tell a joke , sing a song to cheer you up and if you were out of **** give you one of theirs even if it was only a roll up. And on November the 8th 2008 I realised that for the first time in decades I was whole. Its a lot to adjust to and not just for me but for everyone who loves me because I'm more outgoing and assertive.


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## Do.I (Jan 24, 2009)

Not sure.... If I have it then yes, if not... no.

I'm just not sure, many symptoms others have described ring loud bells, however I don't remember any single moment that it started, I don't feel that detached from my body... I just feel like I have become detached from everything else. I fade in and out mentally from my surroundings (often coming off as rude), and everything seems like I'm not like everyone else, they know how to act normally, and its like I have forgotten how to socialise, and act like every one else. It is sort of surreal, like an outsider amongst my own friends, and nothing somehow seems normal. The most irritating part is the lack of emotion I seem to feel. I feel emotion, but not very often. I remember a friends funeral, when everyone else was clearly upset, and I just didn't know what I felt. Anyway, I'm just rambling, and trying to work out if DPD is what this is. Certainly mine is not from any drug use, or any specific moment, so maybe its not.

Any opinions welcome, thanks.
Dickie


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## Unnamedfeeling (Jan 27, 2009)

Hey, from london here, I remember the exact date i had the out of body experience, the exact moment and everything about it, at the time i thought id eaten something off! I was sitting there and suddenly felt like i had floated out of my body and everything and everyone was far away and in slow motion...Very weird. And since november 29th 2006 i have not snapped out of it, I think ive learnt to kind of live with it, i was going through depression shortly afterward, however i think ive been going through depression for years and years since childhood yet didnt realise it. I try explaining this dream like feeling, this constant HIGH to people but no-one gets it. Im 22 and its rather distressing having this feeling of not being in touch with reality when im going through the process of finding myself, my personality, my identity. 
I study psychology and was doing some random research on OCD and came accross this disorder! i nearly screamed out loud 'I KNEW IT' i knew i wasn't mad, i knew i wasn't imagining it and was so happy to find this site and read all your explanations, well its awful we have to go through it, but the relief is great. And a bonus that there are a few of us from the UK, I would love to chat to people about this, if they need advice or a general talk about Dp or depression or anything even. And also wouldnt mind helping raise awareness about this here, might even do my dissertation on it next year 

anyways, looking forward to hearing from you guys x


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## singer24 (Sep 30, 2008)

Hey guys im from uk, i live in basingstoke, about 45 mins away from london. I would love 2 meet up with people with dp/dr! X


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## utterlyadrift23 (Feb 7, 2009)

I'm 23 living in london, I've had it for almost 3 years now. Although I'm not entirely sure as to whether I suffer from both DP/DR. I do know that everything looks weird, bit of a bizarre way to describe it but when I look around I feel like the zoom of my eyes have changed, and things seem a little unreal or something, it is just so hard to describe. I also suffer from severe anxiety and panic disorder so that doesn't help. Everytime my anxiety intensifies so does the derealisation; I feel as if though it's the dissociation the makes the anxiety worse, and not the other way around. It is so difficult to control them and I wish I know what I am supposed to do. I think I will have to take medication because I tried psychotherapy and it hasn't really helped. If any of you have taken medication and it has helped I would be happy to hear which ones. I am all for arranging a meeting or perhaps even helping out to establish a website for those of us in the UK. I went to my GP and the retard didn't know what I was talking about.


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## tegan (Jan 31, 2009)

Hi,
I'm from Leicestershire. Have been going through this hell since a major panic attack six months ago. I know I went through something similar when I was around 20, but can't remember how I eventually recovered. It's a relief to know you're not alone. I have thought many times that I could get out of this by killing myself, but I adore my 3 children and they need me. I'm not depressed, and want to live and be happy but it's soooo difficult when you just feel like a robot all the time. :roll: 
Tegan.


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## sneaker (Feb 14, 2009)

Hi,

I'm from Worcestershire. I have had constant DR for 13 years, from the age of 14. I must admit I am unsure if I have ever experienced symptoms of DP. I have had times where I thought I had but I think it may have just been panic attacks. I struggled on for about the first year before I saw a psychologist who diagnosed me with DR but said that there was no treatment for it. After that I just got on with life for the next few years. In fact this is the first time I have spoken or written about it in about 9 years. Over the years I have also developed terrible anxiety, had a period where I suffered panic attacks, and now am suffering depression also. I have taken citalopram in the past for anxiety/panic but didn't find it particularly effective. I'm not really sure what brought on my DR, or which came first, my anxiety or DR, or how the two relate to one another. I have had periods in my late teens and early 20s when I was a fairly heavy drug user but I know that it wasn't brought on by drugs as I had it before that, although drugs probably didn't do it any good.

I intend to go to my GP soon to try and get some form of treatment for DR. I just wondered if anyone had visited the Depersonalization Research Unit in London and if so was it useful?

Also does anyone suffer or has anyone in the past suffered from migraines as I heard that migraines can cause DP/DR and around the time I began experiencing DR I suffered from chronic debilitating migraines?

Anyway I definitely agree that the profile of DP/DR in the UK needs to be raised. When I was first diagnosed I was a terrified little 13 year old who was just told that there was nothing that could be done for me. I hate to think that there are other people being told that.


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## Josh27 (Feb 21, 2009)

Hi

I'm a 21 year old student living in Bournemouth and have recently developed what I believe to be DP in the last 3 months. My main symptom is that of feeling like I am living in a dream, and living in an altered state of reality. I am unbelievably worried about this and it has begun to seriously effect me as an individual.

Is there anyway to get rid of it? Long term or short term, I will try anything. If not (please don't say that is the case...) is there anyway you guys have found you are able to cope with it?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Josh


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## Cathal_08 (Apr 7, 2008)

Josh27 said:


> Hi
> 
> I'm a 21 year old student living in Bournemouth and have recently developed what I believe to be DP in the last 3 months. My main symptom is that of feeling like I am living in a dream, and living in an altered state of reality. I am unbelievably worried about this and it has begun to seriously effect me as an individual.
> 
> ...


hey i had it about a year and a half, this will probably be a short reply but just want to assure you first of all it wont develop into a worse condition and secondly it is possible to recover, its just complicated and lots of people get stuck in the cycle of DP thoughts.
and the moment try to just keep focusing on your life and enjoying yourself try not to pay much attention to the DP.

if you have msn plz add me and ill be able to help you loads more in greater detail.


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## Darkness (Feb 15, 2009)

Hi,
I'm 17, living in Cardiff and have the disorder. Sometimes it does feel like I can't handle it, but it's so good to know I'm not going crazy! I'd been researching things like 'numbness', 'distance from reality' for so long and found nothing........and then found this forum! My parents won't let me go and see a doctor about it.........should I see someone, or doesn't that help things in the slightest?


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## pendered212121 (Mar 22, 2009)

hi all i live in nottingham and i have been suffering from these systoms for the past 2 years i have had the works blood tests ct scans mri scans and i have been put on anti depressants..the doctors at hospital say i have mirgraines with aura whatever that means but after finding this site i think its dp'dr and i know it sounds sad but its so good to hear other people feel the same as i thought i was going mad at first.

i,m happy to hear from anyone


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