# Something that's worked almost 100% for me



## bluepeony1975 (May 26, 2009)

Hi, I have found that going outside without my glasses on or contact lenses in for about 10-15 minutes each day helps greatly. I read a tip years ago (that I think was on here somewhere) that getting natural light in the eyes can help. I have very bad eyesight and for decades would put in contacts as soon as I woke up, or put on my glasses. After about a week of looking up at the sky in the mornings (not at the sun, obviously!) my DR, which had bothered me for at least a decade, went away. Obviously I'm not saying this will work for everyone who wears glasses or contacts who has DR, but it's worked so well for me I would be remiss not to post it as something to try. My DR sometimes - often - came out of nowhere, but was almost certain to appear in flourescent lighting, at night, at night under street lamps, that kind of thing. Before the sunshine cure, the anticonvulsant Depakote was the only thing that worked for me, but it caused unacceptable weight gain.

So, when you think of it, humans evolved to get natural light in our eyes - we didn't evolve to cover our eyes with glass or plastic. I don't know exactly what the brain does with light once it hits the eye, but I believe there is a link to the nervous system. As a big bonus, 10-15 minutes of natural light also greatly reduced my daily headaches and an occasional migraine. Along the way, before this worked for me, I've had 2 eeg's, 2 mri's, tried various psychiatric drugs - but the daily dose of light has worked. As we all know DR is like torture, so try this and see if it helps. Thanks to whoever posted the original tip about sunlight helping.


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## Guest (May 27, 2009)

I definatly dont notice my DP as much with my glasses of because I have bad eyesight asswell. I guess I just dont notice the visual distortions of DP with my glasses off because I cant see them. Everything is just so blurry without my glasses.


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## Rebekah (May 16, 2009)

Hello all, I'm new to this forum and finally found out what my problem has been after smoking one joint of pot many years ago--DP. I was previously diagnosed with the usual anxiety, depression, etc. I have learned, through trial and error, how to have peace in my life, to diminish the DP and find joy. It's not gone away completely, but then, I have many years of anxious, disjointed (sorry the pun) memories stored in my cranium, too. Here goes . . . I must seek out peaceful surroundings all the time. That is, at home, I need it quiet, with soothing or uplifting music, unoffensive TV shows, etc. Don't associate with argumentative, combative, antagonistic people who aren't pulling for you or on your side. You all know what I mean, right? I have a very sensitive nervous system now, and can FEEL negativity a mile away!! Relate? I have found that this disorder can be a blessing in the way that you will learn to distinguish between good and evil. What a gift that will be, when you get it. The world is full of selfish, egoistic folk who "don't love their neighbor as themselves." Understanding and applying this golden rule is paramount in my maintaining peace and equilibrium in mind, body, soul and spirit. Truly, we all feel better when we are around people who love and support us. Right? The day I smoked the pot, I was stressed out, having to go home to an abusive parental household. I was scared to death to get caught by my father while I was high on pot. He would have killed me. See the relationship of the pot to the abusive negative feelings and thoughts? Now the scene of painful DP symptoms plays out for me in everyday life if I'm not cognizant of what's happening. My DP has been worse lately because my supervisor at work is Bipolar and tries to verbally abuse me when he can sneak it in. Don't let people oppress you! Stop it any way you can. Stand up for yourself and your dignity and you will feel more content. I'm still learning to overcome the abusive conditioning I received as a child from my alcoholic family, like understanding that's it's not ok for anyone to make me feel an inch high. Learn to cry, and accept your crappy and shaky feelings, and you will feel better. Accept yourself for who you are--a truly worthy person. I hope this will help someone today, and I pray for peace in your lives--whoever reads this.


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## daze (Jun 2, 2009)

Excellent and thanks for the tips, peony! I have to agree with you on multiple occasion while out swimming in the pool (outdoor) and beach without my glasses on, I have periods of extreme calm and was 'recovered' from DP temporarily. I have long suspected this has to do with my glasses and sunlight. Glad someone confirmed this with their own experience. One thing I never did was to continuously go out in the open without glasses and gazing at the sky for a week or more, could be the ticket! How long were you out of DP/DR after your sky gazing session? Was it temporary relieve for the rest of the day til dusk and did your DP/DR return after you put on your glasses? Thanks.


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## Garjon (Apr 4, 2009)

yeah i've noticed some changes without my contacts or glasses as well but i guess i always just attributed it to not being able to see that well and therefor having a reason for my visual distortions. This is interesting to me though, i wonder if the number of people on this site who wear glasses or contacts would actually be a majority like higher than 70 percent or something? that would be pretty crazy to find that kind of a correlation. Haha, then again the first thing i learned in statistics is that correlation does not imply causation. Interesting nonetheless. Still doesn't explain the strange thinking patterns i sometimes experience though.


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## bluepeony1975 (May 26, 2009)

Hi guys,
Sorry it took me so long to check back again. Re how long the relief lasts - I find if I get light exposure for 15-20 minutes every day, I don't get DR at all. If I go one or two days without getting natural light, then it starts to creep back in. It's really a pain to go out every day for at least 15-20 minutes -plus I try to find a place where it's not too weird socially to just be standing there staring up at the sky, LOL!- I'm thinking of getting Lasik using some of my retirement money because then I wouldn't need the glasses or contacts at all. Also, if there are a series of overcast days like there just were for weeks in Boston where I live, even with the light it can start to creep back in.
And BTW, I definitely got the involuntary philosophical thoughts with it - what is life, what are we, what is language, the kind of thoughts intellectuals have & discuss but I draw no conclusions from them and do not enjoy them. It is very unpleasant. I don't get DP though. Let me know if it works for you guys!! I would be thrilled if it did. I'd say give it 15-20 minutes a day for 5 days and see if it's better. One note of caution - I don't know if it is damaging to the eye to be looking up at the sky or not. I've had one annual eye exam since I started doing it and everything was ok, but it's something to be aware of. Since I am so desperate not to have DR I do it, just don't ever look AT the sun, of course. Also - in the morning when the sun is at a certain angle seems to work better than afternoon.


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## Sleepwalker (Dec 4, 2008)

After a full night's sleep; get up and look straight into a very bright fluorescent lamp for about 1/2 hr. 
The colour must be blue-white, though and not the sunlight yellow-white.


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## bluepeony1975 (May 26, 2009)

Could that hurt the eyes, though? I've been worrying that my advice is going to hurt people's eyes. I do it because a) it's only for 10-15 minutes and b) the only other thing that worked to take away my dr was depakote, which made me gain a lot of weight. I know MDs say look out for damage the sun can cause to the eyes...hopefully flourescent wouldn't hurt but I just don't know. Best -


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## bluepeony1975 (May 26, 2009)

Ps Sleepwalker, is this something you discovered on your own?


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## Sleepwalker (Dec 4, 2008)

bluepeony1975 said:


> Ps Sleepwalker, is this something you discovered on your own?


Actually, I read about it while researching the topic of sleep. I really should have qualified what I said.
Yes, there are recommended parameters designed for safety and effectiveness; bulb intensity, light diffuser and distance of eyes from light source.
These lamps are actually sold to the public but they are expensive (for me), so I built one; used four spiral blue-white (this colour is my personal preference) light 23-Watt lamps mounted in a frame with a reflector at their back.
If you wish i could pull up some info. for you or a link.

p.s. I now remembered; the lamp is called a light box


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## ZachT (Sep 8, 2008)

Yeah usually that will help with me. I will take off my glasses for a while and feel a tad bit more real...kinda.


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## goldengirlz (Sep 16, 2008)

I am really intrigued by this. Of course, I love the idea of something working that does not include taking drugs. I'm anti-drugs at the moment, after 3 years of searching for the right one and enduring too many side effects and nothing that takes away the DP/DR.

I started gazing up at the sky a couple days ago after reading your post. But I'm wondering, how did you think of this method? Is there anything written on it? How do I know I'm doing it right? Like today I couldn't get to it til this evening, the sun was essentially down, but the sky was still bright. How many days did you do it before you saw results?

Any encouragement would be much appreciated! It's kind of a pain to do, but if It would help, I'd do it every day!


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## goldengirlz (Sep 16, 2008)

sorry, I reread your post and found most of my answers there. But thought I'd leave my post up anyway, in case you had an opinion on the time of day thing. 
Thanks!


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## bluepeony1975 (May 26, 2009)

Hi, I actually thought of it because someone on here, years back now, mentioned they felt better when they got some natural sunlight. So, I tried it out. See my original post but I go out in the mornings, seems to work better when the sun is at an angle in the sky rather than directly overhead, and just look up at the sky WITHOUT my contacts or glasses for about 10-15 minutes. Sounds crazy I know...Give it a week or so of like 15 minutes a day maybe?? Good luck!!!!

Thanks Sleepwalker for clarifying - yeah I've thought of getting one of those lights for the exact same reason...an old boyfriend used to have one for depression and sometimes I would use it for derealization. It worked pretty well too as I recall. Just a thought: given that flourescent lights can, for me and others on this board, trigger derealization (and some kinds of light at certain frequencies can trigger seizures for people with epilepsy, or migraines/migraine aura for people prone to those, which I am too unfortunately) it just makes me wonder. Funny that light also helps me at least feel better. I don't really know where I'm going with this except I wish I knew more about what happens in the brain when light hits the optic nerve.


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