# I want YOU to recover and here's how!



## ambrosialv (Oct 15, 2010)

Hi All:

So, I wanted to post this alot earleir, but I have been super busy at work.

I have recovered. 100 %. This is how I did it.

First off, I suffered from derealization first. I could write a whole essay on how I ended up w/ anxiety in the first place, but I will save you that bore haha. The derealization was the hardest thing for me to ever go through. Not only did my mind develop what you would call "morbid obsessions" ie- thoughts of harming others or yourself...and love to repeat them to me...shout them at me almost 24/7, I suffered from crappy DR. One day I woke up and everything was alien to me. I would say I was one of the worst on here. I didn't recognize myself in the mirror, my own voice freaked me out, I couldn't look at pictures of myself, my family, pets, and friends looked odd and strange...something feared. The DP followed, and I hated myself. My self confidence went through the shitter. I went from being an upbeat, self confident nanny who had a very bright future ahead of her to someone who really considered ending her own life. But you know what? I pulled out of it. All of it. Recovered 100 % and here is how.

1)* I really stopped giving two shits about the thoughts in my head.* No matter how evil, how morbid, how stupid, depressing, or whatever they were, I let them be. Deep down, I know in my heart and soul who I am, and I stopped letting anxiety tell me different. Give your thoughts no credence. I akin it to the cartoons of an angel and a devil on each shoulder. Of course the devil will shout louder, but the angel is always there to tell you what is important.

2)* Do things.* When the DP first happened, I had not a damn clue what was happening to me. I remember when I got it in spurts. I would ask my friends "Have you ever felt like you were there, but not there?" They all said yes! At times, when they felt stressed. So, i didn't worry about it to much. Then I had it 24/7. My vision was blurry, I felt shitty and out of it. I thought I had a major sinus infection haha. I couldn't tell you how many sinus things I took haha. Obviously they didn't help. It was when I started freaking out about it that the DP hit an all time high. I became a shell. I stopped working, going out, everything. I stayed in a dark room and just cried. This went on for months! I was even hospitalized on a 51/50 a couple times! But one day I said to myself, "this is stupid Christine. You know who you are. You never questioned who you were or existence before...why now?" So I sucked it up and started working again. Yeah, I felt AWFUL. But I knew that if I wanted to be normal again, I had to act normal. Do things normal people did. I forced myself to go to my brothers football games, go out with my family. This is when the recovery started to happen. My mind raced, and told me all the things that it could to keep me "safe" at home. I broke down and cried many times. But as time went on, I ignored them. It was like a bully in mind. You ignore the bully long enough, and he starts to loose the battle. The biggest challenge was going out w/ my friends w/out my family there. But I told myself, "What's the worse that can happen? If I feel shitty, oh well. If I feel great, awesome". You develop a DGAF attitude about anxiety.

3. FAITH!!!!! I pray alot, and this whole thing has brought me closer to my Lord and Savior. Faith and prayers help alot!!!!!!!!!!

4. The term "Fake it till you make it". This is soooooo true.

5. GET OUTER FOCUSED! Reconnect with people and the world. My confidence is better than it ever has been because of this.

The reason people get stuck in this habit, this cycle, is because they want the immediate fix. They want this to end yesterday. Sorry folks. It doesn't happen that way. Your symptoms are a result of a tired mind and body. By you constantly focusing on how you feel, and the thoughts, you feed the anxiety and DP. When you stop caring about it, it stops caring about you. My mind still feeds me anxious thoughts, and tries to get mt to remember the feelings and such, and I feel shitty off and on. This only happens now when I'm stressed. But I'm living again. You can too. EVERYONE has bad days. That's life. Even after you recover, and you will, promise that, your life isn't going to be rainbows and butterfiles. Life hands you lemons, and you make damn lemonade. NO ONES life is perfect. But for the time being, PLEASE give your mind and body a break! Honestly, I stopped coming on this forum because it feeds the anxiety. You read something, freak out, and then you're back to square one. I'm sure most of you, and no offense, spend hours a day on here. It consumes you. And if not on here, then on Google researching symptoms. That WAS me. But I broke the cycle, and feel soooooooooo much better. Each day is a victory for me.

One person I would like to thank for my recovery, other than God, is Paul David. He wrote the book, "At Last A Life." Please Google him. I know that sounds hypocritical, but his site and blog changed my life. He puts things in a suffers perspective and tells it how it is.

I'm here to help. I didn't get much support from my friend or family. They didn't "Get It." I had to do this on my own. And doing it on your own is the only way to recovery. I do care about you all, and I want each and everyone of you to recover.









<3, Christine


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## abovetherim (Dec 18, 2009)

ambrosialv said:


> Hi All:
> 
> So, I wanted to post this alot earleir, but I have been super busy at work.
> 
> ...


This is what I did and I eventually recovered, I skimmed through your post. People need to realize that healing from DP/DR is all about thoughts and how you control them.


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## TheStarter (Oct 19, 2010)

I think its cute, and cool that you want to help us all, i can follow everything what you say, except the praying part.

Thanks for posting!!


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## alexc (Apr 20, 2009)

Our stories are quite similar read mine I'm fully recovered there hope! http://www.dpselfhelp.com/forum/index.php?/topic/25563-i-am-cured-there-is-hope/page__pid__218780#entry218780


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## Kitr (Jul 7, 2009)

Did you use any meds or anything?

Yea my DP/DR is also almost gone but my depression and anxiety and pressure in head (massaging feeling) that comes from food and out of air sometimes just kinda doesnt go away so easily.

I'm mostly on healthy food now and it still happens.

So for example i eat something and then i get a massaing feeling on my head. It's like food affects me.

I sometimes kinda think that weed really fucked my chemistry because i smoked really high doses of skunk when i got this DP DR and being numb in emotions and so on.

Also sometimes when i feel fear in chest for no reason it affects my thinking and then i think what if i'll go crazy or schizhophenic or psycho or something. Its just weird

First time it did go away after i stopped smoking after 2 wekks but second time smoked again fora while and it didnt.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!!!


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## ambrosialv (Oct 15, 2010)

Well...I wanted to remove my Facebook/e-mail from these post, but can't seem to









It's not that I don't want to help people, I do! But I've been receiving a lot of disturbing e-mails. I laid down the path of recovery in my post.

One key point: Live your life as though you never had anxiety and that recovery takes time. There is no magic pill, technique, ect. Time heals all. One helpful thing is mindfulness. Sit with the anxiety...no matter how bad it is.


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## Deleted Account (Jul 26, 2010)

I swear this is the best post ever! I really needed to hear this! Thank you!


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## samiam (Jan 28, 2011)

ambrosialv said:


> Hi All:
> 
> So, I wanted to post this alot earleir, but I have been super busy at work.
> 
> ...


How long had you suffered from DP/DR before you recovered? I was wondering also if you were in therapy during all this?


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## Greeezly (Feb 6, 2011)

bixin said:


> How long had you suffered from DP/DR before you recovered? I was wondering also if you were in therapy during all this?


Thanks for the post. I've recovered gradually myself.. Simply by keep on moving, keep living "normally". I was wondering about this as well^ + did you use medication?


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## ohwell (Oct 28, 2010)

Excellent! Many here are waiting that their life given back to them, waiting for the magic pill. But much of it has to do with the sufferers attitude and what they are ready to do to recover. No one can expect to recover if no energy is spent for that recovery.


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## yesyes (Oct 19, 2008)

very nice post and nice post, ambrosia. very encouraging. thanks


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## Z-Ron (Nov 25, 2010)

Awesome post. While I have different views on the praying thing, I still agree with most of what you said.

This thread radiates hope. Hope is what someone suffering from DR/DP needs the most.


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## ambrosialv (Oct 15, 2010)

Hi all!

I wanted to add this, as it is a great way I started looking at DP/DR. Remember this a stress is a HUGE factor. I have tons of friends that say when they are stressed (kids, schoolwork, studying, ect) they get a sense of being "there but they are not there". They do not freak out over it, and in time the feeling passes and they think no more of it. With anxiety, you are HYPER AWARE of everything. Every thought and feeling. That's why this feeling seems impossible to dismiss.

I'm going to be honest. I have it off and on lately. Why? Because I'm SUPER stressed out. Our family dog is VERY ill, work is crazy/hectic (in a good way), ect...but this feeling simply hold no fear anymore.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here is what I emailed a member in response to pictures/mirrors and DP: Yes, I did have the problem with the mirrors and the pictures. It's your mind playing tricks on you.

It's complicating because the anxiety keeps you in fear, but DP acts a way of disassociating yourself from everything, even yourself, while your emotions heal.

It is the result of a very, very tired mind. In time, once you take the fear away, you will start to feel better. Things will be familiar to you once again. Aken it to being drunk. Things look odd, distorted. But you know why you feel and see things this way...it's because you had a few to many beers. Think of fear as a beer. You've had a few to many frights. Your mind has to "sober up".

You all will get better. I promise. Chin up, have faith, and feel "drunk" for a while. Also, keep outer focused. You have devolved a habit of thinking inward about yourself and your problems. Think outward and you will feel "outward" in time


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## yesyes (Oct 19, 2008)

ambrosia,
thanks for your advice. what you are saying and what others are saying makes perfect sense.
i suffer just from dr, not from dp, thank goodness.... 
here is a question for you guys. How do you deal with dr as soon as it starts? for me it starts in the morning when i leave my house to go to work. Many times during the day i suffer from bad dr attacks, irreality, etc. and it feels like i am going to pass out but obviously i dont. how do you cope with those moments when the reality seems so strange that it seems that you need new prescription glasses? (i don't btw)...thanx


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## yesyes (Oct 19, 2008)

i also want to add that my dr doesnt appear (i should say: it doesnt increase, since i have it 24-7) when i am stressed out, furthermore, when i am stressed out i feel like i am more grounded (unless i oversleep and i am late for work, then the whole thing starts snowballing) but mine comes out of nowhere in the most random moments... it has no rhyme nor reason....


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## Mythid (Apr 8, 2010)

This is how I recovered. So many people medicate and do these ridiculous things, it is all in the mindset.


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## match_stick_1 (Jun 9, 2010)

ambrosialv said:


> Hi All:
> 
> So, I wanted to post this alot earleir, but I have been super busy at work.
> 
> ...


Wow that sounds familiar... espescially the thinking we had extreme sinus! thats kindof humorous when i think about it







Anyway thats great, thanks for sharing because i really feel like i'm on the right track now, because ive basically been doing everything you've mentioned!!


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