whats normal

Mental health
1

Hi

I have had derealization and depersonalization for almost 5months now and im scared that ive forgotten the feeling of being normal. Im scared ill be stuck like this.

So my Question is would I snap out of it and feel me again and connected. Would I then automatically know whats normal.

2

Just a guess but if you have had it for that long i would say recovery will be more of a gradual thing

3

Hi Tanya. 5 months may seem like a really long time to you but recovery can sometimes be a really long process and varies from one person to another. You won't just snap out of it, however much you'd like to. Slowly and gradual more like but you will get there.

4

Thanks for the replies.

Have any of you suffered with dp or dr

5

The short answer to this Tanya is that 'normality' is what you can live with and are happy with.

We seldom return to the place that we once were at, but we can look back and learn from our mistakes.

You will get to a place where you are happy, and when you are there you will be a much wiser person which will help you in your future.

Best wishes

Rod

6

Hi Tanya I am exactly the same it's been going on over a year now where I feel disconnected, detached myself and my surroundings and spaced out daily. Its worse on an evening and I look around and think am I really here because I feel really strange. All I hope for is that one day I will no longer think about it and maybe that will be when I start to feel normal again. The only advice I can give which helps me is distraction. If I'm watching tv or I'm out the house I don't notice it as much but I know a lot of it is to do with me not thinking about it so then I don't feel it if that makes sense.x

7

Thank you

8

I've isolated myself.

So when your out say so socializing do you feel yourself as your not thinking about it

9

Have you had it before and gave you ever fully recovered. Im scared

10

It still scares me because Iv'e never had this before until it all started in Jan 2014. I find if I'm in busy places I can feel spaced out a lot but it all depends on how terrible I'm feeling on that day with anxiety. When it's bad I feel terrible even being out where nothing distracts me from feeling ill and spaced out/detached. If I'm in situations that I feel comfortable in and something I want to do then those feelings don't seem to bother me. I do find I feel worse in low lit places hence the reason I think I feel more spaced out and strange on an evening. If I'm walking around my house at night I feel weird like I'm not in my own body and I look round and think to myself wow am I real. I do get this detached from my body feeling in open spaces also where I always need to walk near something or hold on to someone. I hate it because I won't go to town alone anymore or anywhere with big open spaces x

11

Are you on meds

12

No I'm not. I did try Sertraline but I had a funny turn off it so I stopped it. I also tried Fluoxetine but I decided to stop after 12 days. Are you on any meds? I wanted to try and overcome it with out meds because I don't like to take meds if I can help it. I'm a bit of a wuss meds seem to scare me because I worry it will do more harm than good.x

13

No im not on meds

14

Hi

I had dp and dr when I was 14yrs old got better well to a manageble state after 1.5-2yrs as i was young and have a big family so i was pushed harder to feel normal but anxiety was still there. Had a relapse when I was 21yrs old and got better after around 1yr. Now 33yrs old and got it again this time seems alittle different. I tried meds each time for like 4days but made me feel worse so never persisted. I think with this condition meds make you worse and it sucks because this time it was triggered from anxiety and panic.

15

What it is important to realise Tanya is that all of these antipsychotic medications take time to get into your system before they can begin to work, and four days is simply not long enough.

Obviously it depends very much on the physiology of an individual, but the minimum time before any of these medications is expected to benefit the patient is in the region of four weeks.

Many patients expect instant results, but it simply doesn't work that way.

If after a reasonable 'trial' period a particular medication does not work, then there are others that can be substituted, one of which will relieve you symptoms.

I really think that you should give yourself the opportunity of trying again.

16

Hi

I know I get the whole medication thing but honestly when you have severe dp and dr you already feel stuck in a trance or panick state which in unbearable every sec and medicines worsen these symptoms which I cant handle

17

Hi Tanya I too have this ...for the past 9 months..they say distraction helps

dee xx

18

Personally I found ssri anti - depressants to help a lot with the depersonalisation/unreality. I think we take meds for physical issues without much qualm but they can have side effects too :-) There still seems to be stigma about mental health medication which makes me giggle a bit considering how much alcohol is consumed on a daily basis in our society. Alcohol is probably more dangerous and has drastic side effects long term yet available everywhere and totally socially acceptable. (I'm not of course suggesting that people with anxiety disorders are more likely to drink just commenting on our skewed societal perceptions.....)

19

Sorry I missed your message Dee.

I wasn't a big fan of meds until about a year of heavyish drinking on Friday night to get smashed.  Then I recognised I was in a spiral of depression.

Some meds can make you bounce around for a few weeks, when you settle down you still may find the dose is not high enough, therefore go back to the gp to get it upped.