This has been one of my main symptoms of anxiety for several years, and over the past year, I am doing so much better. I'm just letting you know that although it is scary, it really is just one of the symptoms of anxiety, and it won't kill you, and you will not go crazy. It's actually your body protecting you from going crazy:). Lucinda's book "From Panic To Power" seems to talk more about it, and this program mentions it some too.
When you undergo stress, your body releases hormones to help you-it's own natural drugs. When you depersonalize, that's what your body is doing. When you learn how to cope with stress more effectively your body will also stop needing to produce the hormones that cause this symptom. Someone mentioned that a psychiatrist said they had a seizure, and that could have been the case, but this symptom can happen a lot and last for a while for a lot of people and not be tied to any type of seizure.
I have just done so much research on this, and read many books because it was my main symptom. I have a ten year old son who has autism, and after his diagnosis is when it was so severe. From reading many books, I realize that the symptom can also have to do with struggling with your identity. If you grew up in an abusive family, you are too busy surviving to find yourself. When you get out of that situation, you now need to know who you are. You need to establish really good boundaries. This program does help you find yourself, and the depersonalization is just a symptom you have while finding out who you are.
One book that mentioned this symptom that surprised me was Henry Cloud's "Changes that Heal: How to Understand Your Past to Ensure a Healthier Future". Building good boundaries is just so essential in helping alleviate this symptom. This program helps you know what the symptom is and know that it's just a reaction to stress and will not kill you. Boundaries help you know who you are too. I recommend Henry Cloud's "Boundaries" book, and "Boundaries: Where You End and I Begin". Also, Claire Weekes' books are dated, but she really does understand this symptom, and it helped me to read her books when they were recommended to me on this board years ago. In addition, "Stranger in the Mirror: Dissociation the Hidden Epidemic" talks about the symptom and is helpful, but it may be scary for some people, and you may not have the severe dissociation that is mentioned. It did help me when I was at my worst to know what was happening to me, and to implement comforting skills to help me.
On the internet, there are sites mainly for child abuse survivors that teach you tips for "grounding techniques". These are just really simple comforting skills to help you even if you were not abused. They may involve taking a bubble bath or cutting open an orange and paying attention to the scent, and visual stimuli of doing so. I found these helpful too.
Hope something in here helps. I really thought I would never get over this symptom, and I am just so thankful that it has lessened tremendously just from doing this program and other self-help techniques with boundaries, etc. Also, I applied some of my religious beliefs that helped me. I know this isn't the religious section though, but it helped me to know that know matter whether I knew who I was, God was still who he was, and no matter what I am always a child of God. So, when I felt like I didn't know who I was, I would just say that I was a child of God. It was that simple, and it really helped me. I'm not preaching, but if that helps you, I just wanted to share it.
Take Care,
luvpiggy
Unreality feelings
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Guest
This is my main symptom. I cant stand it and feel dome alot. I feel that if this does not resolve I will go crazy. I have had this feeling for a year Nov 21, 2007 every day all day. I hope it goes away. I want to live my life again. This is the first time I have herd other people experience the same symptoms.
Thanks for the hopefulness I have been seeking.
Amy
Thanks for the hopefulness I have been seeking.
Amy
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Guest
I have two wonderful recomendations:
1. The movie "Numb" is amazing and those suffering from DP will more than likely relate, but also get a lot of answers too. It IS what the director/writers life has been like - he's suffered from DP.
2. There's a book the movie shows in one scene and the director talks about in his commentary called "Feeling Unreal: Depersonalization Disorder and the Loss of the Self " by Simeon and Abugel that has gotten rave reviews.
Please look into these two references and I believe you will find some peace.
What I've deduced from these sources is that people suffering from the disorder have a predisposition to it and the symptoms are triggered by stressors. Period. No meds have been found that work for everyone, no therapy techniques can cure it, but effective stress management should put an end to or at least decrease the severity of the symptoms associated with Depersonalizaion disorder.
I hope this helps
1. The movie "Numb" is amazing and those suffering from DP will more than likely relate, but also get a lot of answers too. It IS what the director/writers life has been like - he's suffered from DP.
2. There's a book the movie shows in one scene and the director talks about in his commentary called "Feeling Unreal: Depersonalization Disorder and the Loss of the Self " by Simeon and Abugel that has gotten rave reviews.
Please look into these two references and I believe you will find some peace.
What I've deduced from these sources is that people suffering from the disorder have a predisposition to it and the symptoms are triggered by stressors. Period. No meds have been found that work for everyone, no therapy techniques can cure it, but effective stress management should put an end to or at least decrease the severity of the symptoms associated with Depersonalizaion disorder.
I hope this helps