DR/DP making me feel I am losing control
I have started anti- depressants and i don't experience nearly as much depression anymore but now i get a lot of derealiztion and before this feeling never really got to me but now its getting to me and i am scared i am going to lose control or go crazy or lose grip with reality. I just wanna crawl out of my skin. I feel like i cant make myself feel comfortable. I am moving tomorrow so i don't know if its the stress from moving or my medication making me feel DR. I am happy i am moving because i hate my place now and moving into a much cuter, cozy cheaper and better neighborhood apartment. So why would i feel anxiety? I am def not liking the way out apartment looks right now because its all boxed up and empty looking. If I am not comfortable in my environment i know i do get anxious. I guess my fears just move from one to another. . i thought i was able to deal with DR because i have before but now afraid that what if its the medication??!! Or could this just be me? And than the DR leads me to think what if i lose control because I feel so ansy and anxious inside I just want to get out of my body. I have been feeling very restless and irritable too. . . dont know if this is from the anti depressants, birth control or just me?? I think this could be the birth control. I take Yaz. Can anti depressants do this to you? I just want mine to work and not cause anything bad. I do notice my dreams are def more weird and vivid and can effect me the next day. . . and this too may cause some of the DR. Also, i don't sleep well and i constantly wake up so maybe my mind is tired and thats another reason why i get DR?? I'm just stating everything possible as to why I can be getting derealization. Hopefully once I move out and get settled this will go away but i am noticing the more the DR my depression starts to kick in. Maybe i need a larger dose of my anti depressants since its not helping too much with the anxiety and if my anxiety sticks around for a while the depression will set in again. Does anyone have any tips to beat this? Has anyone felt Derealization/depersonalization before and thought you were going to lose control and/or go mentally insane? Im so scared. I dont like feeling like my reality is unfamiliar. thats the scariest part. I feel like I may never get over this terrible anxiety and what If's I have )-: does anyone know if there is a session that talks about DR/DP in the program?? Thank you all for reading.
"Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)"
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I think it can be all of the above! Change of any kind, can be stressful! Yes, anti-depressants can make you feel odd. The times I have tried them, the first 6 weeks or so I did not feel myself. It takes up to 2 months before they normalize. How long have you been taking them? If it has been longer than 2 months then perhaps it is the dosage or maybe not the right anti-depressant for you and maybe you should talk to your doctor.
How long have you been on the pill? I think it is normal to have mental side affects from both. And like the anti depressants the pill takes a bit to adjust to as well. If you have been taking the pill for a while, then I wouldn't think it is the pill causing it.
Eventhough you hated where you lived, it is still familiar and comfortable in that you know how to function in it. A new place is exciting. That excitement can be turned into stress pretty easily. And the chaos of moving would stress out most people too, even though it is just temporary. Your life is in upheavel at the moment. Breathe!
Lack of sleep, oh my. Yes, I find I am prone to massive anxiety and panic attacks if I have not slept long enough or well enough. Are you using the program? and if so how far along into the program are you?
I would try to take a calming breath (if you can) and try to do some relaxation exercizes and know that what you are going through can be stress producing and try to counter your destructive "what ifs" with some good ones. And believe that you will get over this hump and you are not going crazy, it is just anxiety.
P.S. I have felt very similar to this when we were getting our kitchen renovated. I couldn't use the kitchen, strange men were in my house, and I had begun taking Zoloft for the first time. Ugh. So I totally could relate to what you are saying/feeling.
How long have you been on the pill? I think it is normal to have mental side affects from both. And like the anti depressants the pill takes a bit to adjust to as well. If you have been taking the pill for a while, then I wouldn't think it is the pill causing it.
Eventhough you hated where you lived, it is still familiar and comfortable in that you know how to function in it. A new place is exciting. That excitement can be turned into stress pretty easily. And the chaos of moving would stress out most people too, even though it is just temporary. Your life is in upheavel at the moment. Breathe!
Lack of sleep, oh my. Yes, I find I am prone to massive anxiety and panic attacks if I have not slept long enough or well enough. Are you using the program? and if so how far along into the program are you?
I would try to take a calming breath (if you can) and try to do some relaxation exercizes and know that what you are going through can be stress producing and try to counter your destructive "what ifs" with some good ones. And believe that you will get over this hump and you are not going crazy, it is just anxiety.
P.S. I have felt very similar to this when we were getting our kitchen renovated. I couldn't use the kitchen, strange men were in my house, and I had begun taking Zoloft for the first time. Ugh. So I totally could relate to what you are saying/feeling.
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Thank you so much for replying. I have only been on my anti depressants for 3 weeks and a few days and have been on yaz(birth control) for a month and a half. So you think the medicines are still adjusting? Is it normal to feel more anxiety while going through the first month or so with anti depressants? See I fall asleep somewhat easily but wake up sooo much during the night that i never know how many hours i actually sleep. And i always seem to wake up early now like at 7 am. Today i forced myself to sleep more since i had no work and i did but woke up a lot till 10am. so i know i didnt sleep the 3 hrs. I felt like i didnt sleep at all but know i did sleep some. Mt sleep just never seems restful. I never feel refreshed when i wake up. I feel kinda tired a lot yet cant sleep well. Can anti depressants make you go crazy? See i am scared now that its the anti depressant making me feel bad and like its controlling me and i dont like that feeling at all so i think thats why i feel even worse ya know? Like i feel its something i cant control since its a pill doing this to me. I really hope i am just still adjusting to the medicines. So after a couple months you felt back to yourself Arinna??? Its weird. I think also i am anticipating it too probably. I just want to be settled and feel comfortable again cause nothing here is making me feel comfortable. our stuff is all packed away. And when i try distraction my thought of what if im going crazy is always popping in my head and it scares me )--:
Hi Holly,,,Its been a while since, I have been on the forum and checked back tonight and saw your post. I felt very similar to this when I was on Prozac. However, I went off of it before I had the time to adjust to it. From everything I have heard the adjustment period is the hardest part and then you will regulate and feel better. Everyone is different. I do know that some people with anxiety issues have a hard time with antidepressants. The sleeping issue was a very difficult one for me during the time I started the antidepressants. However, when I listened to tape 8 today they talk about this...and how to try to let go of the anxiety of sleeping by not worrying about it. Hard to do...I know. You might want to revisit tape 8....I found it helpful. Moving is stressful, we are moving too....it can cause a lot of anxiety....deep breathe,,,know you are fine and that your anxiety is just kicking up...Good luck on the move...
ATTITUDE -- The mind is like a parachute...it doesn't work unless it's open!!
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Yep, I felt totally normal after I adjusted to the anti-depressants. It even helped me feel less anxious and I didn't have hardly any panic attacks. But first I felt anxious. I hate to take pills as a general rule so after my 6 month course of treatment I slowly weened myself off of them (but a year later I was back in the same state I was in prior to taking them, only the zoloft didn't work the same way that time. It didn't help). Yes, anti-depressants can make you feel worse before they make you feel better sometimes. My doctor gave me Ativan to help the cross over be less anxiety producing.
I tried a couple other anti-depressants although the names escape me now, but one had me thinking about suicide. Not that I wanted to do it actually, but I sort of thought about it as an option, where it was NEVER one before. So I quit that pill. Sometimes the fit just isn't good. Talk to your doctor if you still feel wrong after taking it for 6 to 8 weeks. That is what I would do anyway.
As for the sleeping, I am a good sleeper. Not sure why cuz I had insomnia in my early 20's but after my 2nd daughter I can almost sleep within seconds of my head hitting the pillow (had her at 34 years old). But I do remember the Zoloft affecting my sleep a bit.
I am glad you feel better. I hope you get a good night sleep tonight.
Good night.
I tried a couple other anti-depressants although the names escape me now, but one had me thinking about suicide. Not that I wanted to do it actually, but I sort of thought about it as an option, where it was NEVER one before. So I quit that pill. Sometimes the fit just isn't good. Talk to your doctor if you still feel wrong after taking it for 6 to 8 weeks. That is what I would do anyway.
As for the sleeping, I am a good sleeper. Not sure why cuz I had insomnia in my early 20's but after my 2nd daughter I can almost sleep within seconds of my head hitting the pillow (had her at 34 years old). But I do remember the Zoloft affecting my sleep a bit.
I am glad you feel better. I hope you get a good night sleep tonight.
Good night.
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