Disscociation visual issues

[Hogan1010]

Hey this is my first time posting on the site. Five years ago I suffered a traumatic injury and developed high levels of anxiety and depression. For two years my entire life changed with not being able to drive and basically not leave the house. During this time I started developing weird visual issues that have been constant 24/7 for five years. My vision feels like I'm in a dream or movie and like I'm really detached and far away from everything. It almost looks as if I'm looking through a piece of glass. These visuals symptoms are the last issues that I suffer from and I have had every test done and visited every eye doctor and all the tests come back great.

After the rough few years I began living again and doing much better. Finished college and drove again while continuing to heal. The vision however stayed with me even though I didn't feel like I was necessarily anxious or stressed. A couple months ago I started having bad days again where my vision felt like I was more out of it than ever and the stress and depression began to creep back in full force. It has been a shitty few months and with having these issues for five years I'm mentally defeated at the moment. I feel like I'm getting so much worse even though I'm sure it is just the anxiety wanting me to think that. I have an awful time of thinking ahead in the future and how those events will make me feel bad.

The big thing for me is that I have trouble accepting that anxiety is the reason i have visual issues 24/7 of everyday. I'm just looking to see if anyone on here has issues like mine and if there is any hope for it. I'm losing confidence in my ability to fight on anymore and feel like I'm never going to enjoy my life again. I was say that if my vision was better that then my anxiety would go away but I just can't get there at the moment.

[Nowuccas]

Hey Hogan1010,

I can't know whether the following applies in your case, but it seems to provide an explanation of your symptoms, and some therapeutic techniques worth trying. My suggestion would be to consult a clinical psychologist (Google: "clinical psychologists; [your location] ) in preference to a psychiatrist if the symptoms continue much longer.

From http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depersonalization-derealization-disorder/basics/symptoms/con-20033401

"Persistent and recurrent episodes of depersonalization or derealization or both cause distress and problems functioning at work or school or in other important areas of your life. During these episodes, you are aware that your sense of detachment is only a feeling, and not reality.

The experience and feelings of the disorder can be difficult to describe. Worry about "going crazy" can cause you to become preoccupied with checking that you exist and determining what's actually real.

Depersonalization symptoms

Symptoms of depersonalization include:

Feelings that you're an outside observer of your thoughts, feelings, your body or parts of your body, perhaps as if you were floating in air above yourself
Feeling like a robot or that you're not in control of your speech or movements
The sense that your body, legs or arms appear distorted, enlarged or shrunken, or that your head is wrapped in cotton
Emotional or physical numbness of your senses or responses to the world around you
A sense that your memories lack emotion, and that they may or may not be your own memories
Derealization symptoms

Symptoms of derealization include:

Feelings of being alienated from or unfamiliar with your surroundings, perhaps like you're living in a movie
Feeling emotionally disconnected from people you care about, as if you were separated by a glass wall
Surroundings that appear distorted, blurry, colorless, two-dimensional or artificial, or a heightened awareness and clarity of your surroundings
Distortions in perception of time, such as recent events feeling like distant past
Distortions of distance and the size and shape of objects
Episodes of depersonalization-derealization disorder may last hours, days, weeks or even months at a time. In some people, these episodes turn into ongoing feelings of depersonalization or derealization that may periodically get better or worse.

In this disorder, feelings of depersonalization and derealization aren't directly caused by drugs, alcohol, a mental health disorder or a medical condition.

When to see a doctor

Passing feelings of depersonalization or derealization are common and aren't necessarily a cause for concern. But ongoing or severe feelings of detachment and distortion of your surroundings can be a sign of depersonalization-derealization disorder or another physical or mental health disorder.

See a doctor if you have feelings of depersonalization or derealization that:

Are disturbing you or are emotionally disruptive
Don't go away or keep coming back
Interfere with work, relationships or daily activities"

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A previous post follows:

There are some things that you can try:

Regard DP/DR as being purely temporary.

Advice from therapists, and sufferers: When affected, run your hands under cold water for several minutes. Adapt the following to your situation: Look around and find 5 colours; feel 4 different textures; smell 3 different odours, and taste 2 different things. Focus on your hands for several minutes, multiple times daily. Try snapping a rubber band on your wrist, lightly, at first, then increasingly harder; remove afterwards, and pocket.

Give the EFT a good tryout, to see if it helps you. It is free via the searchbar at http://eft.mercola.com * or http://www.tapping.com (13 free videos) or YouTube EFT. Professionally instructed is best. - There is a version for use in public places*, (if you want to, you can claim to have a headache, as you employ the acupressure massage/tapping on your temples, but you would then be restricted to subvocalising: [repeating to yourself in your mind] ) "Even though I sometimes suffer from depersonalization/derealization, I deeply and completely accept myself". Use the PMR, at http://www.drcoxconsulting.com/managing-stress.html

DP/DR often results from anxiety/panic attacks, so if this applies in your case, see http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?34482-What-can-I-do-to-feel-better-after-a-panic-attack&p=226304#post226304 about anxiety, and/or panic attacks. Neo-Reichian therapy has been recommended for DP/DR, but I suggest using the above treatments for at least several weeks, as they may well be all that are required.

RECOMMENDED READING:
Derealization, by Frederic P. Miller, Agnes F. Vandome, and John McBrewster, & Overcoming Depersonalization Disorder: A Mindfulness & Acceptance Guide to Conquering Feelings of Numbness & Unreality by Fugen A. Neziroglu, & Feeling Unreal: Depersonalization Disorder and the Loss of the Self, by Daphne Simeon and Jeffrey Abugel, and Depersonalization: A New Look at a Neglected Syndrome, and The Stranger In The Mirror by Marlene Steinberg and Maxine Schnall, and Depersonalization Disorder Medical Guide by Qontro Medical Guides, and The Haunted Self: Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) by Onno van der Hart, Ellert R. S. Nijenhuis, and Kathy Steele, from your bookstore, or www.amazon.com

Google DP/DR chat sites & forums, such as www.anxietyzone.com & http://www.dpselfhelp.com/forum and ask what worked for them, such as: http://www.dpselfhelp.com/forum/index.php?/topic/20892-the-holy-grail-of-curing-dpdr/

I suggest minimising, or avoiding fluorescent lights when reasonably possible; check out: http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=1899&bih=888&q=depersonalization+%2B+derealization%3B+fluoresce nt+lighting&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=

Hoping something in the above helps.