Expiriments if any one wants to try it! (Deprsonalization and De-Realization)

[Exactice]

Hey Gang, well another member and I have been chatting a lot and found that working in pairs have really helped. We have been communicating out side of just the forums to help relieve some of the tension we have built up and a great way to just let things go.

Any ways I had an epiphany while talking to the other forum member about something we both are currently struggling with.

So I learned a little about DP and DR. Its funny did you know that it is something that some people actually strive for through drugs? We both thought why the heck would anyone want to achieve that zombie like feeling it feels terrible.

Then it got me thinking about what was happening. It was like we would step out of our bodies. It kinda clicked....wait.....during meditation, dont we try to achieve this feeling. Trying to separate ourselves and try to reach a state of Euphoria? Buddhist monks try to reach a state of enlightenment right? Could it be something similar? Could we feel like detaching ourselves actually be a sense of "Self Discovery" like Im-Suffering stated in another thread?

SOOOOO experiment time. We thought instead of being afraid and thinking something is wrong when we get those sensations, lets try and "Swim" around those feelings. Lets try and explore what is going on. If people are trying to obtain that feeling it must not actually be a bad thing right? It hasnt killed any people that was on drugs when reaching that moment, the drug OD did it.

Anyways instead of automatically thinking something is wrong, lets see if there is any "Self Discovery" and jot down some notes of what is going on and what it feels like, try to see what is happening in our surroundings, is there higher levels of stress etc,

Please feel free to respond to this thread for your findings, I know myself and the other member will try to do the same!

[Exactice]

BUMP for Monday =) Anyone have any thoughts!

[Ryker]

It's really true.

There's zero, zilch difference chemically between the rush I get going to a supermarket to the rush that an adrenaline junkie gets BASE jumping from the roof of the local cathedral.

The only difference is one of us has learned to associate the increased heart rate and respiration and heightened senses with something 'good' and the other one, something 'bad'.

Knowing that and believing it allows you to actually dabble with enjoying what may otherwise be a horrible experience. When I go to the mall I know what's going to happen. I know what it will feel like, I know it's harmless, so I may as well enjoy it. And I do. Really.

Ironically becoming practiced at dealing with and feeling the fear arms me with the ability to tackle so many things that those 'normal' people around me balk at.

[JustaGal]

Hey Gang, well another member and I have been chatting a lot and found that working in pairs have really helped. We have been communicating out side of just the forums to help relieve some of the tension we have built up and a great way to just let things go.

Any ways I had an epiphany while talking to the other forum member about something we both are currently struggling with.

So I learned a little about DP and DR. Its funny did you know that it is something that some people actually strive for through drugs? We both thought why the heck would anyone want to achieve that zombie like feeling it feels terrible.

Then it got me thinking about what was happening. It was like we would step out of our bodies. It kinda clicked....wait.....during meditation, dont we try to achieve this feeling. Trying to separate ourselves and try to reach a state of Euphoria? Buddhist monks try to reach a state of enlightenment right? Could it be something similar? Could we feel like detaching ourselves actually be a sense of "Self Discovery" like Im-Suffering stated in another thread?

SOOOOO experiment time. We thought instead of being afraid and thinking something is wrong when we get those sensations, lets try and "Swim" around those feelings. Lets try and explore what is going on. If people are trying to obtain that feeling it must not actually be a bad thing right? It hasnt killed any people that was on drugs when reaching that moment, the drug OD did it.

Anyways instead of automatically thinking something is wrong, lets see if there is any "Self Discovery" and jot down some notes of what is going on and what it feels like, try to see what is happening in our surroundings, is there higher levels of stress etc,

Please feel free to respond to this thread for your findings, I know myself and the other member will try to do the same!

I will give it a try, I don't get it as much now with meds....

[AliasEQ]

Hey friend :)

It's funny how when you want it to come, it simply doesn't and vice versa. Once I do feel it coming, irrational thoughts pop up and I feel like I can't think clearly. My thoughts become negative. In order to not make it go to a full-blown panic attack, I need to either shut my brain down(not litterally) or try to think positive(which is really hard).

I do however think that once you enjoy that feeling , it will actually go away. Because when I get that freeling, I feel as if I'm stuck in it and I want to get out - which only makes it worse. I will give your experiment a try. Thanks for sharing it! :)

[Ambition]

Hey Gang, well another member and I have been chatting a lot and found that working in pairs have really helped. We have been communicating out side of just the forums to help relieve some of the tension we have built up and a great way to just let things go.

Any ways I had an epiphany while talking to the other forum member about something we both are currently struggling with.

So I learned a little about DP and DR. Its funny did you know that it is something that some people actually strive for through drugs? We both thought why the heck would anyone want to achieve that zombie like feeling it feels terrible.

Then it got me thinking about what was happening. It was like we would step out of our bodies. It kinda clicked....wait.....during meditation, dont we try to achieve this feeling. Trying to separate ourselves and try to reach a state of Euphoria? Buddhist monks try to reach a state of enlightenment right? Could it be something similar? Could we feel like detaching ourselves actually be a sense of "Self Discovery" like Im-Suffering stated in another thread?

SOOOOO experiment time. We thought instead of being afraid and thinking something is wrong when we get those sensations, lets try and "Swim" around those feelings. Lets try and explore what is going on. If people are trying to obtain that feeling it must not actually be a bad thing right? It hasnt killed any people that was on drugs when reaching that moment, the drug OD did it.

Anyways instead of automatically thinking something is wrong, lets see if there is any "Self Discovery" and jot down some notes of what is going on and what it feels like, try to see what is happening in our surroundings, is there higher levels of stress etc,

Please feel free to respond to this thread for your findings, I know myself and the other member will try to do the same!


DP and DR are the main symptoms of my anxiety and I associate them with the feeling you get before you faint which is why I'm afraid of DP and DR. My doctor and CBT therapist says that DP and DR are due to too much oxygen in the blood and too little CO2 and that fainting during a panic attack is impossible and more likely to happen in non-anxious people due to low blood pressure, low heart rate etc.

I think your hypothesis of exploring the feelings is a great idea. A lot of therapists would say that it would erase the anxiety and pretty soon the DP and DR would go away as DP and DR require anxiety to survive.

However I do not think I'm brave enough to take that chance in a busy shopping mall as the fear of fainting or passing out in public even though I know I won't, is still too overwhelming :(

[Ambition]

It's really true.

There's zero, zilch difference chemically between the rush I get going to a supermarket to the rush that an adrenaline junkie gets BASE jumping from the roof of the local cathedral.

The only difference is one of us has learned to associate the increased heart rate and respiration and heightened senses with something 'good' and the other one, something 'bad'.

Knowing that and believing it allows you to actually dabble with enjoying what may otherwise be a horrible experience. When I go to the mall I know what's going to happen. I know what it will feel like, I know it's harmless, so I may as well enjoy it. And I do. Really.

Ironically becoming practiced at dealing with and feeling the fear arms me with the ability to tackle so many things that those 'normal' people around me balk at.

That's exactly my thoughts! I suffer DP and DR as a main part of my anxiety. I have little doubt that if something really really great happened like matching 6 lottery numbers during the draw would cause a strong feeling of depersonalisation whilst jumping for joy! But we would not fear the DP or DR because in that case it's associated with joy. We may even enjoy it.

It's all down to adrenalin and in good or bad situations the symptoms are the same but in happy times we don't see those symptoms or feelings as a threat like we do stuck in a traffic gridlock or busy shopping mall. In bad situations we interpret those feelings as if we will faint, pass out, loose our memory, or go insane.

[Andrewk_]

I really feel like I suffer from this stuff, I was good For almost 2 years no attacks anything and I went off my meds. 7 months later went through a break up and I'm worse then ever.

I constantly feel unreal and my life isn't my own, idk how to explain it. I have such mental confusion sometimes that I feel like I'm crazy and need to be committed. Waking up everyday just starts it all over, the anxiety and then the feeling of being unreal and not even my own life.

I feel like Idk what's going on half the time and I'm really confused and have crazy thoughts all the time thay don't make any sense why I think them. I was happy and stable for so long and now I feel worse then ever before and beyond coming back this time. I feel like I live in my head and I'm not in control of my body and my surroundings aren't real, and then I'll snap back and realize holy shit this is real and I start having panic attacks and irrational thoughts. I can't live like this forever. Anyone relate?

[Exactice]

Hey Gang, thank you all for your responses. I would like to keep this going as it seems many other people have suffered from this and its a pretty scary feeling. Anyways, has anyone tried my experiment yet? Can you give us your findings?

I will say I have only does this a couple of times but my DP and DR has been going away and I am assuming its because I have been getting better sleep lately. But when I do feel funny like this, I dont fight it. I smile and relax and tell myself I have been here before and nothing has happened. Then if it really gets bad, I try to go into a state of meditation where I dont think so much about the negatives but more of just actually floating away and escaping. Escaping to somewhere relaxing. Like on a wave and riding it all the way into shore!

Please is if anyone is brave enough to give it a shot and let us know it would be great to those that are having this challenge to help them along!

[PanicCured]

Hey Gang, well another member and I have been chatting a lot and found that working in pairs have really helped. We have been communicating out side of just the forums to help relieve some of the tension we have built up and a great way to just let things go.

Any ways I had an epiphany while talking to the other forum member about something we both are currently struggling with.

So I learned a little about DP and DR. Its funny did you know that it is something that some people actually strive for through drugs? We both thought why the heck would anyone want to achieve that zombie like feeling it feels terrible.

Then it got me thinking about what was happening. It was like we would step out of our bodies. It kinda clicked....wait.....during meditation, dont we try to achieve this feeling. Trying to separate ourselves and try to reach a state of Euphoria? Buddhist monks try to reach a state of enlightenment right? Could it be something similar? Could we feel like detaching ourselves actually be a sense of "Self Discovery" like Im-Suffering stated in another thread?

SOOOOO experiment time. We thought instead of being afraid and thinking something is wrong when we get those sensations, lets try and "Swim" around those feelings. Lets try and explore what is going on. If people are trying to obtain that feeling it must not actually be a bad thing right? It hasnt killed any people that was on drugs when reaching that moment, the drug OD did it.

Anyways instead of automatically thinking something is wrong, lets see if there is any "Self Discovery" and jot down some notes of what is going on and what it feels like, try to see what is happening in our surroundings, is there higher levels of stress etc,

Please feel free to respond to this thread for your findings, I know myself and the other member will try to do the same!

Wow actually good advice finally here! I think a lot of anxiety is about sitting with it and letting it be. It's what I talked about in my Panic Attack Guide at the top.

In deep meditation it is possible to have a separation of body and mind so this really is a great comparison. Since anxiety in itself can't harm you, why not explore it?

The mind is a crazy intersting place, why not check it out?