19 replies to this topic

[leminaseri]

Hey guys,

I'm just chipping here now to tell you that chronic dissociation (regardless of how you like to define your individual situation - "drug-induced derealisation", "chronic DPDR", "intermittent depersonalisation"..) is cured in the same way. I completely respect that this is impossible to see while trapped in the horrible, frankly terrifying symptoms that come along with things/yourself feeling 'unreal', but this is an absolute truth that you should try your best to believe.

Why? Believing this will push you 30% towards recovery. The longer you spend watching youtube videos that try and further guide you towards diagnosing yourself differently/analysing "whether you have chronic/intermittent dissociation", the more you are falling into identifying as a patient, ruminating more, etc. This will sustain your symptoms, whether they are permanent or arise sporadically.

I can tell you that I suffered from severe chronic (really 24/7) depersonalisation and derealisation triggered by drugs and sustained by 'reality-checking' and OCD tendencies. And, I managed to direct my flow away from reality/my condition, and have been 100% cured for years.

Don't let anyone tell you that chronic DPDR is a different beast in terms of recovery, for it isn't. In terms of experience, sure - there are undeniably huge differences between the experience of someone who experiences occasional dissociation when stressed and someone who permanently feels 'drugged' and dissociated.

But, let's be careful and not mix up what's interesting/valid to analyse (i.e. what could be studied and talked about) and what's relevant to recovery.

There are hundreds of things that we can scrutinise and categorise etc. when it comes to dissociative symptoms, but trust me, they are better accepted as the umbrella concept that they are and treated as so. This attitude will be seem super counterintuitive and 'overly-simplistic', but it is exactly what allowed me to slip out of (and remain free from!) the most horrendous, chronic DPDR that I believed to be "permanent and nothing to do with anxiety".

That's all - I hope this answer resonates with whoever reads it, and that it doesn't come across harsh. I'm just so, so passionate about imparting every last shred of information that I know to be true regarding this sneaky, illusory disorder (that, as a side effect, makes you want to research it excessively and make things more complex than they are!). If I see anyone talking in a way that I know to be limiting/make recovery less likely, I'll swoop in and share my two cents now that I'm totally cured.

thank you for your long reply.

i was able to recover from my dpdr once also. and i had a very wrong and mistakeful life after it. i hadnt thought „i have to enjoy my life, im free of dissociation“. no. i had abused emotionally myself. i had hated my self because i had said to me „you are very ugly and worthless because of this no woman wants you“. and after all that mistakeful life i got a very severe relapse with incredible anxiety and major depressive episode. thats not the same thing like before. the first time it was a childs play for me to overcome it. there are differences between dpdr as symptom of anxiety and dpd. and im unfortunately sure, this one will not cure. i feel that impossibility. my brain says to me no..

[leminaseri]

if you look at a majority of the people who come back to this forum and say they relapsed or have had this a second time; they all usually say it is completely different this time and they are having symptoms they have never had before. Just because its not the same as the first time youve had it doesnt mean you are now incurable. It manifests in different ways. Part of the condition is worrying that your case is different or worse than everyone else's. I can guarantee you atleast one person on this website has experienced everything you are currently. Not saying this will make it easier for you but what i am saying is that you are 100% curable and thinking you arent will keep you in this state for far longer than you want to be in.

thank you. that had made me a little bit hope. but i know also what had caused my relapse is much complexer than my bad trip with weed. i cannot find a solution for that emotional abusing. because i was the person who had did that.

[freeyourself]

if you look at a majority of the people who come back to this forum and say they relapsed or have had this a second time; they all usually say it is completely different this time and they are having symptoms they have never had before. Just because its not the same as the first time youve had it doesnt mean you are now incurable. It manifests in different ways. Part of the condition is worrying that your case is different or worse than everyone else's. I can guarantee you atleast one person on this website has experienced everything you are currently. Not saying this will make it easier for you but what i am saying is that you are 100% curable and thinking you arent will keep you in this state for far longer than you want to be in.

 

Can confirm that this is 100% correct and the exact mentality that every sufferer needs to adhere to! 

 

If you cannot get to a place where you believe and 'feel' deep-down that A. this is very easily curable, despite how crazy it feels and B. that you are safe and have always been safe (i.e. not at risk of developing psychosis and spiralling out of control - because the organic basis of that state is very, very different to that of simple dissociation and rumination... it's like worrying a hangover will turn into a head concussion), then I do highly suggest consuming as much high-quality material as possible.

 

You need to do whatever it takes to build unwavering faith in your brain's ability to stop producing these sensations once you fix your thought patterns. There are nuances and plenty of psychological tricks that you'll need to employ (since you're currently 'stuck' in the opposite headspace), but at the end of the day, that's the basis of recovery.

 

Belief, calm, knowledge of your own safety. That puts you in the right headspace to actually transform those thought loops, which will be scary as hell at first, but will completely cure you in days-weeks.

 

Directing this answer towards anyone who reads this - I know it'll reach those who need it most

[freeyourself]

thank you for your long reply.

i was able to recover from my dpdr once also. and i had a very wrong and mistakeful life after it. i hadnt thought „i have to enjoy my life, im free of dissociation“. no. i had abused emotionally myself. i had hated my self because i had said to me „you are very ugly and worthless because of this no woman wants you“. and after all that mistakeful life i got a very severe relapse with incredible anxiety and major depressive episode. thats not the same thing like before. the first time it was a childs play for me to overcome it. there are differences between dpdr as symptom of anxiety and dpd. and im unfortunately sure, this one will not cure. i feel that impossibility. my brain says to me no..

 

You sound deeply depressed, I'm really sorry - I cannot change those limiting belief systems of yours, but you can eradicate them from your subconscious mind with enough careful self-work and thought-control. 

 

Every time you catch yourself saying "this time is different... this time I won't be able to cure myself", counter that thought... don't let the sneaky thing just flood your mind and let you feel bad! Develop a commitment to smashing these falsehoods into pieces. Bring your attention to the fact that SO, SO many people have had the worst level of DPDR possible, and yes, triggered in weird, tricky, emotional ways, and completely, entirely healed from the condition.

 

I'll say it again and for the last time = it doesn't matter what particular symptoms you have or even the root cause of these symptoms. Whether dissociation is a panic response you experience daily at work or you're trapped in a chronic state induced by psychedelics, or even something horrific like rape, there are precise psychological techniques will liberate you.

 

We say that the brain is like a computer, and it certainly is - despite being complex, it is oh-so-easy to redirect and rewire. But, the caveat is that it's impossible to stop the experience of dissociation until you truly see this truth, and stop trying to claim that your case is "so different from the rest".

 

You have the right to feel that it is, and it's not your fault - it's a symptom of this bloody condition! Just as everyone feels that their first love is deeper/more intense than anyone else's, and that their kid is more special than anyone else's... all DPDR sufferers experience the same intrusic, rising panic that stems from feeling that they are "the exception".

 

You're not

[imsofucked]

You sound deeply depressed, I'm really sorry - I cannot change those limiting belief systems of yours, but you can eradicate them from your subconscious mind with enough careful self-work and thought-control. 

 

Every time you catch yourself saying "this time is different... this time I won't be able to cure myself", counter that thought... don't let the sneaky thing just flood your mind and let you feel bad! Develop a commitment to smashing these falsehoods into pieces. Bring your attention to the fact that SO, SO many people have had the worst level of DPDR possible, and yes, triggered in weird, tricky, emotional ways, and completely, entirely healed from the condition.

 

I'll say it again and for the last time = it doesn't matter what particular symptoms you have or even the root cause of these symptoms. Whether dissociation is a panic response you experience daily at work or you're trapped in a chronic state induced by psychedelics, or even something horrific like rape, there are precise psychological techniques will liberate you.

 

We say that the brain is like a computer, and it certainly is - despite being complex, it is oh-so-easy to redirect and rewire. But, the caveat is that it's impossible to stop the experience of dissociation until you truly see this truth, and stop trying to claim that your case is "so different from the rest".

 

You have the right to feel that it is, and it's not your fault - it's a symptom of this bloody condition! Just as everyone feels that their first love is deeper/more intense than anyone else's, and that their kid is more special than anyone else's... all DPDR sufferers experience the same intrusic, rising panic that stems from feeling that they are "the exception".

 

You're not

do you have any insight on what i had mentioned in previous post ? ill just copy and paste it down below so you dont have to go back and look.

 

The biggest thing i struggle with is logically i know these have to just be thoughts making me think/feel like this; but its like its so ingrained into my thoughts and feels so true that i cant grasp how this isnt my actual reality; like this is kinda how its always been its just been doormant and now im finally "awakening" to new reality. Ive just completely forgotten what normal feels like so i dont even know what im working towards if that makes sense ? I dont know if im feeling better because i dont know what im supposed to be feeling like.

[Jason39]

Hey guys,

 

I want to remind you all that DPDR is absolutely, completely curable. It'll involve rejecting your scary thoughts in ways you've never been brave enough to do before, but it is completely worth it.

 

I'm a girl in my 20s... this condition once dominated my entire life, but I've been completely cured and symptom-free for years. I intuitively worked out how to rewire my subconscious mind, having a background in science, and I managed to snap myself out of the illusion permanently.

 

I am now totally immune, but my close friend has been dealing with chronic DPDR for months and came to me for help. In an attempt to find resources for him (he wanted professional content to really calm his fears), I read 5 books and also bought Shaun O'Connor's material.

 

To be completely honest, I feel like a lot of DPDR recovery content is useful but falls short at giving sufferers what they really need, which is more than just the practical tips. Due to the nature of the condition, you'll need every last scrap of information out there to quell your worries.

 

This book called Exit The Dream is the absolute best bit of material I've ever read. I seriously recommend you checking it out... it's written by a neuroscientist who truly understands DPDR unlike anyone else I've ever come across. Teaches you precisely how to rewire your brain, in addition to explaining why this can't be a brain tumour/schizophrenia, the exact personality traits that let you develop DPDR, how to use this disposition to your benefit (i.e. rechannel your obsession, not try and suppress it)... so, so fascinating.

 

In addition to telling you about this book, I wanted to let you know that you will taste true emotional freedom again. If you commit to getting over this illusion, you will achieve your dreams.

 

Those aren't empty words

 

Take care! 

Nonsense. I have had this disorder for 30 years and even when I was totally calm, fearless and anxiety free-it never went away. Someone is trying to make money of poor sufferers.

[freeyourself]

Nonsense. I have had this disorder for 30 years and even when I was totally calm, fearless and anxiety free-it never went away. Someone is trying to make money of poor sufferers.

 

I am so sorry to hear that, but I felt the exact same way and can guarantee you that chronic, scary, noticeable DPDR symptoms vanish when you implement strategies that truly rewire your subconscious mind. It has to be the subconscious mind, because it's what's involved in our most primitive assumptions about ourselves/reality - you're right, trying to force chunks of wisdom in your conscious mind won't cure you, but transforming your belief systems will.

 

Even when you're not anxious, you must be thinking about, questioning and distrusting reality (even if unknowingly) to actively experience these dissociative symptoms. I appreciate that this concept is something that gets a rise out of people trapped in the illusion that something is "organically wrong" with the brain, and that this is "equivalent to psychosis - it just happens and isn't triggered", but that couldn't be further from the truth when we're talking about chronic DPDR. Fortunately!

 

You see, it really, truly is triggered and sustained by your beliefs. Why? Your beliefs dictate your thoughts. Anxiety doesn't even need to come into the equation past the initial trigger (which that particular book discusses). This is and has always been about rumination and OCD-style thinking. 

 

Even, and especially, if you feel that you're 'calm but dissociated'. So, you're far from uncurable. Hell, I felt the exact same way - sometimes I'd have daily panic attacks, but other times I'd go months without any but still feel trapped in psychedelic dissociation. 

 

Guys, the power of the brain and neuroplasticity is unfathomable, but you need to believe in its ability to produce different feelings in response to you developing different beliefs. This is the basis of, well, any real psychotherapy techniques that work. Hyponotherapy, whatever... they all involve you going in nervous, believing something like a). you'll always be stuck in unrequited love patterns, . you'll always be traumatised post-rape, c).  you'll always be scared of public speaking.... but after committing to doing the right work (despite it feeling scary, and despite you being convinced your case is different), you emerge a different person,  no longer able to remember what it was like to be so possessed by the ineffable physiological/psychological phenomena that your issue once triggered in you. 

 

DPDR is no different. I wish you could all see this - I know so, so many people who have made full recoveries and who see the truth as lucidly as I do. Fight for your recovery guys, really fight for it. Why not try, when what you've been doing all this time clearly hasn't worked? 

 

Goes w/o saying that I in no way mean that offensively. I was stuck in the state for years. I'm just trying to impart what would have cured me at the time (and what, when I actually braved up and implemented it, did cure me).

[Jason39]

No you are wrong. I do not think about it, I do not ruminate, there is no OCD and fear related to DP but it just simply won't go away. People who are new to it and fear they are going crazy then that book might calm them down but to cure dp-I don't think so.