Hi, i'm a 23 y/o 4-year recovering DP/DR'er.
Background
When i was 18/19, I moed to Humboldt University in California (famous for cannabis), and had a REALLY negative experience, smoking an excess of Cannabis (Very strong stuff I was told at the time). It was a violent reaction...rather like how people describe LSD experiences...visions, time distortions, body distortions, flashing. etc. 6 weeks later, I couldn't fall back asleep after getting up to use the loo...and after waking up "just wasn't ME".
Ideas on the start of a 'cure'...
Not to go all chemical, because we all take it at different angles. For me, i took everyone's advice from every angle...but the one that was popular at the time. I was on massive amounts of drugs...let's see, to start, Ativan, Cartia, Depakote, Neurontin...and going to UCLA neurological, House Ear Clinic (both very famous indeed), for vertigo, blood tests, spinal taps, EEG's...and they just couldn't figure out WHAT the hell was wrong with me... I thought i had "Minear's Disease", which was agreed with House Ear Clinic / opposed to UCLA Neurological who found I had "Migraine" disorder...(which suprisingly you don't have to have headaches for...until...
The Breakthrough
I found Andy's Board, and cried myself silly. I've always taken DP/DR from a psychoBIOLOGICAL analysis, emphasizing the last...
Some things are superstitions, and some things DO help. Like I used to swear that if my chiropractor put me in the "right" setting, i'd be HEAPS better. So, given that nonsense... I found MY cure too...
From my own tally and CONSTANT reading of Andy's Boards I discovered the "in" thing to do / be on was...
MY Cure
Klonopin (Clonazepam Benzodiazepam) 1mg (or higher...lower to start) coupled with Celexa (SSRI) 40mg combo suggested by countless people, taken at my own pace, small, and building up to my own comfortable levels. How did I obtain these drugs? I had a "very understanding, worldly" psyCHIATRIST, and printed information from Andy's Boards, which I took it to him. I said "Look, this is what I have, there's very little research on it...there's case studies...etc, etc."...and he said "Why not?".
Thank GOD.
After a year or 2, I believe that the Celexa "balanced out" whatever chemical misfiring's that were happening after the "pull-back" of my conciousness (which was a last resort of my body from the negative drug experience, i'm guessing)...so after balancing out, I narrowed down the medications one by one, starting with the most debhilitating: depakote, down to giving up Celexa, which i was TERRIFIED over. But I just couldn't stand the weight gain anymore, and the loss of self-esteem. (50 lbs. overweight, watch out!).
80 - 90% cured
Anyways! I would say after that, I've always been in the realms of 80-90% cured. The "constant" fear goes away, as long as I take my Klonopin 1mg and the Neurontin 300mg TID (that's 3x a day to non-doctor-visitors
...to think clearly, and function well enough for a job, a university education, and usually a good love life (complete with emotion and feeling! Don't get me wrong...it's not Christmas of 83' all over again, but it IS emotion.)
The Remaining Mind
New symptoms come and go...but that "black whole / fog / noticing a conversation happening TO you rather than participating" constant DP/DR ceased, and I've functioned fairly well, as a University student ever since. Well enough to be foolish enough to drink occasionally (which I would VERY much advise against!!!!!!), but I would never EVER participate in recreational drug use again under any circumstance.
So there you have it. I used to haunt this board, with a good 900 odd posts and or comments under my belt...but I try to come back and contribute as much as i can, and run my own DP/DR board where there's little knowledge, referring EVERYONE to this page.
This is your home, this is your bible. You find your cure in the numbers, advice of those who want to help you to help themselves, to help themselves help others. There is no "cure". That's why I always put quotations...but it depends on what you want. I've never heard of anyone packing it up and saying "I'm FINE now." It stays with you, but there's cope and hope...
Just my ideas and practices... and there you have it.
Hope this was helpful.
Best of luck and health to you.
Doug / Sixtiessoul (Dj / That70sboy)
Background
When i was 18/19, I moed to Humboldt University in California (famous for cannabis), and had a REALLY negative experience, smoking an excess of Cannabis (Very strong stuff I was told at the time). It was a violent reaction...rather like how people describe LSD experiences...visions, time distortions, body distortions, flashing. etc. 6 weeks later, I couldn't fall back asleep after getting up to use the loo...and after waking up "just wasn't ME".
Ideas on the start of a 'cure'...
Not to go all chemical, because we all take it at different angles. For me, i took everyone's advice from every angle...but the one that was popular at the time. I was on massive amounts of drugs...let's see, to start, Ativan, Cartia, Depakote, Neurontin...and going to UCLA neurological, House Ear Clinic (both very famous indeed), for vertigo, blood tests, spinal taps, EEG's...and they just couldn't figure out WHAT the hell was wrong with me... I thought i had "Minear's Disease", which was agreed with House Ear Clinic / opposed to UCLA Neurological who found I had "Migraine" disorder...(which suprisingly you don't have to have headaches for...until...
The Breakthrough
I found Andy's Board, and cried myself silly. I've always taken DP/DR from a psychoBIOLOGICAL analysis, emphasizing the last...
Some things are superstitions, and some things DO help. Like I used to swear that if my chiropractor put me in the "right" setting, i'd be HEAPS better. So, given that nonsense... I found MY cure too...
From my own tally and CONSTANT reading of Andy's Boards I discovered the "in" thing to do / be on was...
MY Cure
Klonopin (Clonazepam Benzodiazepam) 1mg (or higher...lower to start) coupled with Celexa (SSRI) 40mg combo suggested by countless people, taken at my own pace, small, and building up to my own comfortable levels. How did I obtain these drugs? I had a "very understanding, worldly" psyCHIATRIST, and printed information from Andy's Boards, which I took it to him. I said "Look, this is what I have, there's very little research on it...there's case studies...etc, etc."...and he said "Why not?".
Thank GOD.
After a year or 2, I believe that the Celexa "balanced out" whatever chemical misfiring's that were happening after the "pull-back" of my conciousness (which was a last resort of my body from the negative drug experience, i'm guessing)...so after balancing out, I narrowed down the medications one by one, starting with the most debhilitating: depakote, down to giving up Celexa, which i was TERRIFIED over. But I just couldn't stand the weight gain anymore, and the loss of self-esteem. (50 lbs. overweight, watch out!).
80 - 90% cured
Anyways! I would say after that, I've always been in the realms of 80-90% cured. The "constant" fear goes away, as long as I take my Klonopin 1mg and the Neurontin 300mg TID (that's 3x a day to non-doctor-visitors
...to think clearly, and function well enough for a job, a university education, and usually a good love life (complete with emotion and feeling! Don't get me wrong...it's not Christmas of 83' all over again, but it IS emotion.)The Remaining Mind
New symptoms come and go...but that "black whole / fog / noticing a conversation happening TO you rather than participating" constant DP/DR ceased, and I've functioned fairly well, as a University student ever since. Well enough to be foolish enough to drink occasionally (which I would VERY much advise against!!!!!!), but I would never EVER participate in recreational drug use again under any circumstance.
So there you have it. I used to haunt this board, with a good 900 odd posts and or comments under my belt...but I try to come back and contribute as much as i can, and run my own DP/DR board where there's little knowledge, referring EVERYONE to this page.
This is your home, this is your bible. You find your cure in the numbers, advice of those who want to help you to help themselves, to help themselves help others. There is no "cure". That's why I always put quotations...but it depends on what you want. I've never heard of anyone packing it up and saying "I'm FINE now." It stays with you, but there's cope and hope...
Just my ideas and practices... and there you have it.
Hope this was helpful.
Best of luck and health to you.
Doug / Sixtiessoul (Dj / That70sboy)
