DP as a defense mechanism?

I've experienced both types. I have experienced at as complete and utter fear, where I am expecting some catastrophic culmination - total loss of my mind or something. where nothing makes sense and everything is scary.

I have also had what Kelson describes and in fact last night in the evening too. It is much less debilitating, just very uncomfortable, you are just aware of it. Until you can totally forget it. Like Charger says, its not that we are in extreme situations, just we can remember how to dissociate easily so memory and habit brings it back. I didnt want to not be where i was last night though, I was looking forward to my evening watching tv! I just had a flashback of how it felt when I was younger and found myself tuning in. I find it more like dr than dp I think, but with a little psychological confusion and not quite 'filling my skin'.

It is weird how the body's mechanism gets it so wrong. I would much rather be 'in' a situation than to not, even scary ones! There are times when you are scared and it will do it, and there are times when you will bring it on yourself, unknowingly through the classic line of Clare Weeks 'Habit, memory and fear' (god I love that woman - her and Janine are heroines). However it happens, to get out of it is the same.

I've experienced both types. I have experienced at as complete and utter fear, where I am expecting some catastrophic culmination - total loss of my mind or something. where nothing makes sense and everything is scary.

I have also had what Kelson describes and in fact last night in the evening too. It is much less debilitating, just very uncomfortable, you are just aware of it. Until you can totally forget it. Like Charger says, its not that we are in extreme situations, just we can remember how to dissociate easily so memory and habit brings it back. I didnt want to not be where i was last night though, I was looking forward to my evening watching tv! I just had a flashback of how it felt when I was younger and found myself tuning in. I find it more like dr than dp I think, but with a little psychological confusion and not quite 'filling my skin'.

It is weird how the body's mechanism gets it so wrong. I would much rather be 'in' a situation than to not, even scary ones! There are times when you are scared and it will do it, and there are times when you will bring it on yourself, unknowingly through the classic line of Clare Weeks 'Habit, memory and fear' (god I love that woman - her and Janine are heroines). However it happens, to get out of it is the same.

i think there must be a few different types of this wonderful illness.

Having dp for me, is extremely agonising, I get anxiety because of it, it is extremely scary. When not dp'd I am not even remotely anxious, except for in a healthy way eg interview or something. I may get anxious if I think about dp, which may then bring it on, if I go through a stressful time, I find dp is brought on, which brings on panic and anxiety. My dp has never served as a defense or relief from anxiety or trauma, though I understand that that it is what it is meant to do. This goes back to whether its a faulty mechanism. Though it sounds that a lot of people have dp in the sense that it makes them feel detached from the situation and have a blunting of emotions. See that sounds like their mechanism might be working a bit better! I feel detached but every emotion is magnified.

I am beginning to believe even more so that my anxiety is caused by dp, remembering it more and more from my childhood and how it came about and later on in my life. Possible primary dp. Then those who get it as a defense (one that works) have it in response to trauma and anxiety. In the end, it doesn't make a lot of difference to recovery except maybe identfying what triggers it. Wow that was a ramble sorry...........

i think there must be a few different types of this wonderful illness.

Having dp for me, is extremely agonising, I get anxiety because of it, it is extremely scary. When not dp'd I am not even remotely anxious, except for in a healthy way eg interview or something. I may get anxious if I think about dp, which may then bring it on, if I go through a stressful time, I find dp is brought on, which brings on panic and anxiety. My dp has never served as a defense or relief from anxiety or trauma, though I understand that that it is what it is meant to do. This goes back to whether its a faulty mechanism. Though it sounds that a lot of people have dp in the sense that it makes them feel detached from the situation and have a blunting of emotions. See that sounds like their mechanism might be working a bit better! I feel detached but every emotion is magnified.

I am beginning to believe even more so that my anxiety is caused by dp, remembering it more and more from my childhood and how it came about and later on in my life. Possible primary dp. Then those who get it as a defense (one that works) have it in response to trauma and anxiety. In the end, it doesn't make a lot of difference to recovery except maybe identfying what triggers it. Wow that was a ramble sorry...........

I kind of agree about dp not being necessarily down to trauma or abuse. I first experienced something similar to dp at a very young age, with no relation to any trauma. I believe that some are predisposed to using a certain part of the brain (speaking metaphorically). Once you know how to use it, you can do it out of habit and obsession, not necessarily as a defense. Also, any conflicting thoughts about yor self will likely manifest themself that way. For instance, dp came first for me. Has caused me a few problems in my life, but when I get stressed or go through any confusing changes in life, my brain uses the dp part. We will always be able to dissociate, the answer lies in not always using that 'part' of the brain as a defense mechanism. We will all have different ways of achieving that, depending on how we got there. I do not necessarily think dissociation always occurs under trauma, it is a mechanism that reacts a bit too dramatically to protect us.

Ive always had mind bending thoughts, since I can remember. Im not sure if this caused the dp part of my brain to activate, or whether I have those thoughts because that part of my brain was already geared up like that right from the word 'go'. And when I say I've had mind bending thoughts since I can remember, I can remember discussing infinity with my dad at an EXTREMELY young age, like 4, and getting freaked out.

oh that damn chicken and egg conundrum

I kind of agree about dp not being necessarily down to trauma or abuse. I first experienced something similar to dp at a very young age, with no relation to any trauma. I believe that some are predisposed to using a certain part of the brain (speaking metaphorically). Once you know how to use it, you can do it out of habit and obsession, not necessarily as a defense. Also, any conflicting thoughts about yor self will likely manifest themself that way. For instance, dp came first for me. Has caused me a few problems in my life, but when I get stressed or go through any confusing changes in life, my brain uses the dp part. We will always be able to dissociate, the answer lies in not always using that 'part' of the brain as a defense mechanism. We will all have different ways of achieving that, depending on how we got there. I do not necessarily think dissociation always occurs under trauma, it is a mechanism that reacts a bit too dramatically to protect us.

Ive always had mind bending thoughts, since I can remember. Im not sure if this caused the dp part of my brain to activate, or whether I have those thoughts because that part of my brain was already geared up like that right from the word 'go'. And when I say I've had mind bending thoughts since I can remember, I can remember discussing infinity with my dad at an EXTREMELY young age, like 4, and getting freaked out.

oh that damn chicken and egg conundrum