[Rektchordz]

ok anyone else relate to this? i had dr for about 3 years and then slowly dp krept up. Its like all the worry of dr finally just started to fuck things up. anyone else go through years with dr then get dp, maybe this happened cus i experimented with rec drugs while I unknowing had dr, peace jay

 

[Martinelv]

A lot of people don't make the distinction between DR and DP - indeed, usually the medical profession just lump it all under Depersonalisation. For me though, DR and DP were, although obviously related, entirely different experiences. I've always had a theory (in the loosest sense of the word) that DP is at the bottom of the anxiety ladder, and to get there you have to go through something like the following:

1.) Trigger/Cause - > 2.) Anxiety - > 3.) Panic -> 4.) DR -> 5.) DP

In my case, I went all the way to step 4 and got stuck there, thank god. Only on a few terrible occassions did I slip down to step five, and the dreaded DP. Some people don't even get that far, but spend their lives with, say, GAD, and flit between steps 2 and 3. I dunno though, it's probably too simplistic, but it works for me.

 

[Rektchordz]

thats exactly how ive always thought of it! ive only been in this stupid dp stage for about a year and im pretty sure exsessive drinking with dr caused that.

 

[agentcooper]

i agree with you martin. my dp experiences have come few and far between and always after i am experiencing a severe dr episode for a while. however my ladder goes:

1. dr (which is my trigger/cause) -> 2. anxiety -> 3. panic -> 4. dp

 

[jft]

I too have dr primarily, but dp occurs when the dr gets bad. There always is this sense of loss of self, a fine line, when I am dr'rd, but full blown dp only occurs with dr or especially when the dr is bad. I do not ever recall having dp by itself. This is daily for me, most worse in the late afternoons and evenings. It also can be situational or out of the blue. I can predict with accuracy (such as having a long converstaion with someone while under flourescent lighting etc.) when this will occur. But I pretty much can say it does not have to have triggers. It just comes. I am a nature boy and at home and safe while in the deep woods, but it even occurs there. It comes on like someone injects me with some dr/dp serum and does not leave until I sleep or have a beer.
jft

 

[Welshlad]

I can see where Martinelv and agentcooper are coming from. My Dp started as anxiety over a bad trip, extended to panic attacks and so came the dr symptoms. I too have only been right to the heart of dp a few times. I now have mild dr 24/7. However I think there is definately a cyclic element to all of this, for example dr may feed anxiety, which feeds panic, which, in turn may feed dp symptoms. Anxiety over dp/dr symptoms is definately the key to dp/dr as it always has to be present for symptoms to exist.