I am not sure I understand. Could you give a more specific example? For the example of the dentist, I am not sure what information you needed and from whom and what the problem was in that situation, or what you were afraid that doctor would do.
Hi. I'm happy to join this place but...
I have been diagnosed with DP and have enough of the symptoms on the lists I've seen to confirm that this is correct, but the lists don't mention some of the things I'm experiencing. For many years I had the sense of not remembering important things, but could not work out what I wasn't remembering; then recently I realisedwhat it was: going into situations, a 'normal' person - ie how I remember being myself -remembers many important facts about what they encounter, without their having to think of them consciously. In situations now, I'm aware of not remembering important relevant facts and feeling bewildered, frightened, vulnerable and disorientated. If I am careful to sit down and think "What are the facts I need to know about this situation?"
I can usually bring them to mind, if not immediately then after some days. Even then I have a feeling of uncertainty as to whether my mind offered me the correct information. For example: I had to have a tooth removed recently by a dentist whom I had never met and who was particularly un-communicative. I realised days afterwards that I had needed the information that most professional dentists in this country have qualifications that mean they would not do damage to you nor remove the wrong tooth, and would also be motivated by the fear of being sued. At the time I had not remembered all this and was very frightened in case he did. Another example is when I spoke to someone who was crying, and at first couldn't remember what it meant. Later I managed to draw out from my mind the information that people cry when they are sad.
People I have known all my life should give me sense of knowing what to expect from them - not entirely of course, but significantly. I always have the feeling of not knowing what to expect at all, and also of not knowing what is generally regarded as normal behaviour in society. In response to this last problem, I am very inhibited in case I do anything that gives this away, and tend to watch the people around me to pick up clues. It is too complex and subtle a business to be able to bring conscious rules to mind and follow them.
Is this a common thing in DP, or am I alone? If it is, is it universal? (in which case it could be a clue to the physical conditions it arises from). If it isn't, are there sub-categories of DP? Above all, is there anyone else who has this??
I can usually bring them to mind, if not immediately then after some days. Even then I have a feeling of uncertainty as to whether my mind offered me the correct information. For example: I had to have a tooth removed recently by a dentist whom I had never met and who was particularly un-communicative. I realised days afterwards that I had needed the information that most professional dentists in this country have qualifications that mean they would not do damage to you nor remove the wrong tooth, and would also be motivated by the fear of being sued. At the time I had not remembered all this and was very frightened in case he did. Another example is when I spoke to someone who was crying, and at first couldn't remember what it meant. Later I managed to draw out from my mind the information that people cry when they are sad.
People I have known all my life should give me sense of knowing what to expect from them - not entirely of course, but significantly. I always have the feeling of not knowing what to expect at all, and also of not knowing what is generally regarded as normal behaviour in society. In response to this last problem, I am very inhibited in case I do anything that gives this away, and tend to watch the people around me to pick up clues. It is too complex and subtle a business to be able to bring conscious rules to mind and follow them.
Is this a common thing in DP, or am I alone? If it is, is it universal? (in which case it could be a clue to the physical conditions it arises from). If it isn't, are there sub-categories of DP? Above all, is there anyone else who has this??
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I hear psychologists in Canada are starting to specialize in detecting specific learning disabilities and developmental problems. What you're experiencing could also be the result of a health issue like disorientation, dissociation, or delirium. I'm not aware of any doctors on this forum. There's a lot of crossover in mental health, for example, I hear autistic spectrum people are more likely to have OCD and to be gay. I guess the two takeaways are: 1.) everyone's brain is a bit different, and 2.) different aspects of brain health can be interconnected, like, you can take a medicine or have some chemical imbalance in your body that affects your brain. I'm not trying to diagnose you with anything, because I'm not qualified and this isn't the setting, but thank you for joining the forum and asking these questions. If I were really keen on doctors I'd tell you to get medically cleared by your primary care physician and to get an evaluation by a qualified doctor of psychology. People here report having depersonalization from iron deficiency, epilepsy, hormonal imbalances, and so forth. Some of the claims like "chronic Lyme" are very dodgy.
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