Hello everyone! I think what people on here make of their experience with dp. Is it just a neurochemical imbalance or something more illusive? I did MRI and EEG and everything is normal, but I’m broken. Can’t find any of drugs helpful. Only amitriptiline makes me sleepy and I use it as a time machine. I thought that PET tomography is the answer, but I’ve seen stories on here like PET results are normal too..
Is DP a psychiatric disorder?
1 - 20 of 30 Posts
Joined
·
228 Posts
No one really knows for sure. There are theories that it is a natural defence against a traumatic event and that things should return to normal once the situation returns to normal. This makes sense as dp/dr feels like nothing is real and the key word here is "feel". If you feel less then this could help you survive through a traumatic situation without breaking down because of overwhelming emotion. However if there is nothing in your immediate environment that seems to be causing a threat, then you are left with a very weird sensation of feeling that nothing is real and this can lead to additional anxiety and your brain still thinks it is living through the traumatic event and keeps the dp switch turned on. If you are suffering from a mental illness then you might have a dp as a consequence of that too. I'm not sure exactly what to class it as. I don't necessarily think it is a chemical imbalance. I think it can be triggered by a chemical imbalance though.
Cases of depersonalization vary a lot but there are a few theories about the underlying mechanisms that cause it. Opioid receptor dysfunction is one theory, changes in glutamatergic system, etc. it’s all trial and error in terms of treating your symptoms.
Very interesting, but I tired of this condition
me too. What have you tried so far?
Joined
·
24 Posts
No it isn’t. It’s a trauma coping mechanism (trauma could be anything) it goes away when you sort out what the stressors in your life are, that keeps you in this state. It could be anything honestly, there is a whole list of things that could be a stressor for your state. And the reason why so many people stay stuck in this is because they can’t find stressors or they keep searching for something else. But there are stressors for sure, otherwise they can’t be in this traumatized state.
sorry, there isn't any evidence to back up this claim. I don't think it's as simple as removing stressors, many people do this and get no relief, including myself. Depersonalization that persists chronically is likely due to some underlying mechanism that has either been broken, or is malfunctioning. There are many theories to support this.
sorry, there isn't any evidence to back up this claim. I don't think it's as simple as removing stressors, many people do this and get no relief, including myself. Depersonalization that persists chronically is likely due to some underlying mechanism that has either been broken, or is malfunctioning. There are many theories to support this.
Joined
·
438 Posts
to me personally dp is in the middle of the triangle of : severe anxiety ---- psychosis ------ trauma
dont get freaked out because of the word psychotc I threw in there . you dont need to be scared (and I am not saying you are psychotic)
I have some news btw. . I will share them later . and I will also explain later what I meant with the triangle above
dont get freaked out because of the word psychotc I threw in there . you dont need to be scared (and I am not saying you are psychotic)
I have some news btw. . I will share them later . and I will also explain later what I meant with the triangle above
Joined
·
24 Posts
I've never seen evidence for your claim. When did your
Dpdr start and why?
you haven't seen any evidence because you probably haven't read any of the literature. Look at studies done by professionals, most of the results point to underlying mechanisms, such as positive reactions to TMS, naloxone, lamotrigine, and other treatment options.
And I'm not 100 % sure if what I'm dealing with is depersonalization. I have what I think is a blank mind, no emotions, and no emotional memory. It started after months of extremely strong emotions, as well as longing for the past then while I was driving to school one day, my brain basically shut off and I lost my emotional connection to everything.
Joined
·
24 Posts
No i haven't because studies about any of this subject freaks me out and makes me anxious and depressed most of the time. So i'd rather not read it..
that sucks man...i hope you'll find the solution to your problems. I'm sure you will! I got dr after xtc and than 3 days later a panic attack. Sometimes i think that the xtc damaged my brain but that isn't logic
I'm sorry to hear that. I wouldn't wish this on anybody. But I think reading studies and looking at the underlying mechanisms is important in making discoveries and pointing us towards treatment.
Joined
·
24 Posts
By the way, to me it makes sense; your brain was overwhelmed because of all the emotions all those months earlier. It was probably exhausted and when your brain gets overwhelmed (so overwhelmed that you can't cope, it shuts off) anyway, you can get your emotions back 100% i'm sure that nothing is broke in some kind of underlying mechanism. Why would it?
Joined
·
24 Posts
Don't u think your dwelling on it too much? Maybe u should just let go
what am I supposed to let go of? I'm somehow supposed to forget i can't feel any emotion? I tried that. It's not my plan of action anymore. I've seen people with my symptoms get better with treatment and I'm going to try what they tried.
Joined
·
24 Posts
Okay, i agree. I think that it can be overcome with and without medication. I understand why your going the med route. It's frustrating i know, but letting go will release the stress. And dpdr is not needed anymore
Joined
·
1,385 Posts
First we must ask...is dp a brain illness. From my own perspective, the answer to that question is undoubtedly Yes. Now we ask the question: Is this illness typically treated by neurology? In my case, that answer is NO.
So, for me, dp is a psychiatric illness because it is a brain illness that is dismissed by neurology and by default falls to psychiatry.
From my experience, I would say that dp/dr is specifically a temporal lobe brain issue. The temporal lobe is where sensory input is received and analyzed. It is where memory is accessed and emotional context
is added to the sensory input to give an individual a complete analysis of the self and environment in real time.
Dysfunction in the temporal lobe can result in emotional numbness. This can make close family members seem alien. I have experienced it, and others on this forum have related to it.
Dysfunction in the temporal lobe can cause poor lighting, fluroescent lighting, mirrors and visual clutter to overload the TL, resulting in panic or severe DP. I experienced this frequently in box stores and I have seen
many members relate to this phenomena.
I feel that my failure to resonate with my mirror image is a classic symptom of dp, due to dysfunction in the temporal lobe.
In my case, I know my temporal lobe is responsible because all of my symptoms began with a sequence of powerful temporal lobe seizures, and my EEGs have been abnormal ever since experiencing those seizures.
But, I see a wide variety of complaints on this forum that individuals ascribe to dp. I'm not sure I would diagnose everyone with dp. But, if you have the classic symptoms of dp, then I think you have an illness which
is caused by temporal lobe pathology or dysfunction and is currently treated by psychiatry. In other words, treatment consists of "take this and see if you feel better". Hopefully, someday we can all be upgraded to neurology.
The treatment there is "take this and you will feel better." LOL Not a big upgrade, I know.
So, for me, dp is a psychiatric illness because it is a brain illness that is dismissed by neurology and by default falls to psychiatry.
From my experience, I would say that dp/dr is specifically a temporal lobe brain issue. The temporal lobe is where sensory input is received and analyzed. It is where memory is accessed and emotional context
is added to the sensory input to give an individual a complete analysis of the self and environment in real time.
Dysfunction in the temporal lobe can result in emotional numbness. This can make close family members seem alien. I have experienced it, and others on this forum have related to it.
Dysfunction in the temporal lobe can cause poor lighting, fluroescent lighting, mirrors and visual clutter to overload the TL, resulting in panic or severe DP. I experienced this frequently in box stores and I have seen
many members relate to this phenomena.
I feel that my failure to resonate with my mirror image is a classic symptom of dp, due to dysfunction in the temporal lobe.
In my case, I know my temporal lobe is responsible because all of my symptoms began with a sequence of powerful temporal lobe seizures, and my EEGs have been abnormal ever since experiencing those seizures.
But, I see a wide variety of complaints on this forum that individuals ascribe to dp. I'm not sure I would diagnose everyone with dp. But, if you have the classic symptoms of dp, then I think you have an illness which
is caused by temporal lobe pathology or dysfunction and is currently treated by psychiatry. In other words, treatment consists of "take this and see if you feel better". Hopefully, someday we can all be upgraded to neurology.
The treatment there is "take this and you will feel better." LOL Not a big upgrade, I know.
1 - 20 of 30 Posts
