[esiuol]

Hello,

I'm Esiuol and I've had DP/DR for about 6 months, I'd say. When I first had it it really freaked me out and cause me to have anxiety attacks and feel very scared, but now that I've had it for such a long time I barely even notice, but I do think about it it's like "Oh, still there"

I don't really notice it so much anymore, but I do think about it at least like once a day for a couple minutes. The existential questions were the worst and in the beginning they almost ruined me, now I still get them and they still freak me out but not as much. I know the key to getting over it is to ignore and I am doing for the most part, but it's still just... always there.

I'm looking for help with this stuff:

Existential questions (I know there are no answers but like how am I supposed to be satisfied with that? If you have suffered from this and have gotten past it please let me know how!)

Relationships (Really felt disconnected from my family at first but now it's a bit better, but I still feel like I'm not really connected to them and that upsets me cause they're my family and I love them)

Not knowing who I am (Again, this was worse in the beginning but now I'm so used to it that it doesn't bother me as much, but it's still there and I want to actually feel like a person again)

Feel connected to ANYTHING (DP/DR makes me feels like I don't care about ANYTHING at all)

Feel like there's meaning (DP/DR literally makes me question EVERYTHING and I just end up feeling like nothing in the world makes any sense and it makes me feel like everything we do is pointless)

Really, really appreciate any answers and would like to your stories if you have suffered fro many of these things and recovered fully.

Thank you!

 

[Surfer Rosa]

To narrow it down, it seems like you want to 1.) accept that philosophy is hypothetical and existentialist ideas are opinions, and 2.) increase connectedness with others and your surroundings?

 

[leo134]

Man, that's awesome cause i have almost the same story, I had Dp/Dr for 4 months but now it's pretty much gone. I have so many existential questions and I'm just like, wtf is this life. These days, I didn't feel really connected to my friends (my family also a little bit) like I just feel they don't understand and that I will never be understood. All the other things you said, like at the end there's no meaning, or not knowing who I am. Like, i'm I really a human? I know it, but damn, is it normal to feel this way? I think all of these hide a profound sadness about my condition, who I am, the meaning of my life, and that I don't feel understood, I'm scared of a lot of things. I'm also thinking that the human is so fucking stupid, so why all we are there. But fortunately, the world is a lot more than humans, So much things to see. At the same time, i'm scared i will never get over this so i just can't no enjoy anymore these beautifuls things. I'm I ever gonna feel okay, well, of course, but for now, I just don't know.

I would really like to talk with you. I have some tips also:
-Write down all of your toughts and how you feel. That can clarify some things.

-Continue to see the people you love, I think it's important even if sometime I think it's worthless
-Do exercise like jogging to aerate your head. It's like a physical meditation.
-Make your sadness beautiful by making art.
-Keep going.

Have a beautiful day, you're not alone.

 

[Amina_x]

I've suffered from Depersonalization since late 2011 or early 2012. I no longer notice it like you... & I know I still have it because there's times I don't feel dissociated and in those times I remember that I have the disorder...

My recovery has been mostly thanks to the medicine I am on. When I don't take my medicine I deal with a lot of symptoms in the psychotic range that makes for an altered state of reality... I had depersonalization long before I ever experienced psychosis but anyway...

Existential questions - I think you can manage to get through existential thoughts by thinking of it kind of like you would the night sky... You can only see some stars and certainly can't see any planets circulating those stars... But you can look at the night sky and wonder what's out there... What I mean is that you should learn to see the beauty in the mystery and know that in time those answers will come to you the more you experience life and learn it's ways.

Relationships - I say if you are having trouble connecting to your family.. Try to spend time with each of them one-on-one... I think you will be able to process your relationship with them better if it's only one person your focused on... I had a problem with this when I had severe DP because I didn't recognize my family as my own... Hope that you will grow closer to your family in times like these because they will always love you no matter what.

Not knowing who I am - For this all I can say is to keep doing what makes you happy. Because if you're doing what makes you happy you will find purpose in yourself as a person

Feel connected to ANYTHING - I know with my depression... (Which comes from my suspected Schizo-Affective Disorder..) I feel like I don't care about anything and it's hard to motivate myself to do chores or wake up in the morning. Try to encourage yourself. Use positive affirmations like, "I got this under control." or "I can do this."

Feel like there's meaning - I can tell you that I am a believer that everything happens for a reason. And that is a blessing and a curse... Blessing because I don't feel like anything is pointless, but also makes me try to find the purpose in everything. Try to just take a step back and enjoy life as it comes to you. If you look to much into things you'll never see the big picture and the big picture is always better than you can imagine.

Hope that helped!

- Amina

 

[Ahmedn1]

Can you tell more details about the existential questions part?

 

[h2thehozee]

-Do exercise like jogging to aerate your head. It's like a physical meditation.
-Make your sadness beautiful by making art.

LITERALLY love these!