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My psychologist had diagnosed me with panic disorder and my main symptom being derealization. What I don't understand is that how can it be a panic disorder if I have derealization without panic?
Panic Disorder
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My feeling on your question:
It's all one thing. DP/DR is a subset of panic disorder. It's a real physiological response of our bodies to signals. We are misinterpreting those signals; that is, our bodies are misinterpreting those signals, whatever the initial cause. DP/DR is our protection against feeling the fear.
It's our bodies' "early-warning systems" that are out of whack. Determining whether it's biological or psychological or both for us individually seems to be the task at hand.
It's all one thing. DP/DR is a subset of panic disorder. It's a real physiological response of our bodies to signals. We are misinterpreting those signals; that is, our bodies are misinterpreting those signals, whatever the initial cause. DP/DR is our protection against feeling the fear.
It's our bodies' "early-warning systems" that are out of whack. Determining whether it's biological or psychological or both for us individually seems to be the task at hand.
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636 Posts
This confuses me as well. I have had a few panic attacks, but for the most part I just feel like I am CONSTANTLY having a mini panic attack!!
G
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·I relate to the "Constant mini-panic attack" idea very very much.
I call it "cognitive panic" (just my own term, so don't use it with a doctor or they'll think you're nuts, lol). In a "regular" panic attack, the body generates excess adrenaline and heart races, chest tightens, etc.
But I stayed in a kind of CALM panic state - I looked normal on the outside and my heart wasn't racing, but inside my MIND the thoughts were going 90 miles an hour and I felt like I seconds away from losing total control.
It's really NOT panic, but a form of annhiliation anxiety that stems from a (false) belief that we must HOLD ON to our own mental state, to watch it, to self-observe, in order to keep something horrible from happening. It's as if the mind is clenched tight like a fist and we're afraid to let it go, to relax it for an instant because it feels like that is when we'd go totally insane.
I call it "cognitive panic" (just my own term, so don't use it with a doctor or they'll think you're nuts, lol). In a "regular" panic attack, the body generates excess adrenaline and heart races, chest tightens, etc.
But I stayed in a kind of CALM panic state - I looked normal on the outside and my heart wasn't racing, but inside my MIND the thoughts were going 90 miles an hour and I felt like I seconds away from losing total control.
It's really NOT panic, but a form of annhiliation anxiety that stems from a (false) belief that we must HOLD ON to our own mental state, to watch it, to self-observe, in order to keep something horrible from happening. It's as if the mind is clenched tight like a fist and we're afraid to let it go, to relax it for an instant because it feels like that is when we'd go totally insane.
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636 Posts
EXACTLY how I feel, but thus far no therapist seems to understand this. They tell me that I am fearing another panic attack, but that is not it. When I tell them that they just look at me funny. What kind of therapy is best for this? I am so discouraged with therapists, they just do not seem to understand. They tell me I actually seem fine, "just a little anxiety and some depression." :roll:
G
Guest
·No way to know which therapy is best, only because it depends on the person. TO ME, overall, I recommend any form of psychoanalytic therapy only because these ideas and symptoms are so well understood in that arena...but many people do not like this form at all, so I'm hesitant.
I will however, plug my own book to you, lol...since someone here recently told me I do a LOUSY job of plugging my book, lol....
I honestly think you'd like it alot - and it might help you to feel more understood and you can always SHOW it to a doctor if you think they need it hear it in someone else's words.
see link below:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_1/103-4048474-0347864?v=glance&s=books
Peace,
Janine
I will however, plug my own book to you, lol...since someone here recently told me I do a LOUSY job of plugging my book, lol....
I honestly think you'd like it alot - and it might help you to feel more understood and you can always SHOW it to a doctor if you think they need it hear it in someone else's words.
see link below:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_1/103-4048474-0347864?v=glance&s=books
Peace,
Janine
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636 Posts
Way ahead of ya... already bought it. It should be here any day now. :wink:
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544 Posts
I can relate totally to the "cognitive panic" thing.
I rarely had "physical" symptoms like trembling, racing heartbeat, sweating etc...however I always felt in a state of complete anxiety in my mind. That's probably why I felt a little "left out" looking at classic anxiety symptoms a while ago.
I rarely had "physical" symptoms like trembling, racing heartbeat, sweating etc...however I always felt in a state of complete anxiety in my mind. That's probably why I felt a little "left out" looking at classic anxiety symptoms a while ago.
I have that constant anxiety thing. I spend many hours feeling very jittery and tense and I feel that if I relax I'll inadvertently focus on a symptom and won't be prepared for the onset of major fear. It's terrible. I still can't believe I've ended up like this. I will need try different types of therapy very soon.
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