- Date posted
- 11w ago
derealization depersonalization.
i came out of it now i’m back in , what helps?
i came out of it now i’m back in , what helps?
Very sorry you’re feeling depersonalization/derealization. I’ve def been there! The best strategy I’ve found is to recognize that you’re feeling it, but do your best to live life anyway. The more you do things outside of your head, the less and less you’ll feel disconnected from reality. It takes time and patience, but it’ll clear up. Like you said, you came out of it but now you’re back in. Only a matter of time till you send those feelings packing again. You’ve got this!
Grounding stuff and mindfulness will help. - notice several things around you immediately with your senses - box breathing meditation. Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Repeat for a few minutes. - imagine roots coming out of your feet and connecting to the roots of the plans underground, barefoot is better (I hate feet and exposing mine but it does work). - self compassion like pamper days etc It's nothing to worry about. I've had this before and wish I knew these tips above
What does it feel like to you?
@Wolfram kind of like out of body , like living life from the outside or like i’m in a movie or video game.
I go in and out of it too, sometimes weeks. Feels like you're on autopilot. But the more I pay attention to it and worry about, and try to rid of it. Makes it worse and creates more problems. I think grounding/breathing helps. Writing notes to yourself of what you think is bad & tieing the truth of it being not that big of a deal. Being open & making fun your episode about to yourself. Simple example " here we go , I'm going on autopilot that causes anxiety for some reason. Whatever, I'm still so and so, and will be okay".
These videos might help:) https://youtu.be/rmH50bTp1zs?si=SdS6WjcYuA5ITxOF https://youtu.be/WH86RW-KGaY?si=ctfKCUugBhyv6HZw
I’m having a big OCD relapse and would like to hear anyone’s tips on how to be present and healthily deal with these intrusive thoughts and the “need” to preform compulsions. Thank you!!
Anyone else feel that when they aren’t experiencing a theme that their ocd is almost non existent. It almost makes me feel like I’ve been faking it, and also makes me feel ridiculous for obsessing over things. I feel sorry for myself :/ I know that my themes are valid and felt very real in the moment, but after I “get over” them I just can’t believe that I was obsessing over something that either wasn’t true or didn’t apply to me. I would also like to know how to prevent themes from reoccurring. Health, religion and existential OCD themes tend to take turns throughout my life, I just didn’t know that was it ocd. Trying to break the cycle.
I used to get caught in a loop with existential thoughts very frequently. Every question made my stomach drop: (TW: existential questions) … … ... "Why does anything exist at all? What will death be like? Is anything even real? Is there any meaning to this? Is the universe infinitely big, and if not, what's beyond it? Are there multiverses? Has the universe been around forever? Will the universe end for good, or will it keep going forever? What is forever like? What even IS reality?" It would get so overwhelming that I remember lying on the floor in a fetal position for hours because I felt like there was no escape. I spent most of my days reading articles and watching videos about theoretical astrophysics and philosophy in a desperate attempt to "figure it all out." Of course that only made me more anxious, raised more questions, and kept me trapped in the cycle. Things started to improve once I learned to turn TOWARD reality, rather than away from it, and ERP really helped me do that. I learned that these questions weren't the problem. I learned that I can actually handle the anxiety that arises when exposed to these ideas and concepts. I don't have to figure anything out to make the anxiety go away; it arises and passes away on its own. Ironically, bringing myself into the present moment and becoming more aware of reality helped me escape the cycle of existential dread. Because of that, this topic no longer takes over my life. If I'm triggered by something I see, hear, or think, I may still feel a little twang of anxiety, but then it just goes away. "Maybe, maybe not" has been the single most useful phrase of my life. Do you ever get trapped in a cycle of existential questions? Are you worried that the ERP approach would be too scary to handle? If so, I'm happy to give my advice.
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