- Date posted
- 3d
Any tips for derealization/depersonalization
Anyone else had this and any tips?
Anyone else had this and any tips?
Yes. I have had experienced it with driving ocd when it was peak. It doesn't happen anymore but it is hard to feel that detachment. What I did is remind myself that this wont last forever. This too shall pass
Yes so… I went through a horrible couple months of Derealization. Take deep breaths and remember it’s your body just trying to protect itself. A natural response to Anxiety and high stress. Nothing is wrong with you… Step 1. Stay Busy, the more busy you stay the more your brain ends up tired and it helps to not think as much. Step 2. Remind yourself this is a Normal thing and millions of people have experienced it and are still ok. Step 3. Seek help! Go to therapy! Talk to a professional! With anxiety and OCD you fear the unknown. Sometimes it’s nice to speak to people with experience or professionals that can ease the thoughts! It will get better! Praying for you 🙏🏽
Hi! I get this when my OCD is like heightened and my anxiety is also! Do you do therapy with NOCD? I talked to my therapist yesterday about this, and when your in these episodes basically you say “hi OCD I see you I feel uncomfortable but I’m going to keep doing xyz” or “this is a super uncomfortable feeling but I’m going to keep doing xyz” don’t fight the feeling or it will keep happening!! It’s like OCD thoughts that come in example “what if hit that person on the bike” you could respond “I could hit that person on the bike or not but I’m going to keep driving” or my therapist says to lean into it like “yup I’m going to hit that person” these ones have helped me I feel like more!
@Kaylynn123 Hi I’m not in therapy yet. I get this when I don’t fight back with my ocd which then causes a feeling of not feeling like myself and everything feels flat and I feel like I’m just watching life and going through the motions which makes me very uncomfortable. I’m not entirely sure but its a really strange feeling
@Holl1 This is what I get I’m scared almost my body is going to do something without me wanting to do it! Could also be that your OCD is getting better when you’re not fighting the thoughts your brain is essentially re-wiring itself which causes your body to overreact and go into overdrive, however it will even out, just takes time! Also absolutely mean this kindly but some of your posts are def compulsions/reassurance seeking, in this instance your asking for tips but from therapy my therapist has pointed out things I do that I didn’t realize even in the moment are reassurance seeking/compulsion behaviors. I mean this so kindly! Also the whole point of therapy isn’t to stop compulsions just make them less so your OCD isn’t on fire! You got this! Highly recommend NOCD if you want to do therapy it’s been a GOD send to me and my family!
Yoga got me out of the worst of my DPDR! It reconnected me with my body in a way I just couldn’t do on my own at that point. Sensory stimulation also helps. Cold water on your face or holding ice cubes in your hand, your feet barefoot on the ground, etc. also, sitting with it and acknowledging it. It is a defense mechanism of your nervous system after all, so to just be aware of it but also give yourself a sense of safety helps a lot. Nervous system regulation tools by sukie Baxter can also help Good luck! 🍀
I recently posted about my experience with Existential OCD (https://app.treatmyocd.com/community/posts/2184668), and one of the most common questions I got was how to deal with DPDR (depersonalization and derealization), as it often goes hand-in-hand with existential obsessions. I wanted to create this post to summarize my thoughts and understanding of DPDR, so I have something to point people towards. For context, I'm not a trained mental health professional, doctor, or neuroscientist. I'm just someone who has been through the gambit with OCD, and has learned about the mind through conversations with several therapists, reading books, and watching videos. I also regularly consult with a few Buddhist teachers, and have been practicing meditation for several years. Please keep all of this in mind, and take everything I say with a grain of salt. First, some quick terminology: Depersonalization = a feeling of "detachment" from your own body, almost as if you're living life as an autonomous robot. Derealization = a feeling of "detachment" from the outside world, where people, places, and things feel distant or alien. They often go hand-in-hand, and mainly differ in terms of what feels "unreal" (yourself, or the outside world). It's easy to see how this can coincide with obsessive existential thoughts. After all, when things feel unreal, how can you help but think about the big questions of existence? So these feelings often make those with OCD extremely uncomfortable, and the desire to make it "go away" inevitably arises. But, just like with anxiety, most attempts to "get rid" of it generally make it worse. Even grounding exercises can become problematic if the goal of those exercises is to get rid of DPDR, just like any other compulsion. That's why my first piece of advice is always to acknowledge and accept the feeling. One way to get comfortable accepting any feeling is to understand where it comes from. As of today, the exact neurobiological workings of DPDR aren't fully understood, but one thing seems to be pretty clear: DPDR is the result of the brain momentarily shifting gears to protect itself from overwhelm. It's something that happens when you are stressed, and/or burnt out. It's the brain protecting itself from overstimulation, similar to a circuit breaker closing down parts of an electrical circuit to prevent overloading. It's important not to take this information as reassurance against the existential intrusive thoughts that arise during DPDR, rather simply as an explanation as to what is happening in the present moment. I'm a big proponent of using "maybe, maybe not" responses to intrusive thoughts. So in the case of DPDR, you may considering responding to the existential thoughts with: "Maybe that's true, maybe it isn't. Right now, this brain is overwhelmed, and it is protecting itself." (Side note: the use of "this brain" instead of "my brain" is a habit I've picked up from Buddhist philosophy. It's a way of practicing non-attachment to the self. If that doesn't work for you then feel free to phrase it in whatever way makes sense. I also recognize the beautiful irony of bringing up non-attachment in a post about DPDR 😂) Basically, you want to acknowledge the existential thoughts, acknowledge the feeling of DPDR, acknowledge that the DPDR is coming from a place of stress, and then refocus your attention to the present moment. The key is to not refocus your attention in hopes to GET RID of the thoughts or feelings, but to do it DESPITE those things. You need to teach yourself first-hand that none of those things are dangerous, and that you can continue to live life while scary thoughts exist in the mind, and while you feel uncomfortable things. The more you try to push the DPDR away, or logically dig yourself out of a hole, the more stressed you will become. And since DPDR is a stress response, this will only cause it to stick around longer. It's the same ironic cycle that fuels the intrusive thought / compulsion loop. Sometimes it can last for a few minutes, a few hours, days, weeks, or even months. While DPDR disorder exists, in many cases (especially with OCD), DPDR tends to persist because of our resistance to it. If you find that it just won't go away, try not to get discouraged. Instead, look for the resistance, and consider how you may be able to open up to the experience in a lighter way. If you find yourself resisting, gently remind yourself: "I don’t need to figure this out right now. I can let the brain do its thing and focus on living life." It can also help to recontextualize the DPDR. I like to think of it like a warm blanket or sweater, or the brain taking a nap. You wouldn't want to wake someone up from a nap, would you? Let 'em rest! I hope there is something helpful here for those struggling with this issue. Trust me, I've been there.
anybody else deal with this?😔
I recently got diagnosed with OCD back in May of this year. What started it was a month prior, I took an SSRI which triggered an extremely intense couple of days due to panic attacks I’ve never had before. I’ve never had panic attacks but pretty intense anxiety. That’s when I started experiencing DPDR and hyper awareness. I’m good some days, but other days it’s so so hard. Especially because I have no one around me that understands. The DPDR and awareness of every feeling, thought, and just overall awareness of my existence gets really overwhelming. I feel like I’m losing my mind. It’s really hard to sit with my thoughts especially when they’re on a constant loop of every little thing I’m thinking and doing and on top of that feeling like I’m in a dream. I desperately just want to go back to how I was 4 months ago, but I know that’s just not possible right now. If anyone has experienced this and is doing much better now or even currently experiencing this please let me know! I need someone to relate to lol
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