How do you guys deal with depersonalization as a result of existential OCD? I normally go through phases of OCD tendencies, and my last one was centered on ROCD - I guess the distress of that theme has caused me to dissociate whenever the intrusive thoughts get too much. It just hurts when I look at my boyfriend (or even other people around me new) and my brain tells me they’re not real, or I don’t know them at all. I’m not sure how to experience it without simply crying. Any help would be appreciated.

I second the advice from PeggySantiago: remind yourself that you’ve felt this way before and it’s also gone away before. There’s no reason to think it won’t eventually go away again. Breath and find ways to ground yourself. There are lots of great mindfulness techniques for simply getting into your body and paying attention to your sensations and that can help bring you back down to earth or at the very least stay a little calmer in the midst of the depersonalization storm.

thank you all greatly for your help, and I send all my love to y’all as well! watching painting videos now to ground myself. I will take all your comments into consideration: I learned I definitely catastrophize situations and think I will never go back to feeling “normal”! but I’m trying to remain positive and, like you said, remind myself that there will be good times too. again, I appreciate it. be good to yourselves friends :)

I just talked to my bf about something like this the other day— I get depersonalization and derealization sometimes and I get all existential about it! I told my bf about these thoughts and he was actually so understanding about it and talked me through it. He said: whether it’s real or not doesn’t matter, because you have to experience it anyway. So just be in the moment! Sending love, if you need help pls don’t hesitate to reach out <3

I find that it helps me sometimes to remind myself of other times I felt (in your case depersonalization) a certain way and got through. Everything passes, it's just a matter of waiting it out sometimes. I know this can be very challenging. Much love to you! ♥️

*now, not new! sorry folks!

Sometimes I’ll be at work and I’ll have a thought that tells me “none of this is real, reality is an illusion,” and it sends me into full blown panic mode :\ I also get a weird feeling that reality is a “curtain” that I can rip through, and then my brain feels really 2 dimensional for a while, if that makes sense. I hate it ?