- Date posted
- 4y ago
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I get that you have a hard time with this! But I dont agree. Our obsessions can come true. For example I have found my stove on three times...but there were no fire... But the most important is that the treatment is the same. You have to learn to accept these emotions, it doesnt matter if you say they come true or not. I think a therapist can help you to find underlying fears also.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I'm sorry, i didn't mean to say that obsessions don't come true, it was just a specific example that the chance in the stove case is very small. I also know the goal of ocd is accepting the uncertainity instead of believing nothing will happen! Thanks for your insight, i also think i need to learn to accept the fears and my response to them coming true.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I've gone through periods of depersonalisation and the one thing which kept it going was being nervous of it happening. Increases anxiety which causes me to overthink and leads to it, so I can understand why that sort of exposures tend to make it happen. The first priority would be to cut out ruminating about it, which is that middle step where the anxiety leads you to choose to worry. Believe it or not, worrying is a choice, it's actually a mental compulsion, so when you feel that you want to worry because something has triggered the fear of it happening, refuse to scratch that itch. Notice that you want to dwell on it, and full on distract yourself with something else. At this point, worrying about depersonalisation is much more of a rumination compulsion than an effective exposure. Instead a good exposure would be to expose yourself to the kinds of things and situations which usually TRIGGER you to start worrying about depersonalisation, and when you feel that anxiety, instead of starting to think (ruminate) about it, do something else which takes your full attention. It'll be difficult to do because you're feeling the triggered anxiety, but you can get through it without dwelling on any thoughts that may pop up about depersonalisation. Notice that the thought happened, sure, but don't follow it down its rabbit hole. That's proper response prevention. It may also help to make some adjustments to how you see depersonalisation. It is weird, but not dangerous. Personally I like it now, it's a little bit psychadelic to suddenly see things from a different angle, it's an opportunity to think about interesting philosophical questions like the nature of self. That stuff doesn't need to be at all scary- I find it very freeing.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
Hi, thank you a lot for your comment! I think you are right with exposure and and changing the response to DP. I think my case of DP (if it is DP) is different from the most common types, i hear from a lot of people having existential anxiety, but for me it's complete paralysis, and i can't find a way to enjoy it...however i'm trying to find ways to accept it and stop rejecting it so much. I can't lie but it's extremely difficult haha! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I would approach this as similar to panic disorder, only instead of panic attacks, you're experiencing depersonalization. Like panic attacks, the depersonalization is intensely distressing sensation. However, not everyone who has panic attacks has panic disorder. Panic disorder is when someone becomes so afraid of having a panic attack that they avoid places they think the attacks might happen. Invariably, the attacks continue, so they avoid even more places and their world constricts around them. Avoiding triggers creates more triggers, in panic disorder, in PTSD, in OCD, etc. The treatment for panic disorder is learning to interpret the sensation in a less scary way. The sensations stay unpleasant, but when the narrative around them changes and avoidance stops, functioning improves and habituation can occur
- Date posted
- 4y ago
Hi Katie, thank you a lot for your comment. What you write makes a lot of sense, i start to avoid anything that makes me scared to feel depersonalizated which creates more and more triggers, but i have no safety net in life, so i often think "i can't afford to get depersonalizated now, if i do, i'll be useless for who knows how long and noone will do the important tasks (like finding a therapist) for me." But depersonalization happens even when i don't feel scared, but i think my subconscious might be always on alert. It really helped to get some insight from other people, i'll try to work with this information and continue to look for professional help!
Related posts
- Date posted
- 25w ago
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- Date posted
- 21w ago
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- Date posted
- 20w ago
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