In short, depersonalization and derealization are forms of dissociation that can turn your life into a frustrating struggle.
Equally frustrating sensations such as panic attacks, shortness of breath, brain fog, confusion, migraines, obsessive thoughts, depression, and similar difficulties frequently accompany depersonalization/derealization - like if the dissociation on its own wasn't enough.
The cause of all these symptoms is, however, less numerous and is known as anxiety.
Many are aware of this devastating feeling that can make you act in a way your common sense oppresses, avoid situations you would like to enjoy, and you generally feel to be guided by fear instead of reason and free will.
While almost everyone will get to taste anxiety at some point in their lives such as during exams, others, more unfortunate, are plagued chronically and their anxiety reaches heights which a casual, satisfied person would never encounter even in their worst nightmares.
Everyone deserves comfort and rest, but with anxiety it can be unattainable even when submerged in a hot, bubbly bath with a huge TV screen entertaining you.
With depersonalization, anxiety can be even worse than that.
The dissociation only adds to the sensations of uncertainty, hopelessness, brain fog, and tendency to panic, all so characteristic to anxiety.
Therefore, I have devised a list, which borrows from my experience, research and psychology, to help those in need to relieve anxiety for good.
I have found that adhering to the following tips is effective in overcoming depersonalization, anxiety, and developing a strong resistance to them: Think about what causes your anxiety - Although anxiety most probably arises from disorganized neural firing or malfunctions in synaptic plasticity, we all have something in our lives that aggravates our anxieties.
You are depersonalized for a reason - intense anxiety.
Therefore, you need to allocate the amplifiers and triggers of your anxiety in order to reduce its intensity and so reduce depersonalization's intensity as well.
You might already have an idea about the potential triggers such as work/school, dating, existential crisis, and basically anything conceivable that might be constantly on your mind.
You will need to go with your gut feeling on this one - observe when your anxiety turns worse and think about the immediate past events that might have added to it.
For me, the main culprits were loud, intrusive thoughts constantly narrating everything I did with a negative tone, giving me no other option but to be pessimistic.
Yours might be the same or completely different hence I cannot specifically assure you of what to address.
Once you know the cue(s), settle on a solution or if you consider it a nonsense creation of anxiety just think about it for a moment and acknowledge its absurdity; repeat whenever the issue reappears and it will eventually fade away.
Gaining knowledge about anxiety and how it works is probably the handiest tool you can have, as it lets you solve the underlying patterns fueling the anxiety.
Therefore, I encourage you to seek out some books or any form of information on this particular topic, to expand on what I present here in this confined article, so you gain a better general overview.
Meditation - find few minutes daily to simply sit down, relax, and let your consciousness drift wherever it takes you while concentrating on breathing deeply.
Meditating allows your mind to relieve its tension and enhances your appreciation of the surroundings by heightening your mental acuity.
Even after 10 minutes of meditation, which I try to engage in daily, I can feel a noticeable relief.
I found it helpful in relieving the emotional numbness and brain fog that goes hand in hand with depersonalization.
Furthermore, studies have shown that those who meditate on a regular basis experience gyrification, or thickening of the cerebral cortex - a brain region associated with self-control, awareness and intelligence.
All of this makes meditation a cheap and versatile anxiety remedy.
Supplements - Includes herbal extracts, minerals, and vitamins.
Supplements are useful in eradicating individual symptoms.
Additionally, part of your anxiety might be attributed to a mineral or vitamin deficiency so you might as well take preventative measures by following a healthy diet or supplementing with its essential components.
For me, B-complex, Fish Oil, Lecithin, and L-theanine proved to be of help in mitigating anxiety.
Fortunately, there are lots and lots of such helpful supplements so don't be hesitant to experiment.
Drink water - Drinking a lot of water and mainly substituting sweet drinks with water will help you with a bunch of bodily processes such as aiding in blood circulation.
Drinking water has proven to help reduce the severity of anxiety attacks and therefore many psychologist/psychiatrist will advise you to do so.
Dehydration often results in migraines and dizziness, not something that will ameliorate anxiety symptoms.
Avoiding sugary drinks prevents possible complications arising from excess carbohydrate consumption such as mood swings.
These tips work for anxiety in general and equally well, due to their close relationship, for depersonalization and derealization.
For those of you who are apprehensive about the scary perceptual experience - don't be, it is not permanent if you handle the situation correctly.
With depersonalization, it might feel like life has lost everything positive in it and that you will never regain your old perception and comfort, but trust me it is just a misleading feeling that will pass.
I was so heavily dissociated that I lost all hope of ever feeling fine, but once I decided for doing something to correct it and started feeling increasingly better I felt more relieved than ever, even before the perceptual shift struck me.
So don't waste your time obsessing about what could have been different, because that will not lead anywhere.
Go cure that depersonalization for good!
Equally frustrating sensations such as panic attacks, shortness of breath, brain fog, confusion, migraines, obsessive thoughts, depression, and similar difficulties frequently accompany depersonalization/derealization - like if the dissociation on its own wasn't enough.
The cause of all these symptoms is, however, less numerous and is known as anxiety.
Many are aware of this devastating feeling that can make you act in a way your common sense oppresses, avoid situations you would like to enjoy, and you generally feel to be guided by fear instead of reason and free will.
While almost everyone will get to taste anxiety at some point in their lives such as during exams, others, more unfortunate, are plagued chronically and their anxiety reaches heights which a casual, satisfied person would never encounter even in their worst nightmares.
Everyone deserves comfort and rest, but with anxiety it can be unattainable even when submerged in a hot, bubbly bath with a huge TV screen entertaining you.
With depersonalization, anxiety can be even worse than that.
The dissociation only adds to the sensations of uncertainty, hopelessness, brain fog, and tendency to panic, all so characteristic to anxiety.
Therefore, I have devised a list, which borrows from my experience, research and psychology, to help those in need to relieve anxiety for good.
I have found that adhering to the following tips is effective in overcoming depersonalization, anxiety, and developing a strong resistance to them: Think about what causes your anxiety - Although anxiety most probably arises from disorganized neural firing or malfunctions in synaptic plasticity, we all have something in our lives that aggravates our anxieties.
You are depersonalized for a reason - intense anxiety.
Therefore, you need to allocate the amplifiers and triggers of your anxiety in order to reduce its intensity and so reduce depersonalization's intensity as well.
You might already have an idea about the potential triggers such as work/school, dating, existential crisis, and basically anything conceivable that might be constantly on your mind.
You will need to go with your gut feeling on this one - observe when your anxiety turns worse and think about the immediate past events that might have added to it.
For me, the main culprits were loud, intrusive thoughts constantly narrating everything I did with a negative tone, giving me no other option but to be pessimistic.
Yours might be the same or completely different hence I cannot specifically assure you of what to address.
Once you know the cue(s), settle on a solution or if you consider it a nonsense creation of anxiety just think about it for a moment and acknowledge its absurdity; repeat whenever the issue reappears and it will eventually fade away.
Gaining knowledge about anxiety and how it works is probably the handiest tool you can have, as it lets you solve the underlying patterns fueling the anxiety.
Therefore, I encourage you to seek out some books or any form of information on this particular topic, to expand on what I present here in this confined article, so you gain a better general overview.
Meditation - find few minutes daily to simply sit down, relax, and let your consciousness drift wherever it takes you while concentrating on breathing deeply.
Meditating allows your mind to relieve its tension and enhances your appreciation of the surroundings by heightening your mental acuity.
Even after 10 minutes of meditation, which I try to engage in daily, I can feel a noticeable relief.
I found it helpful in relieving the emotional numbness and brain fog that goes hand in hand with depersonalization.
Furthermore, studies have shown that those who meditate on a regular basis experience gyrification, or thickening of the cerebral cortex - a brain region associated with self-control, awareness and intelligence.
All of this makes meditation a cheap and versatile anxiety remedy.
Supplements - Includes herbal extracts, minerals, and vitamins.
Supplements are useful in eradicating individual symptoms.
Additionally, part of your anxiety might be attributed to a mineral or vitamin deficiency so you might as well take preventative measures by following a healthy diet or supplementing with its essential components.
For me, B-complex, Fish Oil, Lecithin, and L-theanine proved to be of help in mitigating anxiety.
Fortunately, there are lots and lots of such helpful supplements so don't be hesitant to experiment.
Drink water - Drinking a lot of water and mainly substituting sweet drinks with water will help you with a bunch of bodily processes such as aiding in blood circulation.
Drinking water has proven to help reduce the severity of anxiety attacks and therefore many psychologist/psychiatrist will advise you to do so.
Dehydration often results in migraines and dizziness, not something that will ameliorate anxiety symptoms.
Avoiding sugary drinks prevents possible complications arising from excess carbohydrate consumption such as mood swings.
These tips work for anxiety in general and equally well, due to their close relationship, for depersonalization and derealization.
For those of you who are apprehensive about the scary perceptual experience - don't be, it is not permanent if you handle the situation correctly.
With depersonalization, it might feel like life has lost everything positive in it and that you will never regain your old perception and comfort, but trust me it is just a misleading feeling that will pass.
I was so heavily dissociated that I lost all hope of ever feeling fine, but once I decided for doing something to correct it and started feeling increasingly better I felt more relieved than ever, even before the perceptual shift struck me.
So don't waste your time obsessing about what could have been different, because that will not lead anywhere.
Go cure that depersonalization for good!
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