does derealization go away?

[lilnewk]

im a 20 yr old female and iv had derealization for 4 months now. it has not gone away not once. i feel spaced out, but werid all the time like these are not my eyes im seeing out of . i have no idea why i got it (which makes me not understand how i got it)  i never thought i had anxiety either or was very stressed? its the worst feeling in the world and im just scared to death it will not go away. does it? what are things would help me recover? i would really appreciate anyones help!  for the first 3 months thought i was stuck and that i had to have hurt something in my body but iv had a mri, cat scan, spinal tap and tons of blood work that come back normal. i was so depressed and scared but now im just trying hard to beat this thing if its possble. my emotions are up and down all day long. one min im like ill be ok i have hope an the next im scared again and just want it to be done or think it wont go away. hope i get some answers, thank you.

[ehlee1234]

I've had derealization continuously since 5th grade; I'm about to graduate highschool now. In the beginning, I didn't know what the hell was wrong with me. I didn't have a name for the empty, out-of-it feeling I had continuously. Looking back, I realize it was stress induced. I would try to detach myself from reality when things would get pretty bad at my house, I'd try to block everything out. What I did was to lock myself into this dream-like state. I've smoked for the past few years, but I know my derealization didn't stem from my high, because I've had it since I was 11. Smoking has actually made DR a little bit more bearable because when I'm with my friends, I know they feel like I do all the time. I don't even remember ever feeling "normal". I can't look back at a time in my childhood and think "oh wow, I was actually 'there'". My life has formed around DR. I've accepted that fact. I hope you all can do that, too.

[NDogMofo]

i fell like everything is a dream.  it's hard to focus on stuff and i daze off sometimes and forget im in reality.  i was wondering though if this disorder causes your brain to malfunction though.  because im very slow now and cant focus.  plus all the sounds i hear sound louder than normal and i fell weird as hell! idk what to do either.

[lanzy10]

Yes I feel that constantly. I’m scared and disoriented, everything is bleak, dark, and flat. I feel completely detached from my family and friends, like they are strangers. It is one of the loneliest and most disturbing things I have ever experienced and I am so sorry all of you have to go through this. I would not wish it on my worst enemy and it’s so hard to ignore it when it’s present 24/7. I try to talk to my parents, sister, and fiancé about it but unless you have felt it you cannot comprehend how scary it is. I feel like I’m acting weird all of the time or that people must be able to tell something is wrong because how can I possibly feel this spaced out and negative on the inside and seem normal on the outside. I guess I’ve gotten really good at acting.

[Juju5555]

Hi guys, i had derealization episodes throughout my 20s. I had my last  episode about 4 years ago. (I am 32 now).

My episodes almost always followed nights out drinking and would last 10 to 14 days each time.  I would like to share my experiences and thoughts in case it can help anyone else.

My thoughts on what triggers it: While alcohol may have played a part in the onset of symptoms, I don't feel that it was the true cause.  What I think triggered it was intense worry and anxiety following a drinking session that derealisation was soon going to follow. I believe this stress and worrying was what caused it to occur, not the alcohol itself.  Kind of like a self fulfilling prophecy.

Having not had an episode in four years, I think the biggest cure in my case was just learning to relax and not stress so much. Once you understand what triggers it (anxiety, stress, worry) you can develop your own strategies and relaxation techniques to reduce the likelihood of it occurring.

Coping strategies if it does occur:
-stressing and worrying about it will only worsen the symptoms... Go with the flow, if you keep positive and reduce self induced stress, you can likely pull yourself out of it.
- I had never been an artistic person, but I found drawing really  helped take my mind away from the dark place it was in, giving me something to focus on.
- Music that you are familiar with playing in the background helped keep me in touch with reality and was also therapeutic.

Questions for others?
- does any one else get severe fatigue the first few days? I found myself sleeping a good 18-20 hours a day.
- I also had really vivid dreams throughout each episode and night sweats. Anyone else?

Wishing fellow sufferers all the best.

J

[SamJ2222]

Has anyone experience derealization that is more like a constant feeling of darkness? Almost like you have just woken up from a nightmare but the creepy feeling never goes away?

[SamJ2222]

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