Do I have depersonalization disorder?
Your Resolved Question: Is this just severe anxiety and depression? Came down with severe anxiety out of the blue May 10th, continued to have panic attacks while sleeping ( they'd wake me up ). A mental fog set in ( doesn't prohibit mental functioning, just causes distress ). Had a MASSIVE panic attack at school, went home and continued to have panic attacks throughout the day. Went to doctor, ended up having a double ear and nose infection, told him about my anxiety, and he told me to come back if things didn't get better. Continued to have brain fog and anxiety( didn't tell him about anxiety ), went back to doctor, put me on new antibiotics. Anxiety continued, depression set in, fog stayed around. My brain fog is looking like it's actually derealization. The weird thing is, I haven't had any depersonalization, and I know exactly what's going on around me, it's just like there's a fog setting me apart. I have anxiety every day, but I can push it down. Depression sets in in times of extreme anxiety and hopelessness. I'm a total obsessive self-diagnoser, hence why I'm on here, and I've read that that's what causes derealization. In the sixth grade, i came down with severe anxiety. It completely inhibited my ability to function. It was caused by bullying. I was never treated, and it just went away after winter break that year. Also, I have family history steeped in mental sickness. I'm now 17, and I was TOTALLY normal before May 10th of this year. I did put a lot of stress on myself to excel musically.
Do I have depersonalization?
Ok I will try to keep this simple and easy to comprehend as much as possible... So I smoked marijuana approximately 5 weeks ago and I got super paranoid at that time, I think it was triggered from my eyes staring at my laptop because they felt like they were getting a seizure and then 2 days later my paranoia wore out. 5 weeks later i was perfectly normal, but then one day i went on my lap top and my eyes recieved this small sharp pain and this feeling rushed through me and then my head began to feel heavy. This caused me to: a)Make me feel like time passes by a little faster b)Half the time I dont know what im doing c)I am unable to think as much, but I can still perform about the same level in school d)My muscles in my eyes feel like their being contracted and they have a headache e)My memory has decreased by a bit and I dont remember much recent activity. So my head feels all foggy, my eyes feel like their friggin confused and tired, however I still have my emotions and feelings but it just feels like im not fully aware of my life and my surroundings, it feels like its been decreased by alot and this heavy feeling in my head pisses me off, it feels like there is no blood in my brain. Would you consider this to be depersonalization? If yes, I would also like some helpful techinques in which would help ease this. Thanks Alot! For additional information, I have stopped smoking marijuana and I have smoked less than 5 times, my eye prescription is 5 and 6 and I recieve like a bleeding nose almost every day due to an allergy if this helps.
How can you tell if you have depersonalization?
Hi,The first time I lost touch with reality was when I smoked a lot of marijuana. I think it started there and I never really felt the same after that. Your mental stability is just gone. Your thoughts are everywhere. Your mind zones in on all the stuff you've been subconsciously suppressing and it just erupts. The most contradictory thoughts just merge at a single point in your mind. It just sits there at the forefront of your mind.It's about focusing your attention to the right things in life. Forget about the crazy stuff that life is actually about and get back to your routine or find a new routine. You know that most things just make no sense. You know that you'll die one day. You know you're an animal. You know that you are on this spinning rock flying through space. You know this stuff, but you got to keep going. Keep going.Forget about all those thoughts. Go to gym. Meet new people. Get a new job. Get out of that room. Get into the sun and have some fun. Find a girlfriend. Find people that are like you. Talk about life. Keep those thoughts at the back of your mind. Let them motivate you to success.Just live and be. Find that bliss point and sustain it.-M
I think I have depersonalization disorder??
I started noticing it when I was pre-teen, like 10 or 11, I knew everything was real and that it was happening but I didn't feel like I was experiencing it like I used to. I felt like it was a dream I had no control over, even though I knew I could control my actions I didn't feel like I could. This slowly progressed to get worse, some days I would wake up and know that this thing just got spontaneously worse, and then I would give myself an anxiety attack over it. The worsening of my symptoms usually but not always coincided with me being sick or taking antibiotics. Last summer I had surgery to remove my gallbladder due to gallstones (rare since I was 13 at the time and not obese) and was prescribed vicodin afterwards. Ever since finishing the vicodin and laying around the house for month worrying about healing I've gotten immensely worse in some aspects of it, but more used to the others.
How To Tell Your Doctor You Have Depersonalization Disorder?
You don't need to worry about whether or not your doctor will beleive you, depersonalization is a recognized mental illness & your doctor will probably be very understanding. Just tell them that you feel unreal or disconnected from yourself like there is a barrier between you and reality ect, they will then ask you questions about it and help you decide on the best course of action & put you in contact with some support agencies ect. As for stopping the disorder, that is something you will have to work out between you and your doctor and is different for every person. There is no easy way out, but telling and getting adequate help are the first steps. (by the way, don't bother with the forums, reading other people complaining about their disorder doesn't get you anywhere) P.S. I have attached some info about depersonalization, but as you probably know there is very little definite knowledge about this disorder so not everything you read will apply to you. Good luck! :)
Could a psychopath have a Depersonalization disorder?
I am very doubtful this could happen as the symptoms of each are contrary to each other. Feelings that you're an outside observer of your thoughts, feelings, your body or parts of your body, perhaps as if you were floating in air above yourselfFeeling like a robot or that you're not in control of your speech or movementsThe sense that your body, legs or arms appear distorted, enlarged or shrunken, or that your head is wrapped in cottonEmotional or physical numbness of your senses or responses to the world around youA sense that your memories lack emotion, and that they may or may not be your own memoriesNone of these things are what psychopaths experience. Psychopaths do not feel out of control of our actions, or our speech. We don't feel like we are outside observer. Rather we are very much in control and very aware. Our thoughts, our minds are very active all of the time. We spend a lot of time looking for stimulation and alleviation of boredom. We aren't numb, as numb implies we know what the opposite feels like. We just are. Emotional responses are just unknown to us. Also, our senses are in no way numb, quite the opposite really. We are very attentive to our surroundings and usually pretty acutely aware of our environment.If anything I could see Depersonalization Disorder looking like a severe depression much more that having psychopathic features.
Can people with depersonalization disorder be very happy?
Yes, they are capable of happiness.Depersonalisation in the disorder is very rarely a constant. There are periods of depersonalisation and periods of 'normality' for them.During periods of 'normality,' they are capable of all emotions and feeling them to their depths. It's a normal experience.During periods of depersonalisation, they can still feel happiness. It just feels like it's being acted and they're watching it. Rather than really feeling it themselves.Similar to that of empathising with a character in a movie, as opposed to being truly happy yourself.Hope this helps.
How do I tell if I have Depersonalization or just overreacting?
More details about your experiences are necessary.Depersonalization is a feeling of detachment from oneself, ones thoughts, feelings, sensations.Derealization is a detachment from one's environment. (you didn't ask, but these often go hand in hand)When you have depersonalization you know instantly, you may not know the term but you know your view of the world and yourself has changed.I think these images portray how depersonalization feels to me and many others really well. It's like the real you is trapped in your head or playing a virtual reality game.It's also important to note that you are aware that these changes are something only you experience, as in, you are not psychotic you know the world hasn't actually changed..something in you has.Things become strange and foreign and you feel disconnected from it all.It's bittersweet, depersonalization is often caused by a tired overwhelmed brain (it can also occur from drug use).