I did once when I was at work and I couldn’t see. I called my husband who picked me up. I figured it was anxiety and took a few days off and that helped.
I’ve been dealing with derealization and depersonalization for almost a year. It’s so hard to deal with that it used to led me to panic attacks. With time I’ve learned to understand what I’ve been dealing with, my problem is that I keep doing compulsions and checking how I feel. My compulsion is eating, for some reason it’s like my mind think I’m having low blood sugar and I need to eat. The thing is that I don’t have problems with my sugar, and even though I know that I don’t need to eat I keep doing it which has led me to gain a lot of weight. Thanks for making this video. I’ll try to practice what you say.
Coming back to this video 4 months later to say that I’ve finally recovered! No more DPDR or existential OCD, I get to live my life again! So thankful to have gone through this because thanks to all of it I’m stronger now. Sending love to anyone currently struggling with this. I know firsthand how scary it feels, but you can absolutely go back to how you were before, just live your life holding hands with your fear and give it space to leave naturally. Thanks for reading this, you are strong enough to handle this.
This happens to me any time existential OCD flares up. One theory I've heard is that when you are especially overwhelmed, your brain sort of numbs itself as a defense mechanism. In the same way that anxiety is your brain trying to protect you against an external threat, derealization is your brain protecting you from overstimulation. That can explain why it happens during intense episodes of anxiety, or after traumatic events. It can also explain why it tends to stick around the more we try to push it away, because we keep feeding the anxiety. So next time it happens, try treating it like that sweater you always get from your aunt every birthday. You know you don't need any more sweaters, but just smile and say "thanks", because it means she cares about you.
I've been struggling and beating myself up for years over these and other symptoms that keep me away from enjoying my own life, I've never even considered your points and analogy. Thank you so much, I'm going to try and keep this at the forefront of my mind anytime I feel bummed out :)
@@mayra.veronica Yeah I'd say "brain fog" is a good description too. It tends to happen to me after trying really, really hard to make sense of existential questions, or anything else I'm ruminating over. It's as if the part of my brain that usually assigns meaning to things (I think the "parietal lobe"?) becomes fatigued and just taps out for a bit. It's like, "hey man, I think we need a break". Yeah sometimes I get headaches or migraines during times of heightened stress/anxiety. Maybe it's another way of the brain saying "slow down! I can't work that hard!"
I've struggled with this since I was 10, basically every day for decades. What helps the most for me is just to not fight it, pretend I'm in a video game and keep going through the motions of daily life until it fades into the background again. It's extremely uncomfortable, especially when it hits while driving or having a conversation.. but it's not dangerous. My heart goes out to every one of you struggling with DPDR, too. I thought I was alone in this for so long ❤
Thank you for sharing your experiences, I struggled with this every day since I was about that age too. Can't say how glad I am to see this video and these comments
Omg Thank you so much for sharing this, I have had it for over a couple months now and been struggling alot, even tho I can do work and do social activities it's sometimes been a struggle which has held me back, I am always scared of loosing vision, sounds and basically myself. But seeing some people struggling with such a mess for years is brave, I literally also considered meds but I got much feedback saying I shouldn't. Appreciate you mate, may god bless
@@alexanderhuseb6723 I feel like it's a "hard" problem that won't be resolved easily by straightforward effort, really need to have a lot of grace for urself. I feel it has a lot to do with constant feelings of condemnation in the past and viewing and judging myself from the outside and so unconsciously beginning to think like I am a robot whereby I can control my every move to the tee. No problem mate, God bless u too!! 😊
I struggled with DP for MONTHS until I found this man who created a manual on how to overcome DR/DP. Quite literally saved my life. Please check him out if you’re still struggling: ruclips.net/video/uT_UDB5e3M4/видео.html
Reading these comments has made me feel so heard and made me realize that I’m not alone in feeling this way and I hope that everyone finds relief from there symptoms
This video is the most comforting video I’ve seen in my life so far. It’s insane to see how not alone I am, and that my OCD directly relates to this. I never knew what exactly was going on. Everything makes sense now & I feel so much more comfortable. Thankyou
Through therapy I've realized that I was dissociated/experiencing DP & DR for my entire childhood. It became chronic after a traumatic event in my twenties; it's been two years and I suffer everyday. There are days when I can cope with it, but most of the time I'm terrified. These comments show that I'm not alone. Hoping for recovery in all of us ❤️
Your not alone!!!! I'm a sufferer too! I've found lamictal and klonopin to help! Besides that I also have other diagnosis so its extra hard but your not alone. Dont ever truly believe that. I'm here for you!
i often experience this. i first had it when i had an existential intrusive thought. and i panicked. i didn‘t know about my ocd back then, or about derealization/depersonalization. i still have it, along with other ocd themes. everytime i got it, i experienced panic attacks because i wanted to fight this state that made me so anxious. now i just try to accept it as it is, and that it will be going away eventually. i have lived in this state for a few weeks actually (along with constant panic attacks what made the dr/dp worse) and some day, when i finally accepted it and didn’t overthink it, it just went away. i allow it to exist, no matter how bad or horrible it is, knowing it will fade. sometimes i just get so deeply into it that i cannot even talk anymore. i worry so much that people will judge me for it..
@@aceavery5786 it does get better with the right therapy. acceptance helped me. try to not give those thoughts any attention, let them pass and acknowledge that they are there. with time, your brain will learn that you are not in danger and the thoughts will fade and get quiet. so to answer your question: yes, it will go away!
@@aceavery5786 your brain is basically trying to protect you by going into DR/DP. knowing that helped me understand and accept it. just know it will go away, you won’t live like that forever.
I'm in tears right now watching this in a public library, but it doesn't matter cause my problem for 13 years has finally been answered, I feel this relief & I cannot do much but say thank you Nate.
I'm blown away 😳. You put into words what I couldn't understand for the past 10 months...it's like I've just broken out of a frozen/paralyzed state. The accepting part is so true. If I hadn't let this "thing" (now I know it's called derealization) bleed for the past 2 or 3 weeks, I don't think I would've arrived here.. it is so necessary to let go, even it feels like the world is ending for you. But in order for me to let go without harming myself physically, I had to use my fears to stop myself from doing something I would regret. It's like I just had my own TV show and I'm in the final episode where everything is explained and revealed........
Coming to acceptance and just going with the flow seems to kinda work for me. I’m like “OK, I’m stuck in some David Lynch film or something…” Acceptance didn’t come easily, tho… Be Strong, Dream On 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
I have had derealisation since I was a child, I'm 42 now. I had long period where I had overcome it, but after a stressful event a couple of years ago it has come back and I've been struggling again. Thanks for the video, I've watched it about 4 times so far.
I’ve been having derealization/depersonalization for 6 months now. It’s not the first time I’ve had it, when I was 12-15 I had it constantly and could only think about how much I wanted to feel alive again. The recent flare up of 6 months has been excruciating, because it’s the only thing that I can think about. It’s hard to go to school or anywhere else because I’m in constant fear and always feel off balance/like I’m going to pass out. It makes me worried how I will finish school, since I’ve been staying home an awful amount and it’s sad because I’m a straight A student and people expect the world from me. My dad is a psychiatrist and he’s been telling me to face my fears, but we would always just end up in fights when he tried to help me so I finally convinced him to get me a therapist appointment. My first appointment is on Wednesday, it was supposed to be 2 weeks ago but my therapist was sick and it makes me really anxious because on Monday I have to start going to school again (because spring break ends). I really don’t know how to deal with it and I really hope therapy will help me. For the last 6 months I’ve realized that none of my friends or family members are caring enough to listen to my problems and I don’t have anyone to tell how I’m feeling. It feels like I’m going insane because 24/7 I just have philosophical thoughts about what reality even is, if I’m even real, what worth anything has, why I’d even bother to do things if I’m going to die anyway, and so on. They make me extremely anxious and I’ve found myself having to excuse myself to go to the bathroom 2 or 3 times a day just so I could calm down enough to not break down in a full on panic attack in front of people. It’s exhausting and I don’t wish this on anyone, even my worst enemies. This is one of the first RUclips comments I’ve ever written in my life, I just had to get this off of my chest…
very similar to my situation brother. I am a good student but I am currently not in school. I will probably lose my internship which I worked for and I might miss summer because to me right now it seems like going to a clinic again (was in one in December/January) will be the only answer. Even my therapist doesn't know what to do.
I feel like everyone feels like they are alone in this, like we perceive other people as being “normal” and not having these problems. Not to be a broken record but I am going through this right now and i know how you feel. I wish me and you the best!
this is actually so helpful as an anxious person. I will constantly be in my head about things during these periods, now I’m just trying to embrace the feeling like “wooo this is so fun I feel like I’m slightly high and everything is in 4k ultra hd”
I've had derealisation in very tired/anxious moments of life. Having an episode today. What usually helps? Exactly what you say. When I fully embrace it and let it wash over me. I accept it and I tell it it's welcome to stay, however long it wants to. And I fully accept that this is what reality feels like for a while. And woosh... Usually goes away a few days later. Ill practise this today, and it will be what it will be, and I love life nonethless, I just cant feel it right this instant. :)
Derealization lead to my crippling existential ocd... before that, i was a bit anxious but i was FINE... one panic attack set the whoke thing off because i responded with resistance, reassurance seeking, trying to fix and analyze it... wish i knew a year ago what i know now and i wouldn't have suffered the way i did but im glad i know now! I have good days and i have scary days, but no matter what i remind myself that i am safe, ocd is a liar and Derealization is like a protective helmet my body gives me to try and help me chill out
After experiencing depersonalization I notice way more often when other people go from being engaged in the moment to over analyzing what they are doing. It’s hard to explain…
No, I totally understand what you mean, its pretty basic strategy for the brain and a simple human to analyse every surrounding doing a mental situation. Its like a computer, once a file is acting weird then the whole computer may collapse just like overwhelming anxiety.
So true. Fear is fear, it means nothing. I’ve built this relationship with my mind that knows it panics at random moments but I’ve learned to have a carefree/non-threatened attitude towards it. Then it leaves me alone and I can function again. But before when this was really hurting me, I couldn’t perform normal day-to-day functions and it sucked! I thought I would be trapped in that mental paralysis forever😢
It’s like I know people say it’s not that big of a deal because your actually ok and have no physical harm but people that have not gone through it don’t understand how scary it can be. Thank you for taking a different approach to it because lots of professionals I’ve talked to have given me technics to calm panic attacks by counting things and grounding myself but that can be something that triggers it for me. Realizing I’m in existence brings me into a derealization episode. I will definitely try this technique of acceptance rather than trying to solve it the next time I get my derealization
Yes, exactly! Same here. When I practice mindfulness or grounding techniques, lately they haven't only not been helping my dissociation; they've been making it worse. Trying to connect with the idea that me and the world are both real makes me uncomfortable and unsettled, and I'm left spacing out more than I was in the first place.
At the start of university I started feeling derealized, similar to what an ego death is like. I was terrified but after seeing this video I’ve started feeling so much better. Thank you so much genuinely, you’ve saved me.
I couldn't go to work for 2 weeks because of this. I felt like I was half full and developing schizophrenia or something. Absolutely horrific. Thank you for the educational content
@@3amDayDreamer what did your family and friends feel like when you couldn’t comprehend your surroundings? Did it feel as if they weren’t really there with you? And how did you overcome it?
@@staywavybaby7485 That was the worst part for me. I felt no connection to my family or my friends. It felt like my consciousness was just floating around and my physical body couldn’t connect to my surroundings. With depersonalization, I got through it with ease because I knew what caused it, but for derealization, it was too scary for me. I’m still going through derealization but the symptoms have eased up.
I have been experiencing this lately and I was so happy and grateful to see your video pop up covering this particular topic. Thank you for your incredibly helpful guidance as always!
I had derealization and the whole 9 yards. I remember feeling hopeless last year searching video after video just wanting every thing to end. No one believed Or understood what i was going through not even doctors. I been in your shoes and God sent me to tell you. Everything will be ok, you will be healed. Plz hold on and dont give up. I know your pain! It is scary! But God got you. I never thought i would heal but i healed…If your diet is bad and you dont get enough nutrients plz look into that! Big factor of what cause mine was malnutrition and lacking minerals.. Also idk for sure if candida was the cause but i was taking cold delivered probiotics highy quality..Also exercise is important i would walk around my apartment complex…barely able to walk one lap the first time…because my panic attacks were so bad. If you are lcking nutrient plz be careful with fitness..Also be around love ones it helps so much! I love yall plz dont give up i know the feeling of giving up…but dont your worth more than that!! You can make it out! Also try juicing cucumbers melons apples and stuff high in h3o2. You could be dehydrated. Idk specifically which one is to blame but i focused and those four things. You will be healed I love you dont give up! God put me through it so I could come back and help others! You got this!!!!!!
After smoking weed in high school I developed dpdr, thought I was losing it because I continued to feel high for 2 weeks straight. That was 14 years ago and I’ve struggled anywhere between total detachment and a light daily buzz, the daily buzz I’m used to by now, it’s become my norm. I never really have felt like I’ve ever come back. One thing I’ve learned over years of this is to not panic, anxiety makes it so much worse. And it’s also normal to not feel an attachment to loved ones some days. You know you love them but you just don’t “feel it”. And that’s normal, just comes with the territory. On really bad days I find nostalgia to be the thing that helps the most, for me it’s Disney movies, or talking with an old friend. Stirs up feelings of being a kid again when I didn’t feel like this. For anyone struggling with it just know there are worse ways to live, and overtime it does get better, but you have to cut yourself some slack and stop thinking so much. Living in your head just adds fuel to it, get out and do things.
I've found wearing my sunglasses inside helps me literally reframe my gaze to engage my peripheral vision and naturally focus more on a calmer, more intuitive, grounded, experience of reality.
I am feeling this right now due to existential thoughts for almost a month now and I am diagnosed with panic disorder. I rarely have panic attacks or palpitations for 3 weeks now but again I tend to worry and think a lot to the point I get overwhelmed. This feeling is so weird but I still try to live day by day I hope we all can recover from this.
I’ve had this since I was 12 and I’m 14 right now, it feels like it’s been forever and I’m in tears right now because I feel like I’m not alone. I’m not going crazy.
@@maryy8274 9 months later, I can say I feel much better. Was a rough period but I’m doing much better mentally. Js gotta remember to take care of yourself
You are actually Right! My DPDR came after struggling with OCD and obsessive thoughts and fighting them. I didn't even knew it was OCD back then. But now I know it's totally connected to it. I'm actually getting so much better now that I took control of my OCD and Anxiety.
Can you tell me a little about ovd thoughts? Like how it works? I just started having panic attacks and didn't even know I had anxiety for years till now and I'm working on how not to be so stressed out. Thank you if you respond ☺
I think that this disorder results from a lot of thinking that leads to different fantasies of situations.. These fantasies may reach a focus on the smallest details, and this could be due to anxiety, sadness, distraction and loss of focus.. one reaches a stage where he cannot differentiate between fantasy and reality
This is what I’ve had after bad anxiety challenging my OCD. The OCD burned out and the intrusions feel better but now I have this to obsess over. I do this when I’m stuck at work and I know I can’t panic. This is a new symptom since starting work and stress. I have had it a few times in the evenings but it always goes away. Unfortunately I’ve had this for days and it terrifies me. Like oh yay you’re working on your anxiety and intrusive thoughts? They no longer have power? Time to give you this weird feeling all day.
I think you have no idea how much comfort and security these videos provide. I don't even know if this is for sure what I am experiencing, it really, really helps, that there is someone that gets it. Thankyou. So so much. ♥️🥺
My son and I both struggle with this. It's hard enough when it's me, but it's devastating to watch him go through it. But atleast I know what he's feeling and I can help calm him down.
I have so much derealisation while triggered or going outside. It feels so bad, makes me so scared, like I was going crazy, but I have to be willing to feel my feelings.
I have a similar thoughts, I get anxious when I go out, I had an anxiety attack at work today, walking past a customer and felt an intrusive thought and this horrible feeling came over me I thought of challenging the person and asking them but then I thought what good will that do, but the guilt and feelings come back, just feel like crap. Iam on meds not sure if they are working been on them a few weeks I feel that Iam going backwards rather than progressing 🤦
That happened to me one time when I was having a severe anxiety attack do to OCD! Your videos are so helpful and I hope more people come out and start recognizing not just this mental disease but many
I had derealization exactly a year ago and it was bad. And last night it came back. Last year was the first time it ever happened and I freaked out. This time I feel a tiny bit more in control because I know I got out of it once and I can do it again. But I have the anxiety of feeling crazy again like I did when it first hit last year so it’s a little hard to stay calm and try not check if I’m feeling “normal” again but I’m definitely gonna try to live with it and try not to think about it.
Thank you! It’s just my symptom of anxiety! Ignore it and keep busy! I thought it was early dementia…feeling in a dream or I’ve been away and just came home. Simply having a name and knowing it’s as normal as a leg cramp is so helpful and it passes. It’s not the start of insanity
I LIKE WHAT YOUR’RE SAYING IN YOUR VIDEOS, Everything you say I’m going through it, and watching this video makes me feel relaxed. but i still don’t have guts to go out and eat at a restaurant because the feeling of Derealization just hits me all of sudden and go away in a minute.
I’m 34 years old and I have had depersonalization for 8 months, what I believe has helped a lot is minimizing the caffeinated and or decaffeinated coffee intake. Drinking more water throughout the day reminds me that I am improving my health (I was overweight when I was younger and was bullied and when I managed to lose 40 lbs I became more confident and energized, but 2 years ago I developed arthritis on my hips and now I can’t run like I used to therefore my weight is increasing again). Last, I try to embrace this condition and with the help of channels like yours I know this will all pass.
Bruh been happening over a year and it's just random. Like nothing will be happening and boom derealazation! Its so scary to me I feel like people's voices are fake and objects are fake like I'm in a dream and time is going a bit too quick. I tell myself in this state that's its just anxiety it will pass .. that helps sometimes but listening to music is great to help it out and eating healthier
I founded out derealization feeling was a "dis-enlightenment experience. A lac of light FLOW / electricity inside my brain & blood. Practicing a continuous & deep breathing (as Wim Hof breathing), re-connects me physically & re-enlighten my perception of life.
I’ve had this since childhood and the #1 thing that helps me during a bad episode is super spicy food. Letting a spicy potato chip sit on my tongue for a few seconds snaps me out of it, or at least takes me from a 10 to a 3. Xxtra hot Cheetos have literally become my medicine hahaha
The fact that this is a real diagnosis/has a name is so important. I was just writing “Why am I crazy?” in my journal and it was making me really sad because I felt so separated. I’m happy that this isn’t a solo struggle.
I loved music when I started experiencing this. No checking, but emotions began to arise and it made me happy:) of course, you’re going to get tired of a song and then it’s not like before, but that’s okay because there’s lots to explore. I felt more connected with my surroundings and at peace.
What's difficult for me is I have the thought that I genuinely want a lot from my life, I don't want to throw it away working the the wrong job or with the wrong people or just not living up to my dreams. I have a lot of goals for myself and my life and I want success & fulfillment, but there's a catch- I don't really feel present for a lot of it. It feels like the moment is just out of reach, and really my brain is swimming in some grey area where the world has less depth. I always feel odd and out of place in social settings, and I just can't get my brain to connect and be happy. I'm working on it though, and I like this video and the tips in it.
I had a derealization episode yesterday. Everything looked blurry, as if there were black dots or a loss of pixels. I also felt sweaty and my heart was racing. I was trying hard to make expressions and nod my head as if I understood what the other person was saying, but I really didn't. I felt like I was outside of my body.
Wow. First I was so shocked about his approach. But now I'm sitting here, almost in tears, feeling relieved :) This already feels way better. Thank you for this video!
It comes to me on big occasions and events that I am not used to, but I take it from a positive perspective, so when I am not connected in these situations, I become more bold and indifferent, and sometimes more funny, and I do not see it as anything negative, and it always goes away when I sleep and return to normal.
opposite action is ok but if you experienced this during a traumatic event and you haven’t been able to get rid of it, having others intentionally not reassure you or even yourself not offering any kind of reassurance, isn’t the best because it’s literally traumatic and just the thought of losing control is enough to panic and send you deeper into the disorder because it’s not just fear of the feelings, it’s the fear of complete loss of touch with reality, to just seize to exist and be completely alone and unable to process your own place in time and space. that’s just my take. i just remember so much extra panic when i would seek reassurance just so i could breathe knowing i wouldn’t slip into the abyss but i was told “maybe you will, maybe you won’t” as exposure. i wasn’t ready to heal. i just needed to get stable. and that definitely made it worse.
i have been going through depersonalization/derealization among other things pretty much daily for the past 8 months or so. i’ve had similar experiences when i was younger but they were never this strong or longlasting. i am utterly exhausted because of it and absolutely terrified of the things i feel/think day to day. it has gone to the point where nothing around me makes sense anymore and im terrified of losing all touch with reality. its almost impossible for me to enjoy anything because everything feels so off. its hard to explain, its almost as if im trapped in a fever dream. i also started having a pretty heavy amount of visual snow (other visual aberrations too but vs mainly) a couple months ago which has made all of this a lot worse. outside of my head my life is probably the best it has ever been and prior to the time i’ve been dealing with this i was very happy, all of this started pretty much overnight which has also amplified the fear that im simply losing my mind i’ve talked to my close ones and my psychiatrist about these things, but i feel like they cant fully relate to these feelings so i cant help but feel alone i’d be curious to hear similar experiences, especially if anyone has experienced similar visual distortions since it has probably been the single thing that has freaked me out the most
i’m goin thru the exact same thing. in a great place in life, but can’t get out of this dpdr haze. things jus don’t make much sense. i do have periods of time where it lightens up a little, but for the most part it’s been a 6 month episode.
@@ocdandanxiety I was just wondering maybe ypu can help me. I think I am also suffering from DP, my body feels like it is moving on it's own as if is on autopilot and I am afraid that if I don't check if my body moves I may lose my control of my limbs? When they move it feels automatic, feel very disconnected with my body and it feels like I do not know if it is really me who is making those movements, feel very uncomfortable 😢 How do I overcome this? Does exposure work here also and how would I do it?
When I was a child I remember moving and enrolling into a new elementary school were I started to get bullied I remember that feeling of numbness and disconnected but went away as the bullying stopped then in high school I remember we moved again and went to new school but no bullying there just no friends and the feeling of disconnected and numbness again but I guess at that age life just moved on and me with it but now as an adult who has been unemployed because of Coronavirus and the never ending bills the feelings of numbness and disconnected just seem stronger and dominate every thoughts before as a kid my home was my escape but now there is no escape ugh 😔 it's so depressing.. but there is little hope in knowing that I had those feelings and sensations before and they do go away I just forgot how to make it happen.. still in the struggle ✊
I ve had short episodes before but now at the age of 57, this is the first time it has stuck weeks (and counting). I started when I stopped drinking alcohol. So when I googled what is was snd what to do, I read: first of all stop using drugs or alcohol 😅 I think it might come from the fear of problems or memories coming back now that I have stopped self-medicating. But knowing there is a word for it and others have been there is a huge relief.
does anyone else feel as though it’s just a really bad high and all their surroundings feel unfamiliar. like my home doesn’t feel like my home. i don’t remember how normal feels.
I have these thought if I tell my mom that I think I might have derealization and she will start gaslighting me bc she’s a robot part of the simulation/ dream or smth
I have both depersonalization and derealization for a couple months now i got it from smoking, and for everyone scared that it wont ever leave, it will i have been getting better!
i tend to question my own existence, for example, “ I don’t exist “ or “nothing is real” , possibly this is derealization or just me going crazy . I will continue to openly greet them (the thoughts), i will agree with them , and i will try my best to be a good person.
Me too and it seems with all this crazy stuff in the world rt it amplifies it! I feel connected to the night nature but not much else it's like being an 🦉!!!😊
My OCD has always been within me, but it didn’t come out strong until my break up happened a month ago. I felt low and that’s when OCD hit strongest. I dropped out of my education degree from the nightmare that is POCD, and although it comes and goes I would give anything to let it just be an intrusive thought that comes and goes every now and then rather than be an identity crisis. I lately have been looking back on all the stuff I’ve done in my life and hating myself and just wished I could feel happy and normal again.
@@angeloserenuela4065 I hope so. I want to have children, and grandchildren, and a beautiful family with a wife; I just don't know what to do or what to believe in my mind and it scares me.
I’ve been there man, with mainly harm ocd. You will learn how to better deal with it and things will get better for you. I am afraid about having a wife and children as well cause I know there will be new ammunition for the intrusive thoughts, but don’t let it steal your joy from you, you can persevere and be stronger on the other side.
I deal constantly with feelings of dp and dr with my schizophrenia OCD. The second my ocd thoughts come, I dissociate. Anti depressants have helped but moving towards it instead of away from it made the biggest difference in terms of the length of the feelings.
literally same, my OCD was pretty mild for years until i watched a video a couple weeks ago on schizophrenia. It’s caused terrifying intrusive thoughts, severe anxiety and derealization. I just started ERP therapy .
Been going through this for years. I felt like I was starting to get out of it and then I smoked some weed and it brought me right back into it at full force. I feel numb. I feel disconnected from reality. Like I've got this veil over my vision and a bit of a blur. Like nothing REALLY matters. It's fine, just "play this game" of life. I'd like to feel alive again, but I'm working on not fighting it or thinking it. Not sure if I have OCD or not. Definitely been through some stress over the years and maybe this was a natural response or something.
Just putting this out there because I know how bad it feels to feel like this... I have Celiac Disease which is a disease where gluten (wheat, rye, and barley) cause a autoimmune response to gluten. Celiac can be seen with gastrointestinal issues (for some) and it is prevelant in causing terrible mental health issues which I have dealt with for years before I knew it was gluten that was making me feel that way. I had terrible anxiety and depression, had symptoms that mimic bipolar disorder and experienced hypomania, derealization, and depersonalization. My mom thankfully brought me to MANY specialists FOR YEARS until we found out I had Celiac Disease. When I quit gluten, I felt so much better after a week, and after a year I was pretty much healed and extremely happy! Now you might be wondering what I am doing on this video if I 'dont' experience this anymore? Well I accidentally injested a gluten-ed cookie last week and ive been feeling like I have been going crazy. Havent been able to do anything I used to love a week ago, crying out of nowhere, and feeling somewhat detached. In a month I know I am going to feel better if I follow my gluten-free diet but I want to put this out there because many people dont know all the harm something you are sensitive to or allergic to can do. Sensitivites such as gluten can cause inflammation in the brain which could lead to feeling the exact way I do when I accidentally eat gluten. I have seen COUNTLESS doctors and I remember before I met my gastro doctor I went to an allergist, and he thought no one should eat gluten which I have come to believe. I also have a therapist mom which has seen that many different people (ADHD, ADD, depression, anxiety, schizophrenic ) people benefit immensely going Gluten-Free. In the future I plan to be a nutritionist to help people who have felt like me before, like everything is not real and that they are becoming crazy. Sorry for this large message but I hope it finds someone who needs it 💗🙏🏻
Thsnk you for the information. I have been suffering from this a couple of weeks before and didn't know that gluten could cause all these troubles. Will consider it. I will try it maybe I am allergic to gluten. It doesn't hurt to try. Thank you again.
This is great. My day goes based off my feeling and checking all day. My emotions control what I do. Some days harder then other. I’m just trying to escape the moment all day. Then later I’m regretting that I didn’t enjoy my self.
Yep this is me right now. I’ve had generalised anxiety/social anxiety/depression since aged 20. I’m 57 now and have episodes of DR from time to time. It can drive me nuts, like my body isn’t really mine and is acting independently of my brain. However when anxiety proper comes along in the form of a panic attack the DR vanishes. I just need to embrace it. Thank you for this video. Subscribed ❤
Thanks for this great video. warning, this following comment has some video suggestions and thank yous in it. This is why it is longer than a standard comment about this great video alone. . but thanks anyone for being considerate and nice. TO the Content Creator of "OCD and Anxiety": You explain things in a way that I and I would say many others can understand. I love the examples or symptoms you give of derealization. They are helping me understand it better. I am still, though, trying to take the differences between De REALization and Depersonalization I understand the basics but you explain things in an easy-to-understand way. I just realized this particular video is really recent. I and I will assume many others are looking forward to the separate DePERSONalization video you mentioned in this video you will be making. Oh, no rush on it of course. lol and I am sure you will do a great job explaining it as you did for DeREALization in this video. I LOVE how you mentioned NOT to try to FIX it and get full CONTROL over it. It's like we just maybe adding "to the fire" as they say. BTW, I have OCD, and it was SEVERE during my teen years. I would count things, line things up, count doing something a certain number of times. It sadly SO much control over me. I am a lot older now and barely have an OCD moment but thanks for helping OUR community. This OCD is a devil of sorts and can ruin people's lives. For me, I think I had bad anxiety and tried to control those obsessed thoughts with compulsions. I like to call them "rituals." My mom also had OCD very bad but she got help to vastly reduce her symptoms. I apologize for being so wordy but I bring up my story of the hell I went through to let others they are not alone. They have others going through feeling controlled by OCD while trying to control and overcome it. I am happy to say I once had severe OCD as a teen/young adult and now I am a lot better. I still have OCD but a lot of it has been managed now. If I, someone who felt so tortured thinking if I didn't do certain things something terrible would happen can get control of my OCD there is hope for all you out there!!!!!! Stick in there everybody. and looking forward to when you can get to making the DePersonalization video. I feel almost weird and not sure if I should say the following or not because you have so many great videos and you are the Content creator of your videos and you have devoted so much to help people with OCD... but with the upcoming DePersonalization video maybe you can or not (you never asked me for my opinion and I do not know if I am being rude right now but with apologizing now I think that shows my authentic more and I am just socially anxious and sensitive to expressing my own ideas since you have built up this channel. I have not at all). But yes, me being wordy as usually, Haha, maybe just maybe (or not) you can briefly touch on the differences between your derealization and depersonalization. So many of us who even study all of this can have a hard time wrapping their mind about the true differences. Oh and if you ever link videos to your other videos it might be neat to add a quick link to your Derealization video. And if you can edit the derealization video (if you can't or can... mentioning it in the description may help some folks)... well at the end of the videos may be (or not, just an opinion from a FAN, hehe) link to this DeRealization video. Also, I am not sure if it is easy to do but a link from this DeRealization video to the upcoming dePersonalization video would be great since many of us have a hard time trying to search for the other video but many of us, I am assuming, have had trouble getting the concept of derealization mixed up with the concept of depersonalization. Oh not to be wordy and I will stop very soon, but THANK YOU for your time. I really appreciate it since time is a form of commodity. We have a limited about and it's very nice for you to spend your time (if ya get this far, haha) to read this comment ~ blushes ~ . Oh, PS: if you do decide to post a link to the other video derealization to depersonalization and depersonalization to derealization video (linking both videos so it is easy for us to finally understand the differences between the two comments!) yay! okay, I am your personal cheerleader now. jk. HUMOR IS A FORM OF MEDICINE. ;-) Oh maybe one day way down the future an idea of a video would be the differences and similarities to Derealization Vs. Depersonalization. YIKES, too many suggestions I'm giving you but you give so much time to help us I think it is "proper" to help you with suggestions (no one TELL him to make a video, please. That would be rude, hehe). again, you are helping a lot of people out there with your tips, educational videos and just being an ally to our community. Bless you and thanks for all the videos. It means so much to me and I am sure others who do not like to make youtube comments). oh if you like his content please LIKE and Subscribe. I think adding a comment even just a small thank you comment or that you liked or were confused about a part of his video... I heard at least this can add to this channel being more recognized by others. Google or rather RUclips, I have been told at least, has a computer algorithm, and the more Likes, Subscriptions, and Comments as well (!!!) will help his videos be suggested to people who search for OCD, etc. It is a form of supporting our community. :) Or do not, lol, just saying. which you the best and thank you for reading anyone. Maybe good karma points to you, who knows. Love you all for sticking up with the wordiness but you are a nice, caring community, and you ALL matter!
Please read this if you struggle with DD. This is my “theory” on the disorder and my experience with it. (I had it for about 2 months) Derealization is caused by seclusion. Well, seclusion from human interaction to be exact and this is because when secluded, it allows your brain to become aware of its self, or it’s body parts (your hands, arms, etc..) For now, this is actually a good thing, and everyone should have self awareness, but sometimes when this happens, you might begin to obsess about it and take it everywhere you go. The self awareness just keeps adding on to itself and now you start to be a little off. You might start becoming self conscious or even insecure. In this moment, you don’t know what’s going on because right now, you are just self aware, but this is where the nightmare begins… Now, not everyone can go beyond this point because we’re all different, living different lives, experiencing different things and were all made different, but some people can, and that’s the danger. The danger is becoming aware that you are aware. The moment this happens you feel a revelation in you that is not exactly describable. You might look at your hands again, but this time ask yourself “why are these my hands?” Or even more alarming, “Why am I me?” These type of thoughts might last for a little bit and fizzle away but I plead you, if you have these thoughts, get them out. You do not want to keep flirting with these ideas. I was completely unaware of the danger that these thoughts can have I didn’t actually see any problem with it at first, I thought it was kind of cool or interesting, but I was in for a bad trip. Why are these thoughts dangerous? I don’t exactly believe them to be dangerous as is, but obsessing over them will be. You start to take it everywhere you go, even in public. You might find yourself struggling to keep eye contact, or sometimes even stuttering. These thought evolve and you start look farther out from just yourself. Your job, your school, your friends, your family, your hobbies, and you begin to have that extreme “self-awareness” with those things. Now your aware of your entire existence and the more and more these ideas evolve, it soon gets to a peak. This peak is called Derealization. You look around and wonder what is even real. What even matters? Are we all just some robots walking around? Is God also just some NPC? If I die, why does it even matter? This disorder can become very, very freighting and it sometimes it can make like just feel like a dream. Or even worse, a nightmare. When I had my first real encounter with derealization, I was with my friend Noah and we had just smoked some pot. The high hit me within minutes and i began to have a panic attack because of how high I was. I walked out my apartment I had just moved into a looked out of my balcony. “Why am I here?” I asked myself. The high was so intense and the anxiety kept piling on. Then I thought about my family. I felt that derealization with my family members and it was so bad I felt completely detached from them. I felt as if I couldn’t love them because they were fake. It was so horrifying I had to call my dad, because I knew this was horrible. When my dad arrived I felt a little better but it was still kind of there. I felt like my only escape was death. My Dad called my mom over and the rest of the night was just me and my family trying to stop my heart rate for 2 hours straight. It felt like an eternity. Finally the high wore off and we went to my parents house and i began to feel like myself again ate last for the most part. Music really helped. I passed out my parents couch and woke up at 6am. I was traumatized. The rest of the next day was filled with so much derealization that I was having An anxiety attack the whole entire day until the evening. This day was the day I decided to fully walk with God. I remember taking a nap and laying down and listening to a meditation video my mom had sent me. It was so hard to calm down because honestly I thought I was going nuts. I was scared I was becoming psychotic but really I just had to come back to earth. I prayed to God to protect me and to heal my mind. I felt as if God wrapped his arms around me and held me like nothing else could touch me. Angels were around us and they were singing. God told me I have a purpose. I am on this Earth for a reason. “Derealization is called a disorder for a reason” he told me. The drugs mixed with the seclusion put me in that scary spot. This disorder is something you can overcome and it will not last forever. You have to hold on to hope and know that you have a purpose and you have a meaning and sorry to break it to you, but you’re real. Your life is real, your friends are real, your family is real, love is real and more importantly, they love you. Put your trust in God and you will see that this disorder is from the enemy. I’m not here to tell you to not smoke weed, but if you do, be VERY careful with knowing what you are smoking and also VERY careful of how much you are consuming. If you are having thoughts of derealization, stay away from any mind altering substances, it will intensify the nightmare. Thank you.
I think the obsession with any thought loops will in a sense draw you away from reality in a sense. The existential ones are easier to be overwhelmed by. We don't know and that's okay.
@@augustdreammusic THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS!!! I’m glad to have seen this, thank you for sharing, you’re truly an amazing person, this helped me so much. I’ve been dealing with this and after reading this it’s no cure but it gives a great relief! Thank you, you’ve helped me and I hope you realize it❤️🙏🏽
Hey so I have a question. For me when I was like 10-11 I got it and I think I was overwhelmed in the moment and then it randomly came back one day. The only way I could explain it was that my head was spinning. I felt floaty and disconnected from my surroundings. I have anxiety but it came at times that I felt fine. I just got it a couple weeks ago at my youth group and then it flared up the next day after that I kept focusing on it making progressively worse. I have better weeks than others but this week has not been the best for me. I keep praying to God to heal me but it feels like he isn’t listening I’m lost I need help.
@@butterfingerrs I know how you feel. It sounds like you’re describing paranoia and that’s why you focus on it. Your over aware of it. I will say my incident happened 3 and half months ago and I’m still kinda of recovering but I’m on the home stretch. This time has taught me patience. God ALWAYS knows what he is doing and sometimes we have to give it time. Continue to seek God and build a RELATIONSHIP with him. You might not feel it right now but I promise one day you feel his love so much and realize all you had to do was be patient. Just pray for good spirits of peace and comfort. Pray at the evil spirits and tell them where they belong. Pray that God protects you from the enemy. Because this stuff is spiritual warfare. The enemy wants you to feel the way you do right now. But you have to be willing to fight it. You really have to dive deep in with God when you face these kinds of stuff because it’s heavy. I would also recommend therapy. But therapy that is Holy Spirit lead with a spiritual therapist.
John 3:16 King James Version 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you will be saved. John 3:16 (share the good news of the gospel around the world!) Have a wonderful day/night, may the LORD bless you all, and farewell!,.,,,,,, Galatians 3:26 King James Version 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Titus 3:5-7 King James Version 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ..............................................
I've accepted my derealization when it happens, but it still comes back everyday. It's getting annoying when I can't fully experience the things I do in life.
literally society feels fake reality isn't real for me anymore i want speak to people about it by since i can feel that i'm not a part of this "humanity" i feel like speaking out to people is gonna be like speaking out to a wall so i just sit in my room suffering quietly waiting for death to pick me up
I am not sure whether or not I have DR or just brain fog from anxiety/racing thoughts. Because it seems as if DR/DP is more of a dream like state. For me I feel fine and alive I just can’t stop thinking and have racing thoughts about life and how everything makes sense. I did some research related to some issues I have including BAD EYESIGHT and BAD NASAL AREA. I suffer from poor eyesight and from a deviated septum. I found that poor eye sight without wearing contacts or glasses can wear down your brain for example looking at screens or too much at once. Your brain can be overwhelmed and not know how to process it all at the same time which can lead to brain fog and confusion. The nose part of it was about SINUSITIS a nasal infection around the cavities outside the nose. It can lead to brain fog and confusion as well as anxiety and stress! So in short I think some people thinking they are dealing with DR/DP may actually be dealing with brain fog and stress/anxiety related issues. Especially if you feel fine just can’t stop your racing thoughts or anxiety. I know not all of you have these vision or nasal issues but if you do take this into consideration! I’m going to see if treatment for one of the two helps at all !
@@discontinued42069 I try to accept my thoughts, but I get what will happen in future thoughts and I go back to square one and the guilt comes back and I feel uneasy
I believe that my ocd is kinda different because the intrusive thoughts don't cause me anxiety but gives me weird sensations and urges (similar to tics and tourettes ) And if I prevent myself from acting on the urges my brain is like " You didn't act on the urges that must means you like the thought " . So if anybody is reading this and knows something please help and tell me what to do . Thank you
Sensations are part of the gig and mean nothing at the end of the day. Treat the sensations as you would treat the thoughts, "Maybe I liked it, maybe I didn't".
Yes I feel so twitchy and I’m full of adrenaline all the time cause I’m always having urges (I have harm, sexual , and existential OCD plus dpdr disorder) I don’t know what to do anymore
I experience this thought. I know something is real but yet a thought challenges me like telling its is not real, its like am I imagining things, is this real? It is scary . I do not know what this is but I think it is associated with my anxiety
I had it before when I was overthinking about a breakup I had crazy anxiety and brain fog and then I remember I had lack of emotions or feelings it lasted like 3 months and then I went to Africa got the sun for two weeks and I was sleeping very very well and I went back to feeling normal. And now I have it again because I was overthinking about my throat because of the flu and again lack of emotions and brain fog so again I have a plain ticket booked for March next year so I’ll be in the sun for 12 days ima get that vitamin D again hahaha
Thank you so much for this video! I just started feeling derealization for the first time a couple months ago and I just kept it a secret thinking I was going crazy or unknowingly drugged or like I did something wrong. I did not understand what was going on and felt crazy as I tried to put what I felt into words. This video has made me feel like I will be okay. Thank you for everyone who also commented because I can relate to so many people on here. It is a relief to know I am not the only person in the world who feels this way and this video has given me an actual way to cope with it. I have caught myself lately digging myself deeper into my derealization episodes stressing myself out trying to find a way out and what I need to do is the exact opposite. Thank you once again for showing me I am not alone.
Hey, I'm really sorry to hear that you're feeling stuck right now. How long have you been dealing with this? I know how frustrating it can be to feel like nothing is helping. I used to be caught in the same checking loop, and it was exhausting. What really helped me was focusing on grounding techniques and exercise. It took time, but gradually, I started to break free from that cycle. Have you tried any grounding exercises or physical activities to help distract your mind? Sometimes, changing up the routine can make a difference. If you're looking for more tips and support, feel free to check out my channel. We're all in this together, and there's hope even when it feels overwhelming. Get out of your head and back into your body. -Dillon
Am dealing with it since i remember myself I am 16 now and still stuck . I understood what you said but its hard to do it , it just keep saying why are even trying when you know it wouldn't work cuz it don't real . Before a while I was getting close to see the reality but then a thought came to my mind and made my progress decrease , i know that because of my fear from the sudden thought I can't do any step forward .
had both derealization and depersonalization for over a year, they actually triggered my existential OCD. im over it right now but still suffer from the PTSD and anxiety that came with it..its really crazy what nightmares hide in our brain
Have you ever felt derealization before? 🤭
I did once when I was at work and I couldn’t see. I called my husband who picked me up. I figured it was anxiety and took a few days off and that helped.
I’ve been dealing with derealization and depersonalization for almost a year. It’s so hard to deal with that it used to led me to panic attacks. With time I’ve learned to understand what I’ve been dealing with, my problem is that I keep doing compulsions and checking how I feel. My compulsion is eating, for some reason it’s like my mind think I’m having low blood sugar and I need to eat. The thing is that I don’t have problems with my sugar, and even though I know that I don’t need to eat I keep doing it which has led me to gain a lot of weight. Thanks for making this video. I’ll try to practice what you say.
Dealing with OCD and derealization
Sir I a saw a video on RUclips about symptoms of death and it just triggered by OCD. I just can't forget it and I am anxious
Yeah I have a few times for some seconds or minute
Coming back to this video 4 months later to say that I’ve finally recovered! No more DPDR or existential OCD, I get to live my life again! So thankful to have gone through this because thanks to all of it I’m stronger now. Sending love to anyone currently struggling with this. I know firsthand how scary it feels, but you can absolutely go back to how you were before, just live your life holding hands with your fear and give it space to leave naturally. Thanks for reading this, you are strong enough to handle this.
what did you do?? in a bad setback atm 😢
Can u talk about how it started
Wow..I’m glad to hear this…it gives me hope….suffering from antidepressant withdrawl…
Was constant deja vu part of ur symptoms?
Yoo I was going to ask the same thing
This happens to me any time existential OCD flares up. One theory I've heard is that when you are especially overwhelmed, your brain sort of numbs itself as a defense mechanism. In the same way that anxiety is your brain trying to protect you against an external threat, derealization is your brain protecting you from overstimulation. That can explain why it happens during intense episodes of anxiety, or after traumatic events. It can also explain why it tends to stick around the more we try to push it away, because we keep feeding the anxiety. So next time it happens, try treating it like that sweater you always get from your aunt every birthday. You know you don't need any more sweaters, but just smile and say "thanks", because it means she cares about you.
I've been struggling and beating myself up for years over these and other symptoms that keep me away from enjoying my own life, I've never even considered your points and analogy. Thank you so much, I'm going to try and keep this at the forefront of my mind anytime I feel bummed out :)
@@nickname9001 glad to hear you found my points useful. I've definitely been there! Wishing you all the best.
you literally feel your brain going numb. Almost like brain fog right?- me it causes me headaches/migraines too.
@@mayra.veronica Yeah I'd say "brain fog" is a good description too. It tends to happen to me after trying really, really hard to make sense of existential questions, or anything else I'm ruminating over. It's as if the part of my brain that usually assigns meaning to things (I think the "parietal lobe"?) becomes fatigued and just taps out for a bit. It's like, "hey man, I think we need a break".
Yeah sometimes I get headaches or migraines during times of heightened stress/anxiety. Maybe it's another way of the brain saying "slow down! I can't work that hard!"
this is such a nice analogy. it actually made me feel cozy thinking about putting on the extra sweater even if it’s not my favorite
I've struggled with this since I was 10, basically every day for decades. What helps the most for me is just to not fight it, pretend I'm in a video game and keep going through the motions of daily life until it fades into the background again. It's extremely uncomfortable, especially when it hits while driving or having a conversation.. but it's not dangerous. My heart goes out to every one of you struggling with DPDR, too. I thought I was alone in this for so long ❤
Thank you for sharing your experiences, I struggled with this every day since I was about that age too. Can't say how glad I am to see this video and these comments
Omg Thank you so much for sharing this, I have had it for over a couple months now and been struggling alot, even tho I can do work and do social activities it's sometimes been a struggle which has held me back, I am always scared of loosing vision, sounds and basically myself. But seeing some people struggling with such a mess for years is brave, I literally also considered meds but I got much feedback saying I shouldn't.
Appreciate you mate, may god bless
@@alexanderhuseb6723 I feel like it's a "hard" problem that won't be resolved easily by straightforward effort, really need to have a lot of grace for urself. I feel it has a lot to do with constant feelings of condemnation in the past and viewing and judging myself from the outside and so unconsciously beginning to think like I am a robot whereby I can control my every move to the tee.
No problem mate, God bless u too!! 😊
I struggled with DP for MONTHS until I found this man who created a manual on how to overcome DR/DP. Quite literally saved my life. Please check him out if you’re still struggling:
ruclips.net/video/uT_UDB5e3M4/видео.html
What 10? How bout your school and is it severe?
Reading these comments has made me feel so heard and made me realize that I’m not alone in feeling this way and I hope that everyone finds relief from there symptoms
Same !!!
This video is the most comforting video I’ve seen in my life so far. It’s insane to see how not alone I am, and that my OCD directly relates to this. I never knew what exactly was going on. Everything makes sense now & I feel so much more comfortable. Thankyou
Same I had ocd and now this .
Through therapy I've realized that I was dissociated/experiencing DP & DR for my entire childhood. It became chronic after a traumatic event in my twenties; it's been two years and I suffer everyday. There are days when I can cope with it, but most of the time I'm terrified. These comments show that I'm not alone.
Hoping for recovery in all of us ❤️
Your not alone!!!! I'm a sufferer too! I've found lamictal and klonopin to help! Besides that I also have other diagnosis so its extra hard but your not alone. Dont ever truly believe that. I'm here for you!
You’re just like me! Except when I’m just watching RUclips videos or playing games it goes away!
i often experience this.
i first had it when i had an existential intrusive thought. and i panicked. i didn‘t know about my ocd back then, or about derealization/depersonalization.
i still have it, along with other ocd themes. everytime i got it, i experienced panic attacks because i wanted to fight this state that made me so anxious. now i just try to accept it as it is, and that it will be going away eventually. i have lived in this state for a few weeks actually (along with constant panic attacks what made the dr/dp worse) and some day, when i finally accepted it and didn’t overthink it, it just went away. i allow it to exist, no matter how bad or horrible it is, knowing it will fade. sometimes i just get so deeply into it that i cannot even talk anymore. i worry so much that people will judge me for it..
so it does eventually go away ..? i’m scared it won’t.
@@aceavery5786 it does get better with the right therapy. acceptance helped me. try to not give those thoughts any attention, let them pass and acknowledge that they are there. with time, your brain will learn that you are not in danger and the thoughts will fade and get quiet. so to answer your question: yes, it will go away!
@@aceavery5786 your brain is basically trying to protect you by going into DR/DP. knowing that helped me understand and accept it. just know it will go away, you won’t live like that forever.
How are you doing now? Any updates? Sending lots of love ❤️🙏
I'm in tears right now watching this in a public library, but it doesn't matter cause my problem for 13 years has finally been answered, I feel this relief & I cannot do much but say thank you Nate.
❤
Have faith. We will make it!
Hope your doing well buddy
you are not alone. existence and being human are mysteries. it would actually be weird not to question them. ignorance is not bliss, knowledge is.
we love you stay strong
I'm blown away 😳. You put into words what I couldn't understand for the past 10 months...it's like I've just broken out of a frozen/paralyzed state. The accepting part is so true. If I hadn't let this "thing" (now I know it's called derealization) bleed for the past 2 or 3 weeks, I don't think I would've arrived here.. it is so necessary to let go, even it feels like the world is ending for you. But in order for me to let go without harming myself physically, I had to use my fears to stop myself from doing something I would regret. It's like I just had my own TV show and I'm in the final episode where everything is explained and revealed........
Hi please help can we talk how did you cope up
@@lilz8197 what about now!
Are you still suffering?! 😢
Coming to acceptance and just going with the flow seems to kinda work for me.
I’m like “OK, I’m stuck in some David Lynch film or something…”
Acceptance didn’t come easily, tho…
Be Strong, Dream On 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
I have had derealisation since I was a child, I'm 42 now. I had long period where I had overcome it, but after a stressful event a couple of years ago it has come back and I've been struggling again. Thanks for the video, I've watched it about 4 times so far.
how do you overcame it?
@@lu2606 I have no magic answer except just by gradually learning not to fear reality.
@@SeaUsername or fearing the dpdr itself? may be? thx for the answer
@@lu2606 well in my case it was fear that caused my derealisation and not the other way round. But we're all different.
@@lu2606 to be honest this video was interesting at the time, but it didnt help me.
I’ve been having derealization/depersonalization for 6 months now. It’s not the first time I’ve had it, when I was 12-15 I had it constantly and could only think about how much I wanted to feel alive again. The recent flare up of 6 months has been excruciating, because it’s the only thing that I can think about. It’s hard to go to school or anywhere else because I’m in constant fear and always feel off balance/like I’m going to pass out. It makes me worried how I will finish school, since I’ve been staying home an awful amount and it’s sad because I’m a straight A student and people expect the world from me. My dad is a psychiatrist and he’s been telling me to face my fears, but we would always just end up in fights when he tried to help me so I finally convinced him to get me a therapist appointment. My first appointment is on Wednesday, it was supposed to be 2 weeks ago but my therapist was sick and it makes me really anxious because on Monday I have to start going to school again (because spring break ends). I really don’t know how to deal with it and I really hope therapy will help me. For the last 6 months I’ve realized that none of my friends or family members are caring enough to listen to my problems and I don’t have anyone to tell how I’m feeling. It feels like I’m going insane because 24/7 I just have philosophical thoughts about what reality even is, if I’m even real, what worth anything has, why I’d even bother to do things if I’m going to die anyway, and so on. They make me extremely anxious and I’ve found myself having to excuse myself to go to the bathroom 2 or 3 times a day just so I could calm down enough to not break down in a full on panic attack in front of people. It’s exhausting and I don’t wish this on anyone, even my worst enemies.
This is one of the first RUclips comments I’ve ever written in my life, I just had to get this off of my chest…
you’re not alone ❤ i’ve been experiencing this aswell
very similar to my situation brother. I am a good student but I am currently not in school. I will probably lose my internship which I worked for and I might miss summer because to me right now it seems like going to a clinic again (was in one in December/January) will be the only answer. Even my therapist doesn't know what to do.
I feel like everyone feels like they are alone in this, like we perceive other people as being “normal” and not having these problems. Not to be a broken record but I am going through this right now and i know how you feel. I wish me and you the best!
may i ask if you can update us how you currently feel? did it get better? 🥺
Oh, yes sir... I understand how you feel very well.
I'm there in a similar point but... would you try to read Jiddu Krishnamurti, it may help
This helped me and I felt my heart rush again by accepting and laughing about it. Thank u :)
i love this!
this is actually so helpful as an anxious person. I will constantly be in my head about things during these periods, now I’m just trying to embrace the feeling like “wooo this is so fun I feel like I’m slightly high and everything is in 4k ultra hd”
I love the way you try to interpret the feelings, I honestly might even try it myself
How are you now?
I've had derealisation in very tired/anxious moments of life.
Having an episode today.
What usually helps? Exactly what you say. When I fully embrace it and let it wash over me. I accept it and I tell it it's welcome to stay, however long it wants to. And I fully accept that this is what reality feels like for a while.
And woosh... Usually goes away a few days later.
Ill practise this today, and it will be what it will be, and I love life nonethless, I just cant feel it right this instant. :)
Derealization lead to my crippling existential ocd... before that, i was a bit anxious but i was FINE... one panic attack set the whoke thing off because i responded with resistance, reassurance seeking, trying to fix and analyze it... wish i knew a year ago what i know now and i wouldn't have suffered the way i did but im glad i know now! I have good days and i have scary days, but no matter what i remind myself that i am safe, ocd is a liar and Derealization is like a protective helmet my body gives me to try and help me chill out
Hi Chloe, how are you now? Have you recovered from existential OCD?
After experiencing depersonalization I notice way more often when other people go from being engaged in the moment to over analyzing what they are doing. It’s hard to explain…
No, I totally understand what you mean, its pretty basic strategy for the brain and a simple human to analyse every surrounding doing a mental situation. Its like a computer, once a file is acting weird then the whole computer may collapse just like overwhelming anxiety.
So true. Fear is fear, it means nothing. I’ve built this relationship with my mind that knows it panics at random moments but I’ve learned to have a carefree/non-threatened attitude towards it. Then it leaves me alone and I can function again. But before when this was really hurting me, I couldn’t perform normal day-to-day functions and it sucked! I thought I would be trapped in that mental paralysis forever😢
It’s like I know people say it’s not that big of a deal because your actually ok and have no physical harm but people that have not gone through it don’t understand how scary it can be. Thank you for taking a different approach to it because lots of professionals I’ve talked to have given me technics to calm panic attacks by counting things and grounding myself but that can be something that triggers it for me. Realizing I’m in existence brings me into a derealization episode. I will definitely try this technique of acceptance rather than trying to solve it the next time I get my derealization
Same here bb but we will get thru this♡
Yes, exactly! Same here. When I practice mindfulness or grounding techniques, lately they haven't only not been helping my dissociation; they've been making it worse. Trying to connect with the idea that me and the world are both real makes me uncomfortable and unsettled, and I'm left spacing out more than I was in the first place.
At the start of university I started feeling derealized, similar to what an ego death is like. I was terrified but after seeing this video I’ve started feeling so much better. Thank you so much genuinely, you’ve saved me.
I couldn't go to work for 2 weeks because of this. I felt like I was half full and developing schizophrenia or something. Absolutely horrific. Thank you for the educational content
I understand. I took a week off from work. It’s was like my world was falling apart. I couldn’t comprehend my surroundings.
@@3amDayDreamer what did your family and friends feel like when you couldn’t comprehend your surroundings? Did it feel as if they weren’t really there with you? And how did you overcome it?
@@staywavybaby7485 That was the worst part for me. I felt no connection to my family or my friends. It felt like my consciousness was just floating around and my physical body couldn’t connect to my surroundings. With depersonalization, I got through it with ease because I knew what caused it, but for derealization, it was too scary for me. I’m still going through derealization but the symptoms have eased up.
I have been experiencing this lately and I was so happy and grateful to see your video pop up covering this particular topic. Thank you for your incredibly helpful guidance as always!
I had derealization and the whole 9 yards. I remember feeling hopeless last year searching video after video just wanting every thing to end. No one believed Or understood what i was going through not even doctors. I been in your shoes and God sent me to tell you. Everything will be ok, you will be healed. Plz hold on and dont give up. I know your pain! It is scary! But God got you. I never thought i would heal but i healed…If your diet is bad and you dont get enough nutrients plz look into that! Big factor of what cause mine was malnutrition and lacking minerals.. Also idk for sure if candida was the cause but i was taking cold delivered probiotics highy quality..Also exercise is important i would walk around my apartment complex…barely able to walk one lap the first time…because my panic attacks were so bad. If you are lcking nutrient plz be careful with fitness..Also be around love ones it helps so much! I love yall plz dont give up i know the feeling of giving up…but dont your worth more than that!! You can make it out! Also try juicing cucumbers melons apples and stuff high in h3o2. You could be dehydrated. Idk specifically which one is to blame but i focused and those four things. You will be healed I love you dont give up! God put me through it so I could come back and help others! You got this!!!!!!
Hey sending love for all you OCD folks here
Thank you for the video my king
It helped me a lot
You deserve the best
After smoking weed in high school I developed dpdr, thought I was losing it because I continued to feel high for 2 weeks straight. That was 14 years ago and I’ve struggled anywhere between total detachment and a light daily buzz, the daily buzz I’m used to by now, it’s become my norm. I never really have felt like I’ve ever come back. One thing I’ve learned over years of this is to not panic, anxiety makes it so much worse. And it’s also normal to not feel an attachment to loved ones some days. You know you love them but you just don’t “feel it”. And that’s normal, just comes with the territory. On really bad days I find nostalgia to be the thing that helps the most, for me it’s Disney movies, or talking with an old friend. Stirs up feelings of being a kid again when I didn’t feel like this. For anyone struggling with it just know there are worse ways to live, and overtime it does get better, but you have to cut yourself some slack and stop thinking so much. Living in your head just adds fuel to it, get out and do things.
I've found wearing my sunglasses inside helps me literally reframe my gaze to engage my peripheral vision and naturally focus more on a calmer, more intuitive, grounded, experience of reality.
I am feeling this right now due to existential thoughts for almost a month now and I am diagnosed with panic disorder. I rarely have panic attacks or palpitations for 3 weeks now but again I tend to worry and think a lot to the point I get overwhelmed. This feeling is so weird but I still try to live day by day I hope we all can recover from this.
Everyone is capable of recovery!!
The first time, I was going through this. I couldn't celebrate that I was feeling better. Every time that I did, it would pull me back. Into it.
Experience it everyday especially recently. I workout a lot to get rid of it, I’ve accepted it but I needed this video today
I bet You're brave and doing great handling it
I’ve had this since I was 12 and I’m 14 right now, it feels like it’s been forever and I’m in tears right now because I feel like I’m not alone. I’m not going crazy.
How are you feeling right now?
@@maryy8274 9 months later, I can say I feel much better. Was a rough period but I’m doing much better mentally. Js gotta remember to take care of yourself
@@Neemereater tysm! good luck
You are actually Right! My DPDR came after struggling with OCD and obsessive thoughts and fighting them. I didn't even knew it was OCD back then. But now I know it's totally connected to it. I'm actually getting so much better now that I took control of my OCD and Anxiety.
Can you tell me a little about ovd thoughts? Like how it works? I just started having panic attacks and didn't even know I had anxiety for years till now and I'm working on how not to be so stressed out. Thank you if you respond ☺
I think that this disorder results from a lot of thinking that leads to different fantasies of situations.. These fantasies may reach a focus on the smallest details, and this could be due to anxiety, sadness, distraction and loss of focus.. one reaches a stage where he cannot differentiate between fantasy and reality
I definitely do the checking. It’s sooo hard not too!! I’m going to try your suggestions for sure!
You can do it!
I seriously love you. You’re incredible, what a great video! The “ it would be great if this lasted forever made me laugh so hard “ 🤣
This is what I’ve had after bad anxiety challenging my OCD. The OCD burned out and the intrusions feel better but now I have this to obsess over. I do this when I’m stuck at work and I know I can’t panic. This is a new symptom since starting work and stress. I have had it a few times in the evenings but it always goes away. Unfortunately I’ve had this for days and it terrifies me. Like oh yay you’re working on your anxiety and intrusive thoughts? They no longer have power? Time to give you this weird feeling all day.
I think you have no idea how much comfort and security these videos provide. I don't even know if this is for sure what I am experiencing, it really, really helps, that there is someone that gets it. Thankyou. So so much. ♥️🥺
You are so welcome!
ive been feeling this since i was 8 and ive always thought im going crazy. thank you for telling me im not.
My son and I both struggle with this. It's hard enough when it's me, but it's devastating to watch him go through it. But atleast I know what he's feeling and I can help calm him down.
I have so much derealisation while triggered or going outside. It feels so bad, makes me so scared, like I was going crazy, but I have to be willing to feel my feelings.
I have a similar thoughts, I get anxious when I go out, I had an anxiety attack at work today, walking past a customer and felt an intrusive thought and this horrible feeling came over me I thought of challenging the person and asking them but then I thought what good will that do, but the guilt and feelings come back, just feel like crap. Iam on meds not sure if they are working been on them a few weeks I feel that Iam going backwards rather than progressing 🤦
@@stephenheyes1487 has the medication helped now
@@crazyassboybum Been a few months yes definitely feel better, things don't bother me as much now and Iam sleeping alot better 👍
That happened to me one time when I was having a severe anxiety attack do to OCD! Your videos are so helpful and I hope more people come out and start recognizing not just this mental disease but many
I had derealization exactly a year ago and it was bad. And last night it came back. Last year was the first time it ever happened and I freaked out. This time I feel a tiny bit more in control because I know I got out of it once and I can do it again. But I have the anxiety of feeling crazy again like I did when it first hit last year so it’s a little hard to stay calm and try not check if I’m feeling “normal” again but I’m definitely gonna try to live with it and try not to think about it.
Had the same feeling
Thank you! It’s just my symptom of anxiety! Ignore it and keep busy! I thought it was early dementia…feeling in a dream or I’ve been away and just came home. Simply having a name and knowing it’s as normal as a leg cramp is so helpful and it passes. It’s not the start of insanity
I LIKE WHAT YOUR’RE SAYING IN YOUR VIDEOS, Everything you say I’m going through it, and watching this video makes me feel relaxed. but i still don’t have guts to go out and eat at a restaurant because the feeling of Derealization just hits me all of sudden and go away in a minute.
I’m 34 years old and I have had depersonalization for 8 months, what I believe has helped a lot is minimizing the caffeinated and or decaffeinated coffee intake. Drinking more water throughout the day reminds me that I am improving my health (I was overweight when I was younger and was bullied and when I managed to lose 40 lbs I became more confident and energized, but 2 years ago I developed arthritis on my hips and now I can’t run like I used to therefore my weight is increasing again). Last, I try to embrace this condition and with the help of channels like yours I know this will all pass.
Bruh been happening over a year and it's just random. Like nothing will be happening and boom derealazation! Its so scary to me I feel like people's voices are fake and objects are fake like I'm in a dream and time is going a bit too quick. I tell myself in this state that's its just anxiety it will pass .. that helps sometimes but listening to music is great to help it out and eating healthier
Fantastic video! 😊 I've spent hours looking for something that's simplified that I can relate to. The bit about blurry vision, thats me
I founded out derealization feeling was a "dis-enlightenment experience. A lac of light FLOW / electricity inside my brain & blood.
Practicing a continuous & deep breathing (as Wim Hof breathing), re-connects me physically & re-enlighten my perception of life.
I’ve had this since childhood and the #1 thing that helps me during a bad episode is super spicy food. Letting a spicy potato chip sit on my tongue for a few seconds snaps me out of it, or at least takes me from a 10 to a 3. Xxtra hot Cheetos have literally become my medicine hahaha
Wow this video hit the nail on the head for me 💯
The fact that this is a real diagnosis/has a name is so important. I was just writing “Why am I crazy?” in my journal and it was making me really sad because I felt so separated. I’m happy that this isn’t a solo struggle.
Hi abby can we talk i have the same symptoms
Depersonalization and derealization can feel so alien so that it can make people feel like something is wrong with them.
I having this rightnow and this video just makes me even scared he just repeats the word individuals may have this for months and I cannot stand itt
I loved music when I started experiencing this. No checking, but emotions began to arise and it made me happy:) of course, you’re going to get tired of a song and then it’s not like before, but that’s okay because there’s lots to explore. I felt more connected with my surroundings and at peace.
Totally same haha, Just the excitement of hearing sounds and see things makes me happy, without these I would been lost in my head.
What's difficult for me is I have the thought that I genuinely want a lot from my life, I don't want to throw it away working the the wrong job or with the wrong people or just not living up to my dreams. I have a lot of goals for myself and my life and I want success & fulfillment, but there's a catch- I don't really feel present for a lot of it. It feels like the moment is just out of reach, and really my brain is swimming in some grey area where the world has less depth. I always feel odd and out of place in social settings, and I just can't get my brain to connect and be happy. I'm working on it though, and I like this video and the tips in it.
I had a derealization episode yesterday. Everything looked blurry, as if there were black dots or a loss of pixels. I also felt sweaty and my heart was racing. I was trying hard to make expressions and nod my head as if I understood what the other person was saying, but I really didn't. I felt like I was outside of my body.
Wow. First I was so shocked about his approach. But now I'm sitting here, almost in tears, feeling relieved :) This already feels way better. Thank you for this video!
You are so welcome!
It comes to me on big occasions and events that I am not used to, but I take it from a positive perspective, so when I am not connected in these situations, I become more bold and indifferent, and sometimes more funny, and I do not see it as anything negative, and it always goes away when I sleep and return to normal.
Sorry if there any mistakes, I don't speak English
my therapist sent me this video and it was really helpful
This helped me and I felt my heart rush again by accepting and laughing about it. Thank u :)
opposite action is ok but if you experienced this during a traumatic event and you haven’t been able to get rid of it, having others intentionally not reassure you or even yourself not offering any kind of reassurance, isn’t the best because it’s literally traumatic and just the thought of losing control is enough to panic and send you deeper into the disorder because it’s not just fear of the feelings, it’s the fear of complete loss of touch with reality, to just seize to exist and be completely alone and unable to process your own place in time and space. that’s just my take. i just remember so much extra panic when i would seek reassurance just so i could breathe knowing i wouldn’t slip into the abyss but i was told “maybe you will, maybe you won’t” as exposure. i wasn’t ready to heal. i just needed to get stable. and that definitely made it worse.
i have been going through depersonalization/derealization among other things pretty much daily for the past 8 months or so. i’ve had similar experiences when i was younger but they were never this strong or longlasting. i am utterly exhausted because of it and absolutely terrified of the things i feel/think day to day. it has gone to the point where nothing around me makes sense anymore and im terrified of losing all touch with reality. its almost impossible for me to enjoy anything because everything feels so off. its hard to explain, its almost as if im trapped in a fever dream. i also started having a pretty heavy amount of visual snow (other visual aberrations too but vs mainly) a couple months ago which has made all of this a lot worse.
outside of my head my life is probably the best it has ever been and prior to the time i’ve been dealing with this i was very happy, all of this started pretty much overnight which has also amplified the fear that im simply losing my mind
i’ve talked to my close ones and my psychiatrist about these things, but i feel like they cant fully relate to these feelings so i cant help but feel alone
i’d be curious to hear similar experiences, especially if anyone has experienced similar visual distortions since it has probably been the single thing that has freaked me out the most
i’m goin thru the exact same thing. in a great place in life, but can’t get out of this dpdr haze. things jus don’t make much sense. i do have periods of time where it lightens up a little, but for the most part it’s been a 6 month episode.
Sir, make a video about "what to do if new intrusive thoughts appear?"🙏
Another perfect video! Your service for us is priceless Nate. Love your work, thank you
Thanks so much for the kind words!
@@ocdandanxiety I was just wondering maybe ypu can help me. I think I am also suffering from DP, my body feels like it is moving on it's own as if is on autopilot and I am afraid that if I don't check if my body moves I may lose my control of my limbs? When they move it feels automatic, feel very disconnected with my body and it feels like I do not know if it is really me who is making those movements, feel very uncomfortable 😢 How do I overcome this? Does exposure work here also and how would I do it?
When I was a child I remember moving and enrolling into a new elementary school were I started to get bullied I remember that feeling of numbness and disconnected but went away as the bullying stopped then in high school I remember we moved again and went to new school but no bullying there just no friends and the feeling of disconnected and numbness again but I guess at that age life just moved on and me with it but now as an adult who has been unemployed because of Coronavirus and the never ending bills the feelings of numbness and disconnected just seem stronger and dominate every thoughts before as a kid my home was my escape but now there is no escape ugh 😔 it's so depressing.. but there is little hope in knowing that I had those feelings and sensations before and they do go away I just forgot how to make it happen.. still in the struggle ✊
I ve had short episodes before but now at the age of 57, this is the first time it has stuck weeks (and counting). I started when I stopped drinking alcohol. So when I googled what is was snd what to do, I read: first of all stop using drugs or alcohol 😅
I think it might come from the fear of problems or memories coming back now that I have stopped self-medicating. But knowing there is a word for it and others have been there is a huge relief.
Earned a sub, thank you so much
Thanks for the sub!
These videos are telling us what the symptoms are like it's for people who don't experience it
does anyone else feel as though it’s just a really bad high and all their surroundings feel unfamiliar. like my home doesn’t feel like my home. i don’t remember how normal feels.
Yes, it’s really bad. Makes me really depressed.
Thank you so much for making this video!
I have it during dreams, I know I am dreaming. I freak out. I am better when I say it is okay, I am just waking up.
This is 💯 when I would check it would last longer. When I faced it and accepted it, I haven't experienced it now in more than a year!
I have these thought if I tell my mom that I think I might have derealization and she will start gaslighting me bc she’s a robot part of the simulation/ dream or smth
I have both depersonalization and derealization for a couple months now i got it from smoking, and for everyone scared that it wont ever leave, it will i have been getting better!
i tend to question my own existence, for example, “ I don’t exist “ or “nothing is real” , possibly this is derealization or just me going crazy . I will continue to openly greet them (the thoughts), i will agree with them , and i will try my best to be a good person.
Me too and it seems with all this crazy stuff in the world rt it amplifies it! I feel connected to the night nature but not much else it's like being an 🦉!!!😊
thank you so much for this 😭
My OCD has always been within me, but it didn’t come out strong until my break up happened a month ago. I felt low and that’s when OCD hit strongest. I dropped out of my education degree from the nightmare that is POCD, and although it comes and goes I would give anything to let it just be an intrusive thought that comes and goes every now and then rather than be an identity crisis. I lately have been looking back on all the stuff I’ve done in my life and hating myself and just wished I could feel happy and normal again.
you will be happy again bro 😁
@@angeloserenuela4065 I hope so. I want to have children, and grandchildren, and a beautiful family with a wife; I just don't know what to do or what to believe in my mind and it scares me.
I’ve been there man, with mainly harm ocd. You will learn how to better deal with it and things will get better for you. I am afraid about having a wife and children as well cause I know there will be new ammunition for the intrusive thoughts, but don’t let it steal your joy from you, you can persevere and be stronger on the other side.
@@angeloserenuela4065 hi cud u help me please
I deal constantly with feelings of dp and dr with my schizophrenia OCD. The second my ocd thoughts come, I dissociate. Anti depressants have helped but moving towards it instead of away from it made the biggest difference in terms of the length of the feelings.
literally same, my OCD was pretty mild for years until i watched a video a couple weeks ago on schizophrenia. It’s caused terrifying intrusive thoughts, severe anxiety and derealization. I just started ERP therapy .
Been going through this for years. I felt like I was starting to get out of it and then I smoked some weed and it brought me right back into it at full force. I feel numb. I feel disconnected from reality. Like I've got this veil over my vision and a bit of a blur. Like nothing REALLY matters. It's fine, just "play this game" of life. I'd like to feel alive again, but I'm working on not fighting it or thinking it. Not sure if I have OCD or not. Definitely been through some stress over the years and maybe this was a natural response or something.
Just putting this out there because I know how bad it feels to feel like this...
I have Celiac Disease which is a disease where gluten (wheat, rye, and barley) cause a autoimmune response to gluten. Celiac can be seen with gastrointestinal issues (for some) and it is prevelant in causing terrible mental health issues which I have dealt with for years before I knew it was gluten that was making me feel that way. I had terrible anxiety and depression, had symptoms that mimic bipolar disorder and experienced hypomania, derealization, and depersonalization. My mom thankfully brought me to MANY specialists FOR YEARS until we found out I had Celiac Disease. When I quit gluten, I felt so much better after a week, and after a year I was pretty much healed and extremely happy!
Now you might be wondering what I am doing on this video if I 'dont' experience this anymore? Well I accidentally injested a gluten-ed cookie last week and ive been feeling like I have been going crazy. Havent been able to do anything I used to love a week ago, crying out of nowhere, and feeling somewhat detached. In a month I know I am going to feel better if I follow my gluten-free diet but I want to put this out there because many people dont know all the harm something you are sensitive to or allergic to can do. Sensitivites such as gluten can cause inflammation in the brain which could lead to feeling the exact way I do when I accidentally eat gluten. I have seen COUNTLESS doctors and I remember before I met my gastro doctor I went to an allergist, and he thought no one should eat gluten which I have come to believe. I also have a therapist mom which has seen that many different people (ADHD, ADD, depression, anxiety, schizophrenic ) people benefit immensely going Gluten-Free.
In the future I plan to be a nutritionist to help people who have felt like me before, like everything is not real and that they are becoming crazy. Sorry for this large message but I hope it finds someone who needs it 💗🙏🏻
Thsnk you for the information. I have been suffering from this a couple of weeks before and didn't know that gluten could cause all these troubles. Will consider it. I will try it maybe I am allergic to gluten. It doesn't hurt to try. Thank you again.
This is great. My day goes based off my feeling and checking all day. My emotions control what I do. Some days harder then other. I’m just trying to escape the moment all day. Then later I’m regretting that I didn’t enjoy my self.
Yep this is me right now. I’ve had generalised anxiety/social anxiety/depression since aged 20. I’m 57 now and have episodes of DR from time to time. It can drive me nuts, like my body isn’t really mine and is acting independently of my brain.
However when anxiety proper comes along in the form of a panic attack the DR vanishes. I just need to embrace it. Thank you for this video. Subscribed ❤
Thank you Nate, you are God send
Thanks for this great video. warning, this following comment has some video suggestions and thank yous in it. This is why it is longer than a standard comment about this great video alone. . but thanks anyone for being considerate and nice. TO the Content Creator of "OCD and Anxiety": You explain things in a way that I and I would say many others can understand. I love the examples or symptoms you give of derealization. They are helping me understand it better. I am still, though, trying to take the differences between De REALization and Depersonalization I understand the basics but you explain things in an easy-to-understand way. I just realized this particular video is really recent. I and I will assume many others are looking forward to the separate DePERSONalization video you mentioned in this video you will be making.
Oh, no rush on it of course. lol and I am sure you will do a great job explaining it as you did for DeREALization in this video. I LOVE how you mentioned NOT to try to FIX it and get full CONTROL over it. It's like we just maybe adding "to the fire" as they say. BTW, I have OCD, and it was SEVERE during my teen years. I would count things, line things up, count doing something a certain number of times. It sadly SO much control over me. I am a lot older now and barely have an OCD moment but thanks for helping OUR community. This OCD is a devil of sorts and can ruin people's lives. For me, I think I had bad anxiety and tried to control those obsessed thoughts with compulsions. I like to call them "rituals." My mom also had OCD very bad but she got help to vastly reduce her symptoms.
I apologize for being so wordy but I bring up my story of the hell I went through to let others they are not alone. They have others going through feeling controlled by OCD while trying to control and overcome it. I am happy to say I once had severe OCD as a teen/young adult and now I am a lot better. I still have OCD but a lot of it has been managed now. If I, someone who felt so tortured thinking if I didn't do certain things something terrible would happen can get control of my OCD there is hope for all you out there!!!!!! Stick in there everybody. and looking forward to when you can get to making the DePersonalization video.
I feel almost weird and not sure if I should say the following or not because you have so many great videos and you are the Content creator of your videos and you have devoted so much to help people with OCD... but with the upcoming DePersonalization video maybe you can or not (you never asked me for my opinion and I do not know if I am being rude right now but with apologizing now I think that shows my authentic more and I am just socially anxious and sensitive to expressing my own ideas since you have built up this channel. I have not at all). But yes, me being wordy as usually, Haha, maybe just maybe (or not) you can briefly touch on the differences between your derealization and depersonalization. So many of us who even study all of this can have a hard time wrapping their mind about the true differences. Oh and if you ever link videos to your other videos it might be neat to add a quick link to your Derealization video. And if you can edit the derealization video (if you can't or can... mentioning it in the description may help some folks)... well at the end of the videos may be (or not, just an opinion from a FAN, hehe) link to this DeRealization video. Also, I am not sure if it is easy to do but a link from this DeRealization video to the upcoming dePersonalization video would be great since many of us have a hard time trying to search for the other video but many of us, I am assuming, have had trouble getting the concept of derealization mixed up with the concept of depersonalization.
Oh not to be wordy and I will stop very soon, but THANK YOU for your time. I really appreciate it since time is a form of commodity. We have a limited about and it's very nice for you to spend your time (if ya get this far, haha) to read this comment ~ blushes ~ . Oh, PS: if you do decide to post a link to the other video derealization to depersonalization and depersonalization to derealization video (linking both videos so it is easy for us to finally understand the differences between the two comments!) yay! okay, I am your personal cheerleader now. jk. HUMOR IS A FORM OF MEDICINE. ;-) Oh maybe one day way down the future an idea of a video would be the differences and similarities to Derealization Vs. Depersonalization. YIKES, too many suggestions I'm giving you but you give so much time to help us I think it is "proper" to help you with suggestions (no one TELL him to make a video, please. That would be rude, hehe).
again, you are helping a lot of people out there with your tips, educational videos and just being an ally to our community. Bless you and thanks for all the videos. It means so much to me and I am sure others who do not like to make youtube comments).
oh if you like his content please LIKE and Subscribe. I think adding a comment even just a small thank you comment or that you liked or were confused about a part of his video... I heard at least this can add to this channel being more recognized by others. Google or rather RUclips, I have been told at least, has a computer algorithm, and the more Likes, Subscriptions, and Comments as well (!!!) will help his videos be suggested to people who search for OCD, etc. It is a form of supporting our community. :) Or do not, lol, just saying. which you the best and thank you for reading anyone. Maybe good karma points to you, who knows. Love you all for sticking up with the wordiness but you are a nice, caring community, and you ALL matter!
Please read this if you struggle with DD. This is my “theory” on the disorder and my experience with it. (I had it for about 2 months)
Derealization is caused by seclusion. Well, seclusion from human interaction to be exact and this is because when secluded, it allows your brain to become aware of its self, or it’s body parts (your hands, arms, etc..) For now, this is actually a good thing, and everyone should have self awareness, but sometimes when this happens, you might begin to obsess about it and take it everywhere you go. The self awareness just keeps adding on to itself and now you start to be a little off. You might start becoming self conscious or even insecure. In this moment, you don’t know what’s going on because right now, you are just self aware, but this is where the nightmare begins…
Now, not everyone can go beyond this point because we’re all different, living different lives, experiencing different things and were all made different, but some people can, and that’s the danger.
The danger is becoming aware that you are aware. The moment this happens you feel a revelation in you that is not exactly describable. You might look at your hands again, but this time ask yourself “why are these my hands?” Or even more alarming, “Why am I me?”
These type of thoughts might last for a little bit and fizzle away but I plead you, if you have these thoughts, get them out. You do not want to keep flirting with these ideas.
I was completely unaware of the danger that these thoughts can have I didn’t actually see any problem with it at first, I thought it was kind of cool or interesting, but I was in for a bad trip.
Why are these thoughts dangerous? I don’t exactly believe them to be dangerous as is, but obsessing over them will be. You start to take it everywhere you go, even in public. You might find yourself struggling to keep eye contact, or sometimes even stuttering.
These thought evolve and you start look farther out from just yourself. Your job, your school, your friends, your family, your hobbies, and you begin to have that extreme “self-awareness” with those things. Now your aware of your entire existence and the more and more these ideas evolve, it soon gets to a peak. This peak is called Derealization. You look around and wonder what is even real. What even matters? Are we all just some robots walking around? Is God also just some NPC? If I die, why does it even matter? This disorder can become very, very freighting and it sometimes it can make like just feel like a dream. Or even worse, a nightmare. When I had my first real encounter with derealization, I was with my friend Noah and we had just smoked some pot. The high hit me within minutes and i began to have a panic attack because of how high I was. I walked out my apartment I had just moved into a looked out of my balcony. “Why am I here?” I asked myself. The high was so intense and the anxiety kept piling on. Then I thought about my family. I felt that derealization with my family members and it was so bad I felt completely detached from them. I felt as if I couldn’t love them because they were fake. It was so horrifying I had to call my dad, because I knew this was horrible. When my dad arrived I felt a little better but it was still kind of there. I felt like my only escape was death. My Dad called my mom over and the rest of the night was just me and my family trying to stop my heart rate for 2 hours straight. It felt like an eternity. Finally the high wore off and we went to my parents house and i began to feel like myself again ate last for the most part. Music really helped. I passed out my parents couch and woke up at 6am. I was traumatized. The rest of the next day was filled with so much derealization that I was having An anxiety attack the whole entire day until the evening. This day was the day I decided to fully walk with God. I remember taking a nap and laying down and listening to a meditation video my mom had sent me. It was so hard to calm down because honestly I thought I was going nuts. I was scared I was becoming psychotic but really I just had to come back to earth. I prayed to God to protect me and to heal my mind. I felt as if God wrapped his arms around me and held me like nothing else could touch me. Angels were around us and they were singing. God told me I have a purpose. I am on this Earth for a reason. “Derealization is called a disorder for a reason” he told me. The drugs mixed with the seclusion put me in that scary spot. This disorder is something you can overcome and it will not last forever. You have to hold on to hope and know that you have a purpose and you have a meaning and sorry to break it to you, but you’re real. Your life is real, your friends are real, your family is real, love is real and more importantly, they love you. Put your trust in God and you will see that this disorder is from the enemy. I’m not here to tell you to not smoke weed, but if you do, be VERY careful with knowing what you are smoking and also VERY careful of how much you are consuming. If you are having thoughts of derealization, stay away from any mind altering substances, it will intensify the nightmare. Thank you.
I think the obsession with any thought loops will in a sense draw you away from reality in a sense. The existential ones are easier to be overwhelmed by. We don't know and that's okay.
@@Gibboon yeah that’s a good point. We have to keep ourselves in the drivers seat with anything that is mental.
@@augustdreammusic THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS!!! I’m glad to have seen this, thank you for sharing, you’re truly an amazing person, this helped me so much. I’ve been dealing with this and after reading this it’s no cure but it gives a great relief! Thank you, you’ve helped me and I hope you realize it❤️🙏🏽
Hey so I have a question. For me when I was like 10-11 I got it and I think I was overwhelmed in the moment and then it randomly came back one day. The only way I could explain it was that my head was spinning. I felt floaty and disconnected from my surroundings. I have anxiety but it came at times that I felt fine. I just got it a couple weeks ago at my youth group and then it flared up the next day after that I kept focusing on it making progressively worse. I have better weeks than others but this week has not been the best for me. I keep praying to God to heal me but it feels like he isn’t listening I’m lost I need help.
@@butterfingerrs I know how you feel. It sounds like you’re describing paranoia and that’s why you focus on it. Your over aware of it. I will say my incident happened 3 and half months ago and I’m still kinda of recovering but I’m on the home stretch. This time has taught me patience. God ALWAYS knows what he is doing and sometimes we have to give it time. Continue to seek God and build a RELATIONSHIP with him. You might not feel it right now but I promise one day you feel his love so much and realize all you had to do was be patient. Just pray for good spirits of peace and comfort. Pray at the evil spirits and tell them where they belong. Pray that God protects you from the enemy. Because this stuff is spiritual warfare. The enemy wants you to feel the way you do right now. But you have to be willing to fight it. You really have to dive deep in with God when you face these kinds of stuff because it’s heavy. I would also recommend therapy. But therapy that is Holy Spirit lead with a spiritual therapist.
John 3:16 King James Version 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you will be saved. John 3:16 (share the good news of the gospel around the world!)
Have a wonderful day/night, may the LORD bless you all, and farewell!,.,,,,,, Galatians 3:26 King James Version 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Titus 3:5-7 King James Version 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
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I've accepted my derealization when it happens, but it still comes back everyday. It's getting annoying when I can't fully experience the things I do in life.
literally society feels fake reality isn't real for me anymore
i want speak to people about it by since i can feel that i'm not a part of this "humanity" i feel like speaking out to people is gonna be like speaking out to a wall
so i just sit in my room suffering quietly waiting for death to pick me up
I am not sure whether or not I have DR or just brain fog from anxiety/racing thoughts. Because it seems as if DR/DP is more of a dream like state. For me I feel fine and alive I just can’t stop thinking and have racing thoughts about life and how everything makes sense. I did some research related to some issues I have including BAD EYESIGHT and BAD NASAL AREA. I suffer from poor eyesight and from a deviated septum. I found that poor eye sight without wearing contacts or glasses can wear down your brain for example looking at screens or too much at once. Your brain can be overwhelmed and not know how to process it all at the same time which can lead to brain fog and confusion. The nose part of it was about SINUSITIS a nasal infection around the cavities outside the nose. It can lead to brain fog and confusion as well as anxiety and stress!
So in short I think some people thinking they are dealing with DR/DP may actually be dealing with brain fog and stress/anxiety related issues. Especially if you feel fine just can’t stop your racing thoughts or anxiety. I know not all of you have these vision or nasal issues but if you do take this into consideration! I’m going to see if treatment for one of the two helps at all !
Why intrusive thoughts attack me more in anger it makes me feel it's my own thoughts rather than ocd?
I also feel the same brother
@@discontinued42069 I try to accept my thoughts, but I get what will happen in future thoughts and I go back to square one and the guilt comes back and I feel uneasy
At this point I feel like I have all kinds of OCD 🥺😭 and this
I believe that my ocd is kinda different because the intrusive thoughts don't cause me anxiety but gives me weird sensations and urges (similar to tics and tourettes )
And if I prevent myself from acting on the urges my brain is like " You didn't act on the urges that must means you like the thought " . So if anybody is reading this and knows something please help and tell me what to do . Thank you
Sensations are part of the gig and mean nothing at the end of the day. Treat the sensations as you would treat the thoughts, "Maybe I liked it, maybe I didn't".
Yes I feel so twitchy and I’m full of adrenaline all the time cause I’m always having urges (I have harm, sexual , and existential OCD plus dpdr disorder) I don’t know what to do anymore
@@edgarallenhoe4656 hope your doing better now sending a hug
@@susanemo9811 thank you so much ! im doing a little better , definitely improved since my last comment . I hope your doing good as well!
I experience this thought. I know something is real but yet a thought challenges me like telling its is not real, its like am I imagining things, is this real? It is scary . I do not know what this is but I think it is associated with my anxiety
I had it before when I was overthinking about a breakup I had crazy anxiety and brain fog and then I remember I had lack of emotions or feelings it lasted like 3 months and then I went to Africa got the sun for two weeks and I was sleeping very very well and I went back to feeling normal.
And now I have it again because I was overthinking about my throat because of the flu and again lack of emotions and brain fog so again I have a plain ticket booked for March next year so I’ll be in the sun for 12 days ima get that vitamin D again hahaha
Thank you so much for this video! I just started feeling derealization for the first time a couple months ago and I just kept it a secret thinking I was going crazy or unknowingly drugged or like I did something wrong. I did not understand what was going on and felt crazy as I tried to put what I felt into words. This video has made me feel like I will be okay. Thank you for everyone who also commented because I can relate to so many people on here. It is a relief to know I am not the only person in the world who feels this way and this video has given me an actual way to cope with it. I have caught myself lately digging myself deeper into my derealization episodes stressing myself out trying to find a way out and what I need to do is the exact opposite. Thank you once again for showing me I am not alone.
Living with it now….nothing has helped but I see what you are saying….I’m stuck in the checking loop…ugh
Hey, I'm really sorry to hear that you're feeling stuck right now. How long have you been dealing with this? I know how frustrating it can be to feel like nothing is helping.
I used to be caught in the same checking loop, and it was exhausting. What really helped me was focusing on grounding techniques and exercise. It took time, but gradually, I started to break free from that cycle.
Have you tried any grounding exercises or physical activities to help distract your mind? Sometimes, changing up the routine can make a difference. If you're looking for more tips and support, feel free to check out my channel. We're all in this together, and there's hope even when it feels overwhelming.
Get out of your head and back into your body.
-Dillon
The checking is so real it's like I can't stop I just wanna feel normal so bad
thank you so much man.
Thank you!
Of course!
Am dealing with it since i remember myself I am 16 now and still stuck . I understood what you said but its hard to do it , it just keep saying why are even trying when you know it wouldn't work cuz it don't real . Before a while I was getting close to see the reality but then a thought came to my mind and made my progress decrease , i know that because of my fear from the sudden thought I can't do any step forward .
had both derealization and depersonalization for over a year, they actually triggered my existential OCD. im over it right now but still suffer from the PTSD and anxiety that came with it..its really crazy what nightmares hide in our brain
What kind of OCD did it trigger