I understand how you are feeling right now. I’ve been there before. I want to tell you that you are going to be fine.
Trust me, even though right now you might be on the edge of your being, feeling nervous and in a state of confusion, know that this will all pass over time.
You are not going to lose your mind, you are not going insane, you are not going to die, you are not going to harm yourself or others. That is just your mind talking. This is what I wanted to hear when I was in the middle of the DP/DR storm, and I hope it brings comfort to you when you read it.
When you are in a state of extreme stress and panic, your cognition (the process of thinking) changes. Once the stress levels are back to normal, your thoughts will be too. You will have your personality back.
In fact, you will emerge from this stronger than you were before.
Accept these feelings without trying to resist them. You don’t have to do anything special to accept something: you just have to do nothing. That probably goes against the grain of what you are thinking right now. You may feel the need to battle this DP/DR demon, or put up a fight to get rid of your anxiety, but those efforts are always in vain. You need to understand that you are having a normal reaction to the high level of stress that you are experiencing in your life. DP/DR is serving as a protective layer against the incredible stress you are feeling, some of which can arise out of the depersonalization itself. It is not a perfect mechanism, but it is how our brains are wired… …these words are from a guy who recovered from DP/DR
This is beautiful, @Junaid. I hope writing this helps you as much as it inspires us here. DP/DR is really, really tough to deal with and incredibly confusing. But you are so right. There is nothing wrong with us when it happens. It is not a permanent state. Only unfamiliar waters to sail on until we reach the shore again. And even if we feel isolated and disconnected from the rest of the world, even from ourselves, we’re never really alone during this journey.
PS - I have saved your post in my bookmarks. I know it will help me if I have an episode again in the future. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement.
Hi
Thank you so much for posting this, I know it will bring so much comfort to others and I too will refer others to it who are looking for that reassurance in those moments when they think there is no end to what they are experiencing.
Again thank you Junaid for giving this gift of knowledge, love and support.
Much love
Lisa
