If you are faced with the symptoms of "haze" or "veil" in your head, feelings of unreality both happening around and your own "I". If you feel that your emotions have become more faded and dull, that you have lost the emotional connection with what usually gives you joy, then this article is for you.
In it I will tell how to get rid of derealization and depersonalizationexplain what it is and list the symptoms. I will not advise taking pills, as they do not eliminate the cause of this disease. I will tell you about safe, effective and natural ways to solve this problem forever.
This article is based both on the advice of Western psychologists (I must admit that in our country the methods of working with derealization are poorly developed) and on personal experience of getting rid of derealization.
Some time ago, as a result of severe stress, I was faced with panic attacks and anxiety. The most unpleasant thing about this was that sudden bouts of fear, panic, and constant anxiety were accompanied by other symptoms. One of them was a feeling of “haze”, “fog” in the head, a feeling of some kind of “isolation” from the outside world and from one’s own emotions.
At first I thought it was some kind of serious mental illness. With the appearance of these symptoms, I began to worry a lot, unable to get rid of my anxious thoughts about my condition. Then it got worse. Even when there was no derealization, I was still afraid: “What if this feeling comes back? Suddenly this is a symptom of madness?”
But now I remember my anxiety with calm humor. All this is long past. Now I am in a state of deep and strong connection with my feelings and the outside world. I clearly perceive the world. I do not feel that life is somewhere away from me. I feel that I live.
Here I am going to share with you effective techniques for getting rid of derealization and depersonalization that helped me get out of this state.
Symptoms of derealization and depersonalization
What is derealization and how is it different from depersonalization? In short, derealization is a feeling of unreality of what is happening around (or some "detached", "remoteness" from external events) and depersonalization is a feeling of unreality of what is happening inside.
Derealization (as well as depersonalization) in most cases is not an independent disorder. Most often, it is simply one of the symptoms of panic disorder (panic attacks) and / or anxiety disorder. However, if you feel these symptoms, it is always better to go to a doctor just in case to be 100% sure that your derealization is connected with anxiety, and not with something else!
Symptoms of derealization
- Feeling "haze" or "veil" in the head
- Feeling as if signals from the outside world reach us late
- The state of the "observer" divorced from the external reality, who perceives this reality as a film
- Habitual things (beautiful landscapes, loved ones or objects, entertainment) do not evoke an emotional response.
- The state in which we live this life as if in a dream
Symptoms of depersonalization
- Feeling of "fading", "dulling" of one's own emotions and experiences
- Feeling in which both our body and our emotions seem alien to us
- Feeling of unreality ("blurring" "uncertainty") of my own
Accompanying symptom for both conditions
- Anxiety and anxiety about the state of derealization / depersonalization
In principle, these states accompany each other. Moreover, many researchers do not distinguish between them at all. One way or another, when we are aware of the external world, we still “filter” information about it through the prism of our internal perception, which is also aware of the internal world. In other words, a person does not have two separate types of perception for external and internal reality. Perception is one.
And if this perception is “broken” (I used this word in quotation marks so that you would not be afraid: derealization is a safe symptom, but more on that below), then this “violation” will inevitably extend to both the sensation of external phenomena and the internal ones.
I have described this principle not for abstract philosophizing, but for the formulation of a practical conclusion:
The methods and principles that will allow you to get rid of derealization will also eliminate depersonalization and vice versa. These two deeply interconnected phenomena do not require two different “treatment” schemes (again, I use quotation marks, because I believe that there is no disease: derealization is a defense mechanism of the psyche; this is also discussed below).
And in this article, when I write “derealization”, I will mean both the symptoms of derealization and the symptoms of depersonalization.
Why does derealization and depersonalization arise?
This problem has not yet been fully studied. And therefore it is impossible to answer this question with all certainty. However, there are scientific theories that try to explain this phenomenon.
Personally, I am a supporter of the theory that derealization is a defense mechanism of our psyche. The whole irony of such a disease as panic attacks is that those symptoms that people consider dangerous to their lives, in fact, are designed to save this life in the event of a mortal threat. I'm talking about the symptoms of accelerated heartbeat, rapid breathing, a sense of fear and panic (which are triggered by adrenaline). As I described in the article, the symptoms of a panic attack - all this is the defense mechanisms of our body.
And derealization is also the same protective function.
A Western study found that, on average, 50% of people facing a traumatic event experience symptoms of derealization. Surely you have heard the stories of people who got into dangerous, stressful situations and described their experience as: "It seemed to me that this was not happening to me," "As if it was in a dream."
These are the symptoms of derealization. In moments of stressful events, our psyche "closes" as it were from potentially traumatic experiences. And therefore it seems to us that what is happening is like a dream, that it is not happening to us. And here we can draw the following conclusion:
Derealization and depersonalization are not dangerous by themselves. These are simply the defense mechanisms of our psyche, which strive to "close" from unpleasant experiences.
And you can get rid of this condition. Then tell you how.
How to get rid of derealization and depersonalization
First tip - get out of the vicious circle of anxiety
As I already wrote, very often people (especially people with panic attacks and anxiety) start worrying very badly about their condition: inventing terrible diseases, fearing the harm that derealization can cause them.
First, I remind you that this condition is not dangerous. Secondly, as we remember, it is very often just one of the symptoms of anxiety. What does it mean? This means that when you start worrying about the symptoms of derealization, you provoke new attacks of anxiety or panic, which, in turn, intensify derealization!
So relax and try to let go of your thoughts about your condition. If derealization has come, then it has come. You are already in "this boat", so there is no point in worrying and winding yourself. Relax and try to accept this state. Do not resist and do not resist him. It is temporary. Just as it came, it will go.
You should strive for it, although it is hard. In people with chronic anxiety, the mind is so disturbing that it tends to worry constantly for any reason. And when there is no reason, the mind finds it. And at first, it is very difficult to break this well-established habit and help yourself to relax and stop worrying. However, it is possible. The following tips will partly concern this issue.
Second tip - develop concentration
Psychologists give the following advice.
If you like to read, then surely you have a plan about what books to read in the future. (And if you don’t like it, it's time to start) Personally, in my plan there are many books that are not very exciting, maybe even boring, but, nevertheless, I think that I need to read them. It can be books on history, science, or even fiction, serious, deep, but not fascinating. Read such books.
Try to keep attention on the text (which will “slide off”, because the text is not interesting) and return it every time you are distracted. This will, firstly, develop your concentration and certain areas of the brain, and secondly, allow you to be closer to the area of experience. After all, books, after all, stimulate your emotions, give rise to images in your imagination, helping you to be closer to you.
Third tip - develop awareness and sensitivity
In many of my articles, offering to solve various emotional and personal advice, I give advice: "meditate." So I'm not going to surprise you with originality and will give similar advice. No, wait. There is one nuance here.
The more I write articles, the more I work with people who suffer from anxiety and depression, and the more I get feedback from them, the more I want to stop using the term "meditation".
Not only because he (undeservedly) gives something mysterious and mystical. With the development of scientific studies of meditation, it is increasingly becoming understood that meditation is not magic, not religion, but quite an applied exercise.
The reason why I increasingly want to abandon this term is as follows. When I say "meditation" people often see it as an end in itself. It seems to them that a simple sitting in a fixed pose will solve all their problems by itself. Therefore, I decided to write more about "techniques for developing awareness, attention, and concentration." From such a formulation it becomes clear that meditation is not an end in itself, but only a tool and a means for something more.
Western psychologists agree that awareness helps in getting rid of derealization. The first reason why this happens is that the state of consciousness that the practitioners of mindfulness cause is the opposite of what a person feels during derealization. During derealization, our attention is “scattered”, is in some kind of drowsiness, it is not able to clearly and clearly grasp the object, the object of attention becomes not clear, it seems to blur, and our emotions and experiences are as if distant from ourselves.
But during the practice of awareness, on the contrary, we sharpen our attention so that it realizes the object more clearly, as if we are focusing the lens of our lens, adding clarity to the picture of the world. We also try to be aware of our feelings directly, becoming closer to them.
What exactly do you need to do? Your practice will consist of two parts.
"Informal" meditation
Practice mindfulness throughout the day. Try to pay more attention to your immediate feelings. You can do this, for example, while eating. Instead of thinking about the outsider, “moving away” from your senses, concentrate on the taste of the food in your mouth, on the sensations of how it passes through the esophagus and into the stomach.
What do you feel in your mouth? Sweetness, bitterness? Heat or cold? What is the taste of food? What do you feel in the stomach? Heaviness or lightness? Is it warm or cold? Just be with your feelings here and now. Get closer to the realm of experience. As soon as your thoughts are distracted from the moment "here and now", return them back.
The same principle applies to other daily activities: washing dishes, cleaning, exercise, any physical work, walks. At least during a small part of your day, try not to let your mind wander. Try to be here and now with what your senses are aware of: tastes, smells, colors and colors, tactile sensations, sounds. So you will sharpen and train your attention, returning yourself to a clear and direct perception of life.
Formal practice:
Formal meditation is that very sitting meditation, during which you try to concentrate on one object, for example, breathing. There is no magic here. Meditation is a simulator of your attention, your awareness, your self-control, your sensitivity to sensations.
When you meditate, you focus your attention on the object, as if sharpening the focus. Due to this, your feelings, experiences become more clarity, emotions become more alive and brighter. This, again, is the opposite of derealization, the consequence of which is that the emotions become dull and become faded.
There is such a stereotype that meditation is needed to get rid of emotions, to become indifferent. This is not true. The purpose of the mindfulness practice is to teach you to control, accept and release your emotions, control your mind instead of being its pawn. And the practice just the same leads to the fact that we, as a result of the development of awareness and attention, begin to perceive life more brightly and richly, in deeper and more distinct colors.
But the meaning of meditation is not only to eliminate derealization, as a symptom. Practice will help to deal with the cause of derealization: anxiety, depression, traumatic experience.
Above, I wrote that many people have such a restless mind that it is very difficult for them to relax, to pull themselves together during anxiety attacks. As soon as emotions and disturbing thoughts appear, they immediately take precedence over such a person, dragging him deeper into the pool of panic and anxiety.
Meditation allows you to calm the mind, curb anxiety, let go of obsessive thoughts. And gradually, step by step, move towards complete deliverance from panic, fear and anxiety. You can learn the technique of meditation by reading the article how to meditate correctly.
For people who experience symptoms of derealization, I will give the following advice regarding meditation. As an object of concentration, choose the sensations of breathing that occur in the area of the nostrils. Why? Because the sensations there are very thin and sometimes barely noticeable. So, in order to feel them, you will need to “sharpen” your own attention, focus the lens of your inner lens. This will increase your sensitivity to your own feelings. After I gave such advice to one of the participants in my course "WITHOUT PANIC", who suffered from derealization, she wrote:
As I wrote above, derealization is a consequence of other problems. When your alarm passes, then the derealization will disappear. Therefore, I advise you to focus your efforts not on combating a particular symptom, but on solving the general problem of anxiety.
Used sources:
Trueman, David. Anxiety and depersonalization and derealization experiences. Psychological reports 54.1 (1984): 91-96.Cassano, Giovanni B., et al.
Derealization and panic attacks: a clinical evaluation on 150 patients with panic disorder / agoraphobia. Comprehensive Psychiatry 30.1 (1989): 5-12.
(calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/derealization)
American Psychiatric Association (2004) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR (Text Revision). American Psychiatric Association. ISBN 0-89042-024-6.
Sierra-Siegert M, David AS (December 2007). “Depersonalization and individualism on panic disorder”. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 195 (12): 989-95. doi: 10.1097 / NMD.0b013e31815c19f7. PMID 18091192.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derealization)
