Overcoming Depersonalization Derealization Disorder and Intrusive Thoughts (Quick tips)

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In all my years helping people overcome anxiety, the symptoms that most unnerve people, are the ones related to mental manifestations of anxiety.

I am talking here about feelings of unreality (DP/DR) or intrusive thoughts.

Those were the symptoms that most troubled me when I was caught up in the anxiety loop.

I feared for my own sanity. I feared I would go mad, I feared I would be stuck like that forever.

When Michelle Cavanaugh and Aida Beco told me that this was a major theme in their one to one sessions with people, we decided it was time we three recorded a video to give people information and guidance on how to overcome it.

So if you suffer from feelings of unreality or feel disconnected from yourself or deal with intrusive thoughts, this video we just recorded will help you immensely!

It's a video I wish I could have had access to all those years ago for my own recovery. If I had seen this, I know I would have saved myself a lot of unnecessary anguish.

Depersonalization symptoms. (From the Mayo Clinic)

Symptoms of depersonalization include:

Feelings that you're an outside observer of your thoughts, feelings, your body or parts of your body — for example, as if you were floating in air above yourself
-Feeling like a robot or that you're not in control of your speech or movements
-The sense that your body, legs or arms appear distorted, enlarged or shrunken, or that your head is wrapped in cotton
-Emotional or physical numbness of your senses or responses to the world around you
-A sense that your memories lack emotion, and that they may or may not be your own memories

Derealization symptoms

Symptoms of derealization include:
-Feelings of being alienated from or unfamiliar with your surroundings — for example, like you're living in a movie or a dream
-Feeling emotionally disconnected from people you care about, as if you were separated by a glass wall
-Surroundings that appear distorted, blurry, colorless, two-dimensional or artificial, or a heightened awareness and clarity of your surroundings
-Distortions in perception of time, such as recent events feeling like distant past
-Distortions of distance and the size and shape of objects

Check our DARE resources:

[arianavaughn]

to anyone feeling like this, we are real. we are okay. time will heal us all 🤍

[DanielMatotek]

Everyone in here, I want to remind you, you can heal from this. It will get better and I am living proof that you can get better. I was there, thinking I will never find myself ever again but I want to reassure you that you do heal if you put the work in. Five months and still healing!

[learninginline]

One of my therapist said to me as long as you think you’re going crazy you’re not if you were you wouldn’t be aware of it and that helps me when the dp gets worse

[JannikausKölle]

I can assure you that you will get through this, guys!! I had it for some time but really accepting it helped me to feel completely normal again! :)
Don‘t be afraid. It will pass.

[rediff]

Wish I never knew what anxiety was. I was happier as a child running in the rain, jumping in the puddles, gazing up at the stars on a silent night. Now life ain't what it used to be. Those beautiful days are gone. Everyday is a battle.

[cjhancock]

The hard part about this is the lack of information that’s out there,
Honestly YouTube is a god send.
Thank you guys!

[lindsayreese]

I’ve suffered from DP/DR chronically for about 11 years. This video is GOLD!! What these people say is truth and the only way out, after years of struggling I NATURALLY implemented all of these tools and got better.

[mikami]

depersonalization and derealization are just FEAR! FIGHT MY PEOPLE! you will overcome it.
have faith and return to your body as much as you can
you are safe.

[justinbroniszewski]

What Aida said about losing your sense of self is exactly how I feel two years after having a mental breakdown that gave me the worst panic attacks I'd ever experienced. I felt like I was on the edge of sanity for three months, and although I have improved, I'm still struggling with it. It's awful.

[YourNay]

Feeling weird while still carrying on is key and true acceptance but I feel like I’m being stripped away from quality of life. I can’t enjoy my life or experiences fully because I am still thinking about how “weird” I feel in the back of my mind. Just afraid that I’ll never fully be engaged and intact with the world, family and friends again. That’s mentally my biggest obstacle and trying my best to get thru that! 🙏🏽 Release fear! 💯

[luisofsuburbia]

I have had this about 5 years ago when I first had my panic attack and everything went downhill from there.... I overcame it and have recently encountered another anxiety driven episode which has triggered another state of Dep and this is not permanent you will overcome it and be back to normal. this is just another symptom of extreme anxiety.

[danielw]

It’s pretty amazing how powerful our bodies are. I keep trying to tell myself: “if my body can create this many powerful *negative* symptoms, I know it is capable of producing powerful *positive* symptoms.” I think of it like the Hulk. The Hulk, when caught up in negative emotions (fear, anger), uses his insane strength to destroy everything. But when in the right frame of mind, he is capable of incredible strength. It’s the same with us suffering from DPDR. Our brains are acting like the Hulk just going around smashing things. The problem is not that our brains are too powerful—it’s that we’re using our power in the wrong manner.

If you are capable of creating DPDR, you are just as capable of creating so many powerful positive things. It’s all coming from the same source (your brain). By removing fear, you’ll slowly learn to use this powerful brain in amazingly positive manner. Definitely a lot easier said than done. I’m still in the thick of things myself. But I thought I’d at least share something I thought of the other day.

[Jake-zgue]

i havent even watched this yet and i go to the comments. just want to add to the comments here that you are loved, everything is actually okay, and everything WILL be okay.

I recovered for a long time, and now its coming back just a tad bit, so i came to this video. "Real life" is achievable and I felt it for a long time. Its just a couple steps away. Never give up gang! My heart seriously goes out to all of you.

[farhinabbasi]

29:10 Feeling relaxed after hearing Aida saying Dpdr comes from the emotional realm and not mental realm and she realizes us that how we question our reality is the biggest sign of our sanity. Lots and lots of love to the dare team members❤

[hamza]

Feels like I'm already dead. Just going through the motions of life without life. Without that passion, that energy, that interest. I also doubt my experiences as being my own. My memories don't feel real. I doubt my parents being mine. Nothing makes sense. Feels like I'm an alien who landed in the middle of this thing called life, I look at trivial and normal things with wonder and get amazed. It's scary.

[bernadettebrown]

Being in a movie about yourself without a script

[turtlestwinsvlogs]

it’s so scary because sometimes i feel like i don’t know my parents and i feel like i have no emotions anymore

[Thebaron]

When Aida was talking about her therapist that told her that “she’s not going crazy yet but is on her way”… that pissed me off so bad.

This happened to me too. Most therapists are such a joke and actually do more harm than good.

I don’t care if you have a phd in psychology from the most prestigious school on earth. If you haven’t experienced what your patients are talking about, and overcome it personally, you’re useless to them.

[lindsayreese]

People who are truly crazy are blissfully unaware of how crazy they are. At times I wished for true psychosis. I wanted the break.

[marcushuffman]

I can’t believe I’m just seeing this years later! I’m going through depersonalization pretty bad right now due to panic and anxiety attacks but I know it’s all in my head and once I stop thinking about it so much and get the anxiety under control this will fade away on its own. I’ve had it before.