Has anyone had their DP/DR go away?

[Sam93]

Hi all,

 

Yeah, as the title states, has anyone had their DP/DR go away even if the visuals and other symptoms have not? I'm not sure if the dissociation can be thought of as a seperate problem or it is a problem resulting from our HPPD neurochemistry gone wrong.

 

I do know that it is often a co-morbid symptom of anxiety, but I suffer very little with anxiety and yet I still have strong DP/DR. Have any of the long term sufferers had the dissociation go away, and been able to feel emotion again etc? 

Many thanks.

[onedayillsailagain]

Yes. tDCS did nothing for my visuals, but I was basically DP/DR free for 15 minutes. This happened a couple of times, other times it didn't. Which led me to think that my homemade device and improper placement may have caused the inconsistent and transient results.

Ohh I just saw it's you Sam! Well now I typed it already, but I think I said this in another thread also. Forgive me, I just woke up.
But of all the things I've tried (I've tried so many things.. I've lost count), tDCS was the best for DP/DR. Nothing really came close to the effects of that.

EDIT: To clarify; by DP/DR free I mean I felt pretty darn normal. You know how you can have anxiolysis but not feel confident.. there's a difference. This was DP/DR free + feeling normal.

[Sam93]

Hey mate,

 

Yeah it's me haha! Your results from tDCS do sound great, however as it was only around 15 minutes of relief then can we assume that this couldn't be used as a sustainable treatment? Not to take anything away from your results of course. 

 

I'm trying to do some research on whether DP/DR could be considered a seperate issue to HPPD or it's pretty much tied in with it, as I've not read any stories of people's DP/DR going away on the forums. It is my opinion that it is not a result of the visuals at all but tied in with the whole HPPD symptomatology. 

 

It's interesting that people suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy experience DP/DR, so maybe overactivity in the temporal lobe could be partly to blame? Other forms of epilepsy also cause DP/DR type symptoms to a lesser extent, and also migraines, and of course the co-morbidity of anxiety disorders, so DP/DR symptoms are obviously due to disinhibiton/excitation/over-activity in areas of the brain. It is interesting that K-Opioid antagonists like Naloxone and Naltrexone seem to migitate DP/DR somewhat though, I wonder what the opioid system would have to do with DP/DR?

 

As Dr. Abraham has stated, when you have the 'pre-seizure' activity shown in us HPPD'ers, localised brain regions also start beating in the same rhythm, and so it's obviously much more complex than just disinhibition of the visual cortex, as shown in qEEG's it is the whole cerebral cortex that shows dis inhibition. I know that's probably nothing you didn't already know, I'm just rambling.

 

Any none-hppders fancy donating me a new cerebral cortex? 

 

Sorry for the long post, I tend to go off track! 

[miketusa]

I had mine go away. My initial onset was mostly static and DP/DR. I had DP/DR for a few weeks, and I was drinking a lot I was graduating high school at the time. Over time it slowly went away. It never bothered me too much, I just kinda shrugged it off and it went away after a month or two. Since then for around a year if I drank too much or too frequently I would get insane DP. I just kept telling myself it was temporary. As it usually is. I haven't had it at all for around a month. I had one day where it was really bad. The next day I woke up and felt great. Hasn't made a comeback since then. 

 

I think a lot of DP/DR is fairly mental. I've had it a few times when I was tripping too hard as well. I would just work through it. I did a lot of deep breathing exercises which helped a lot when it was really bad.

 

 

How long have you been experiencing symptoms?

[Sam93]

I had mine go away. My initial onset was mostly static and DP/DR. I had DP/DR for a few weeks, and I was drinking a lot I was graduating high school at the time. Over time it slowly went away. It never bothered me too much, I just kinda shrugged it off and it went away after a month or two. Since then for around a year if I drank too much or too frequently I would get insane DP. I just kept telling myself it was temporary. As it usually is. I haven't had it at all for around a month. I had one day where it was really bad. The next day I woke up and felt great. Hasn't made a comeback since then. 

 

I think a lot of DP/DR is fairly mental. I've had it a few times when I was tripping too hard as well. I would just work through it. I did a lot of deep breathing exercises which helped a lot when it was really bad.

 

 

How long have you been experiencing symptoms?

Hi mate,

So have you still got the visual symptoms etc since the dpdr has subsided?

I've been experiencing symptoms of HPPD and DP/DR for 4 months now. DP/DR seems to be improving somewhat and I'm getting some emotions back which is all I care about really, the visuals don't bother me.

[415_stylee]

It has not completely disappeared, but it's more managable now. I have a constant, unwavering level of DP/DR. This I'm sure of is because of the changed neurochemistry.

I used to have strong episodes of DP/DR with a almost complete detachment from any kind of sense of reality. 2D-vision, cartooning, jamais vu and deja vu. An Alice in Wonderland nightmare from which there's no escape. This triggered panic attacks which in term also increased the DP/DR, a negative, self perpetuating circle. Which I've broken now..

[qwerty]

my DP/DR and anxiety totally cured in 2 months without any medication but i did not see a tiny bit improvement in visual symptoms in 1 year.

 

i am dp/dr and anxiety free right now but at the same time i dont have an acceptance for my visuals. i am still believing that they will dissappear. thinking too much about this issue sometimes may cause a sadness but again not anxiety.

[Sam93]

my DP/DR and anxiety totally cured in 2 months without any medication but i did not see a tiny bit improvement in visual symptoms in 1 year.

 

i am dp/dr and anxiety free right now but at the same time i dont have an acceptance for my visuals. i am still believing that they will dissappear. thinking too much about this issue sometimes may cause a sadness but again not anxiety.

Man, I wish my DP/DR had disappeared. Losing your sense of reality and your emotions is losing what makes us human. Mine seems to be improving slowly. Worst symptom aside from the blunted emotions is feeling like I don't have a body. DP/DR really is a physical sensation and not just a mental one, if you understand what I mean, maybe that's just me haha.

I do miss my emotions, ironic but yeah haha.

[miketusa]

Hi mate,

So have you still got the visual symptoms etc since the dpdr has subsided?

I've been experiencing symptoms of HPPD and DP/DR for 4 months now. DP/DR seems to be improving somewhat and I'm getting some emotions back which is all I care about really, the visuals don't bother me.

Yes my HPPD is about 90% visual at this point.

[qwerty]

Man, I wish my DP/DR had disappeared. Losing your sense of reality and your emotions is losing what makes us human. Mine seems to be improving slowly. Worst symptom aside from the blunted emotions is feeling like I don't have a body. DP/DR really is a physical sensation and not just a mental one, if you understand what I mean, maybe that's just me haha.

I do miss my emotions, ironic but yeah haha.

 

Yes bro, first i get hppd i was like a zombie. Extreme guilt, the only sense i was feeling. I know well this condition but i am sure you will be dp/dr free too. My medication was body building. I was feeling very tired but i never missed a day in 3 months and slowly i started to feel like old me. Again i am sure you will be ok too but i cant give any promise about visuals 

[Sam93]

Yes bro, first i get hppd i was like a zombie. Extreme guilt, the only sense i was feeling. I know well this condition but i am sure you will be dp/dr free too. My medication was body building. I was feeling very tired but i never missed a day in 3 months and slowly i started to feel like old me. Again i am sure you will be ok too but i cant give any promise about visuals 

So your DP went away in 3 months from first onset? Well it gives me hope that at least DPDR can go away. I'm tired of feeling like I'm in a dream and the outside world feeling less real. Getting some emotions back though and it's been almost 4 months so far so maybe there's hope!

Yeah I was thinking of starting bodybuilding again, something to focus on and that requires discipline can only help.

Ah, I can live with the visuals, if the dpdr went away I'd consider myself cured.

[cwatson1414]

I wouldn't say I had it go away, but I had it improve to a genuinely livable level. I still knew it was there, it still bothered me in the back of my mind, but I was okay. It took about two years though. I didn't treat myself very well though so that may have contributed. My peace of mind had a lot to do with B-vits. I swear by 'em for HPPD.

I set myself back a long way though. Alcohol can really exacerbate all HPPD symptoms, just saying.

[cwatson1414]

Ah, I can live with the visuals, if the dpdr went away I'd consider myself cured.

Exactly

[Sam93]

This is what I don't understand about DP/DR with HPPD. Some people consider it a seperate condition entirely resulting from the stress/anxiety of HPPD, and some people consider it part of HPPD and due to the overexcitation in the brain.

 

We now know that there have been cases of the DP/DR going away even when visuals have not, but there have also been cases where medications such as Keppra/Clonazepam have improved visuals/dp synergistically, leading one to think that they are linked.

 

I don't suffer with anxiety much at all yet still have a constant level of DP/DR, so it's definitely not anxiety linked.

[StateOfRegret]

And conversely, I suffer from anxiety but not DP/DR (sure, some detachment due to brain fog at times, but not DP/DR).

[Sam93]

Indeed, it's very mysterious. This needs to be looked into further as if it is indeed a seperate condition then treatment would be much different.

 

It is well known that drugs can TRIGGER DP/DR, and one can overcome it with proper treatment, what is not known is if the dissociation is a result of the extra excitation in the brains of HPPD sufferers.

 

What I'm trying to say is that if it is indeed a condition that is 'tied in' with the HPPD pathogenesis itself, then there would be no use trying various therapies and techniques to cure the DP/DR, as the underlying cause would still be there.

[Sam93]

I wouldn't say I had it go away, but I had it improve to a genuinely livable level. I still knew it was there, it still bothered me in the back of my mind, but I was okay. It took about two years though. I didn't treat myself very well though so that may have contributed. My peace of mind had a lot to do with B-vits. I swear by 'em for HPPD.

I set myself back a long way though. Alcohol can really exacerbate all HPPD symptoms, just saying.

 

I notice you talk about it in the past tense, does this mean you are free of DP/DR or even HPPD now, or is that me being overanalytical? haha

[onedayillsailagain]

Yeah it's me haha! Your results from tDCS do sound great, however as it was only around 15 minutes of relief then can we assume that this couldn't be used as a sustainable treatment? Not to take anything away from your results of course. 

I just realized I never responded to this. Well. Visually, no. However.. I suspect that my Frankensteinian device and possible improper placement, combined with the relatively (to HD-tDCS) little focal effect are all be co-factors to why it only lasted so briefly. I'd think that with fine-tuning, it could be used as an effective treatment for depression/dp/dr/anxiety/cognitive dysfunction, most especially once HD-tDCS is refined and available for consumer purchase (or schematics available for construction).

[Sam93]

Well at least there's something in the future that could potentially work. If I had 15 minutes of freedom from DP/DR I'd cherish those 15 minutes more than I'd cherish a lifetime haha. 

 

What would be nice to understand is why stimulating those areas of the brain bought about a relief of DP/DR.

[Dancetrooper]

So i dont know if my DP was induced by the HPPD or if it came naturally just as reaction to this big change , but my DP/DR was away after around 2 weeks....Maybe the depression is caused because you constantly think about HPPD, and at the ending mind you just realized that you fucked it up...you dont accept it and start again to rethink all to find a solution..but youll never find a solution untill you honestly deal with it and start enjoying your life again..Mindfuck

[hppd33]

Well at least there's something in the future that could potentially work. If I had 15 minutes of freedom from DP/DR I'd cherish those 15 minutes more than I'd cherish a lifetime haha. 

 

What would be nice to understand is why stimulating those areas of the brain bought about a relief of DP/DR.

 

Run go run! It will give you peace in mind. In return the DP/DR goes away for a while, while you are high from the run.