Vix-

I know exactly what you are going through. It is hard to find a Dr. that understands what you are talking about. It seems as though on the online world, many people understand, but why cant a doctor? Its hard to diagnose DP because dp can acutally be a part of different mental disorders. I have been diagnosed, but I have no tips becuase Im still trying to find whats going to work best for me. I have been having the same DP episode for over a year myself, and I understand where you are coming from. Have you tried any different types of treatment yourself?

It isn't in the DSM yet. Cambridge has done the most research so your docs are not up to speed in their journals or don't want to touch it until it is included in DSMV. We have been at DSM !V for decades. Its new hun. Very real and quantified but new in psychiatric terms. Bi polar was called Manic Depression in the DSM III when I was diagnosed in 1986. Now its Bi polar 1 2 and 3. Since 1986 I've added to my esteemed list of DX PTSD, Anxiety disorder, Agoraphobia, BPD and now DP. Its the damn insurance companies unwillingness to pay for anything new.

Yep thats exactly right! Im just sooo frustrated. Ive been told that I have so many freakin disorders, but whats so hard for my Pdoc to understand is that it all stems from one thing..DP! The only problem that I hade before DP came into the picture for me was mild OCD. I have a fear of vomit ( I know, Crazy) and that is a form of OCD. Since DP has came into the picture, I now have severe anxiety, for fear of living my life like this day to day forever, my OCD is through the roof, because I feel that I cannot control myself, and Depression because I am depressed from the symptoms of DP. I just dont know what to do.

I am actually on this bored for help through my divorce, but I happened across this board and I wanted to let you know that I know what you are going through. I suffered with DP for nearly two years (though it felt like about 50). I had strong feelings of derealization and spent my time in a strange twilight existence. I felt like everything was part of some very long dream. I would look at people who I knew for years, yet somehow they seemed foreign to me, like they were strangers. I would look in the mirror and I felt like I didn't know the guy looking back at me.

This was in the days before the World Wide Web, so research was difficult, if not impossible. I truly felt that I was alone. I thought if I hadn't already lost my mind I was definitely going to lose it at any moment.

Then I came across a small paragraph on depersonalization in a college psychology textbook. I finally went to a psychologist, but didn't tell him what I found in the book. He immediately told me it was depersonalization and prescribed Xanax. The Xanax did nothing. We then went to Prozac and I had a pretty bad experience with it. Finally, we tried Paxil and that did the trick. After nearly two years, I finally felt grounded on the same planet as everyone else. This doesn't mean that Paxil will work for you or Prozac and Xanax won't, I just thought you might like to hear a story from someone who has recovered. I have occasional "relapses" but they are short-lived and I deal with them knowing that they will go away. Hang in there. You're not crazy, you're not going crazy, and there are people out there who know EXACTLY what you're talking about.

Feel free to message me if you have any questions or just want to talk about what you're going through. Believe me, I know how scary it can be.

Also, there is a film (not a particularly great film, I'll admit) called "Numb" starring Matthew Perry. The guy who wrote the film actually suffered with DP for a good portion of his adult life. It has its moments, but it's not a perfect representation.

***please note that the first paragraph should read "...I am on this board..." not "...this bored." :)

with this disorder you definitely have to be pro-active when it comes to doctors or meds when finding a doctor you need to ask questions before settling on a doctor you need to find out how long has this person been practicing, have they ever treated anyone with a dissociate disorder. you definitely want to find a doctor with experience not someone who is fumbling in the dark to help you, i know it can be hard there are not a lot of doctors with experience with this. there is a really good book i read called the "Stranger in the Mirror" i found this to be very helpful also there is a site with info plus a test to see how severe it is, as well as a link to help you find doctors locally. http://strangerinthemirror.com/index.shtml as for treatment there is no one right way, one way may work for one person but not for another, sometimes several methods are needed, combinations of medication, and therapy. if what your trying doesn't work keep trying different methods. i wish i could say i have ever talked to, met, or heard of anyone completely cured of this, but it does get easier when you find something that works.