- There's a lot of confusing information out there
about depersonalization and in particular,
some persistent myths that you tend to hear over and over
especially on forums and discussion boards.
They might seem frightening
but there's very simple explanations for all of them.
Hey everyone, I'm Shaun O Connor,
author of "The Depersonalization Manual."
I suffered with chronic depersonalization disorder
for two years before I recovered completely.
And in the more than 10 years, since then, my book
"The Depersonalization Manual"
has helped thousands of people around the world
to recover from depersonalization disorder.
And today we're going to bust the top five myths
about depersonalization disorder, let's get started.
(bright upbeat music)
Please note that everything in this video refers
to depersonalization and derealization disorder or DPDR.
So if you've been experiencing more derealization
than depersonalization, don't worry,
this video applies 100% to you too.
Myth number five, depersonalization is a bizarre
and unknown disorder.
One of the most frightening myths about depersonalization
is the idea that it's some sort of brand new
unknown disorder that nobody quite understands,
that you're all alone with this and you need to search
to the ends of the earth for an explanation,
if you ever find one that is.
This is 100% a myth.
So why it's true that there has been less research
into DP than other anxiety based conditions,
like say, agoraphobia or panic disorder,
it's not as if we don't know what it is.
Depersonalization is in the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM
which is the medical Bible for mental conditions,
it's known and it's understood.
And all of the evidence around it,
both scientific and anecdotal,
tells us that it's rooted in anxiety.
That's why so many people develop it from panic attacks
and bad drug experiences.
The feelings of depersonalization are actually
a perfectly normal reaction to trauma.
And most people will experience it
at least briefly at some point in their lives.
But for some people, myself included,
what can happen is that they become acutely aware
of the feeling, obsess over it, focus on it
and cause it to persist for longer than it should be there.
And yes, that's a frightening experience
but it's still harmless and temporary,
and most importantly, it's absolutely not a bizarre
and unknown disorder.
Myth number four,
there are different types of depersonalization.
DP is an anxiety based condition
but often when that anxiety is triggered
by different causes, for example, drugs, stress,
panic attacks, people can often jump to the conclusion
that there must be different types of depersonalization,
but this just overcomplicates the condition.
For example, if you've been obsessively looking
through depersonalization forums, which you shouldn't do
you've probably spotted
a few depersonalization recovery stories.
People who have dropped back into the forums, just to say,
"Yep, I got better, I fully recovered."
Now I'll bet that your reaction when reading that
was something like this, "Well, that's great for them,
"but they must have a different type of depersonalization
"to me because I'm not getting better."
At least that was my reaction
when I first saw a post like that.
I thought just as most sufferers do at some point
that there are different types of DP or for example,
that it's easier to recover from stress induced DP
than drug induced DP.
This is 100% a myth.
Depersonalization is an anxiety based condition.
It doesn't matter what the trigger was,
the condition is still the same.
To be clear, in much rare cases,
depersonalization can also occur
as a result of serious head trauma or brain injury.
If you've recently experienced significant head trauma,
then please don't hesitate to speak
to a medical health professional.
But in this context, in terms of DP
as an anxiety based condition,
there are no different types of depersonalization.
Certainly there can be different triggers,
but the condition is always the same
and can be recovered from 100%.
Myth number three, it's impossible to recover completely.
This is a total myth that only exists
in the realm of online depersonalization forums.
Believe me, you'll never meet a single anxiety therapist
who will tell you that recovery from depersonalization
or any anxiety based condition is impossible.
So why would anyone think that or say such a thing?
Well, there's a very simple answer,
the people who say it's impossible to recover
from depersonalization are typically those
who have had the condition for months or years
and who have simply come to that conclusion.
Now, for someone who has just developed DP,
that can be an intensely frightening thing to read.
I remember having a panic meltdown when I first read
on forums that people had this condition
for months or years,
but let's take a look at what's really going on here.
One of the core behaviors required for recovery
from any anxiety based condition
is that you consciously stop focusing on it.
It's like the old Cherokee story
of the good wolf and the bad wolf,
whichever one you feed, the stronger that one will get.
For example, the person who writes, "I've had DP for years"
on depersonalization forums is probably posting regularly
on depersonalization forums, which is something
that will always prevent them from recovering.
Even if you go onto forums, looking for positive information
and with the best of intentions,
you're still actively focusing on the depersonalization
long after it's been of any practical use to you.
You're feeding the bad wolf,
and your behavior is preventing your recovery.
And to be clear, that's not a criticism.
I did all of those things for a long, long time,
all the while, wondering why my constant research
wasn't helping me to recover.
Believe me, I learned that the hard way.
There's also a misconception that there are different types
of DP that could be more serious than others
or that can last for different amounts of time than others.
Neither are true.
People recover fully from depersonalization
and every other anxiety based condition every single day,
and that means 100% recovery.
That means not just having to learn to cope with it.
You can get back to your old life
and you will recover completely.
Myth number two, DP can return at any time.
It can seem scary to think that even if you do recover
from depersonalization, well, it could always just come back
out of the blue and set you back to square one.
But thankfully, that's absolutely not the case
and here's why.
Part of depersonalization recovery is learning to recognize
what it is and how it's connected with the anxiety
that caused it in the first place,
that it's actually just your brain's defense mechanism.
That not only will it not hurt you,
but it's actually there to protect you.
You understand that depersonalization
is just a symptom of anxiety, that's all.
So in the same way that some people with anxiety
will experience heart palpitations,
while others will experience shortness of breath,
some folks will experience feelings of depersonalization.
Once you understand that,
you take away the core of DP's power.
When you understand that it's harmless and temporary,
it simply doesn't make sense for it to be there anymore,
either logically or in a fight or flight sense.
In the same way that when you first experienced it,
it was frightening and unknown,
it now becomes recognizable and understood.
That slows down and eventually stops the feedback loop
of depersonalization and anxiety.
It allows the DP to fade away naturally and completely
just as it should have done
the very first time you experienced it.
So sometime in the future, after you've recovered
if you have another moment of intense stress
and you experience brief natural feelings
of depersonalization, you recognize it,
you know why it's there, you don't panic
that it's something dangerous or threatening.
You know what to do, you understand it,
and you certainly don't focus on it or start to panic.
And with that, the feelings of DP will pass quickly
which is exactly what they're supposed to do.
Myth number one, you'll never really be the same again.
This is completely untrue.
It's a myth that's driven entirely by the anxiety itself.
Personally, I was terrified of this prospect.
Like everyone who develops depersonalization
or any anxiety based condition, I was so scared
of the idea that a switch had been flicked in my brain
and that I was now stuck with this new version of myself
and that I just have to learn to live with it.
Thankfully, this has no basis in reality whatsoever.
No switch has been flicked and you're certainly not stuck
in another type of reality, at least no more so
than feeling nervous before an exam
or getting on a roller coaster.
It's just anxiety triggering a defensive mechanism,
that's being prolonged because you're focusing on it.
Of course the symptoms can feel intense and frightening
at times, but there are no permanent changes in your brain.
This isn't an organic disease
or something that could develop into another condition.
Depersonalization is nothing more
than a temporary habit of thought.
And once it's overwritten,
you will be back to your normal self.
You can and will recover 100%.
If you have any comments or questions,
leave them in the comment section below
and I'll make sure to answer and help you out.
If you want tons more information
on depersonalization recovery,
check out my website at DPmanual.com,
where you'll find everything you need to know
including my complete guide to recovery,
"The Depersonalization Manual."
"The Depersonalization Manual" package contains hours
of exclusive video and audio content
not available anywhere else online.
And you can download and access the files
on any device instantly.
Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel,
and if you found this video helpful,
please do like and share.
Thanks for watching.
(bright upbeat music)