- So you've smoked weed,
you've had a bad experience on it,
and now you feel like you're still high
and you can't come down.
Hey everyone,
I'm Shaun O'Connor, author of the Depersonalization Manual.
I suffered from Depersonalization disorder for two years
before I recovered completely.
And in the more than 10 years since,
I've helped thousands of people around the world to recover
with my book, The Depersonalization Manual.
And today,
I'm gonna give you my top 10 tips on what to do
if you've developed Depersonalization from weed.
Let's get started!
(uplifting music)
Drug induced Depersonalization disorder is very common,
and as stronger strains become available,
Depersonalization from weed is becoming incredibly frequent.
The most common situation is that
you've had a bad experience or a panic attack
while smoking weed and now you feel like you're still high
and you can't come down.
You feel unreal or cut off from reality.
You feel like you're in a dream all the time.
You feel like you're outside of your body.
You feel disconnected from your body and emotions.
Time and space can feel distorted,
and the world can look like it's in 2D.
You might still have these feelings hours,
even days later.
And while they can seem strange and frightening,
these are in fact some of the classic symptoms
of Depersonalization.
Depersonalization is one of your brain's natural responses
to stress and trauma.
The feelings can hit you out of the blue
and be very frightening.
But just by understanding a few ideas
and doing a few simple things,
you can immediately start to feel better,
and ensure that it doesn't turn into a long-term condition.
Number 10: Don't Panic.
With these strange thoughts and feelings,
you will feel a strong urge to panic,
but don't worry, you're not going crazy.
It feels weird and frightening,
but for now all you need to understand is,
it is actually a defense mechanism of the brain.
Depersonalization is a perfectly natural response to stress,
it's not permanent and it can't hurt you.
Number Nine: What you are feeling is not the drug.
This is very important.
If you have allowed enough time for the weed
or whatever drug to wear off
and you're still feeling high or unreal,
it's not the drug that's causing the feeling.
There are no persistent traces of the drug in your system,
and the drug hasn't caused any permanent change
in your brain or your perception.
Those things cannot and have not happened.
What you are experiencing is a temporary reaction
to what your brain perceived to be a traumatic event.
For the moment the feelings might persist,
but don't worry, they can't hurt you.
So keep that in mind and stay calm.
Number Eight: Don't take more of the drug.
You might think that smoking weed got me into this,
so smoking more weed might get me out.
This will not work.
Taking more of a drug to cure a condition
that was triggered by that drug
is obviously not a good idea.
If anything, it could actually make things worse.
Number Seven:
Don't drink coffee or other sources of caffeine.
The feelings of Depersonalization can often be confused
with tiredness or thinking that you need to wake up.
Some people sometimes drink lots of coffee
or other stimulants to shake the feelings.
This will not work either.
Believe me,
I did the exact same thing when I first developed DP,
and it only made things worse.
Caffeine will only raise your anxiety levels even higher,
and strengthen the DP.
For now, if you wanna have a drink,
have a glass of sparkling water or a cup of chamomile tea.
Number Six: Don't research the condition.
You will have the urge to dive into Google
and start finding out everything you can about DP.
Looking through every online forum and group that you can,
but don't do this.
What you are experiencing is an anxiety based condition,
and what's guaranteed to prolong it is to concentrate on it
and research it.
When you constantly think about it and obsess over it,
you're only making the condition worse.
Not only that,
but you're bound to come across frightening stories
that will only upset you,
intensify the DP and make you feel worse.
I made the same mistake when I first got DP.
I spent weeks, months researching the condition,
lurking in forums and freaking myself out.
Take it from me, this condition thrives on research.
So don't do it.
Number Five: Distract yourself immediately.
Don't sit around worrying about the condition,
do something else.
Play a video game, play an instrument,
learn a language, do something that engages you.
You might still feel the Depersonalization
for the time being,
but that's okay, it will pass.
The important thing is that you break the chain
of association in your mind that goes from anxiety
to Depersonalization, to panic.
What's the best way to do this right now?
By staying distracted.
Number Four: Be patient.
Depersonalization is your body's natural response
to intense anxiety.
It sounds counterintuitive now,
but it's actually designed to fade away naturally
if you allow it to do so.
If you become frightened
and panicked that it's not going away right now,
that will just raise your anxiety levels
and make the feelings of DP worse.
The best thing that you can do is to be patient.
Accept that it's there for the moment,
but don't focus on it.
Stay occupied, keep yourself busy.
Number Three: Depersonalization is always the same.
People experience this condition all the time
and it's extremely common.
Almost 50% of adults in the US will experience DP at
at least one point in their lives.
It can often happen as a result of trauma, violence,
a car crash, etc.
Most people get it for a few minutes at a time,
ignore it and it goes away naturally.
But even though it can have any number of causes,
here's the important thing, it's always the same.
If you have Depersonalization from weed, or any other drug,
it's the exact same as if the DP was triggered
by a car crash, a panic attack, etc.
Depersonalization and Derealization
from weed or any other drug,
are not a different type of condition.
There's nothing special or different about it,
and the methods to deal with it are exactly the same.
Number Two: Don't feel guilty.
This is not your fault.
You didn't cause this to happen.
Don't get hung up on whether it was that one joint,
or one last drag that did it.
Yes the drug can trigger it,
but DP is an anxiety based condition.
You haven't permanently changed or damaged your brain
or anything remotely like that.
You're not in danger, you're not going crazy,
and this is not your fault.
And Number One: You're safe.
Remember you are safe.
Depersonalization and Derealization,
whether they've been caused by drugs or anything else,
can't hurt you.
Not only that,
but the feelings are actually there to protect you.
They are your brain's natural reaction to intense stress
and anxiety.
And though DP may not be as well known as say,
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or OCD,
it's still extremely common.
So don't worry, you're not alone.
DP can't hurt you.
It won't turn into any other type of condition,
and you haven't done any permanent damage to yourself.
You're safe and sound,
and you can and will get back to normal.
Thanks for watching guys.
If you have any comments or questions,
please leave them in the comments section below
and I'll make sure to answer and help you out.
Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel,
and if you found this video helpful,
please do like and share.
One last thing, 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.
Thanks for watching guys.