- DP sufferers often report
feeling more depersonalization after drinking.
So can alcohol cause depersonalization?
Can it make it worse, can it make it better?
Hey everyone, I'm Shaun O Connor,
author of "The Depersonalization Manual".
I suffered with chronic depersonalization
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 DP.
And today we're going to answer the question,
can alcohol cause depersonalization?
Let's get started.
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I've heard it from so many DP sufferers,
over the years, they go out to a bar or a club.
They have a few drinks too many
and then they feel more depersonalized for days afterwards.
Personally, I had that exact same experience.
My depersonalization hit me at the age of 25.
I was a pretty sociable guy,
who enjoyed going out and having a few beers.
But when I got DP, that all changed.
For the first few months, I hardly left the house.
Socializing was the last thing on my mind.
But as time went by, I desperately wanted
to get some part of my old life back.
And that meant going out with friends
and having a few drinks.
And interestingly, what I found was that the alcohol
would help me to forget the feelings
of DP for a few hours.
This was incredibly exciting.
For the first time in months,
I felt like I was able to relax a little and enjoy myself.
This usually meant that I wanted to keep partying
until all hours and keep the feelings
of DP away for as long as possible.
But of course the party had to end sometime
and I would pay for it over the next few days.
Heightened feelings of stress, anxiety
and of course, DP would overwhelm me.
I would sink into a depression, thinking I was stuck
in this condition forever, but after a few weeks,
I'd get brave enough to try going out again.
And the cycle would repeat.
Now this may sound like there's some sort
of complex relationship between alcohol
and depersonalization, but as with everything DP related,
the actual explanation is very simple.
So, does alcohol cause depersonalization?
The answer is no.
Alcohol itself doesn't cause depersonalization,
of course it doesn't.
If that were the case,
it would have to carry a mental health warning
and nobody would ever touch the stuff.
People drink to relax and have fun.
And in fact, alcohol usually causes depersonalization
to recede temporarily, why?
Well think about it.
Why is it a social lubricant?
Why does it reduce your inhibitions?
Because it temporarily reduces feelings of anxiety.
As an article from Healthline says,
at first, drinking can reduce fears
and take your mind off of your troubles.
It can help you feel less shy, give you a boost in mood
and make you feel generally relaxed.
In fact, alcohol's effects can be similar
to those of anti-anxiety medications.
Now, remember, DP is an anxiety based condition.
So when your base level of anxiety drops,
so do the feelings of DP.
That's why going out for a few drinks
can be such a relief for sufferers of the condition.
But as we all know,
alcohol also causes hangovers and hangovers cause anxiety
and anxiety causes depersonalization.
This is why people experience depersonalization
after drinking.
DP rarely occurs when the person
is inebriated and having a good time.
It's almost always the result of feeling hungover.
Anxiety is the root cause of depersonalization
and therefore, alcohol reduces feelings
of depersonalization until the hangover kicks in.
Think about the symptoms of being badly hungover, fatigue
and weakness, headaches and muscle aches,
poor or decreased sleep, shakiness, brain fog,
increased sensitivity to light and sound,
dizziness or a sense of the room spinning,
decreased ability to concentrate, increased heart rate
and depression, anxiety and irritability.
Now think about adding those feelings
on top of the anxiety that you already have
with an anxiety based condition.
You'd be doubling, tripling the anxiety levels, right?
And that's what sends people spiraling off
into negative thought patterns for days and weeks on end.
So when somebody says that they've had a few too many drinks
and they feel depersonalized for days afterwards,
that's not a result of the alcohol itself.
It's a result of the anxiety
that comes with feeling hungover.
There's no complicated connection between alcohol
and depersonalization, alcohol causes hangovers,
which can cause anxiety, which can cause depersonalization.
It's really that simple.
Once I figured this out, I made sure that if I did go out,
I'd only have one or two drinks and plenty of water too.
So there'd be no hangover the next day.
I followed this pattern carefully,
at least until I was completely recovered
from depersonalization.
And once you've recovered from DP,
which you can and will do 100%, you can absolutely get back
to your normal habits of socializing, drinking, et cetera
because remember, the alcohol is not the cause.
Anxiety is the cause
and understanding that is the first step
towards your complete recovery from depersonalization.
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".
If you have any comments or questions
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.
Thanks for watching.
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