Scary Symptom

[[Pa...]]

Basically everything has lost it's familiarity. Whether it be roads, self image, family members, friends or pets. Everything feels so unfamiliar. Each day it's like seeing things for the first time. I can't really build on the previous day either. It's very troubling and it started very early on in my taper and has yet to let up. Has anyone else experienced this? Does it get better?

[[sp...]]

That sounds a lot like dp/dr to me. The stuff that nightmares and bad LSD trips are made of. It's really unpleasant but also pretty common in wd.

 

Edit: dp/dr is short for depersonalization/dealization. I had this go on for about 9 months when I was 19 after mucking around with a lot of psychedelic drugs. Nothing helped, not even benzos, and alcohol actually made it worse. It's one of the more terrifying things I've ever experienced, but it will pass. Don't spend too much time googling it, in my opinion, just stick to simple comforting things. During my bad period I watched a lot of star trek, because I grew up on it so it was very familiar, it's basically calming and happy, and it passes the time. I got through it 45 mins at a time, I could barely manage to work or go to school.

[[Pa...]]

I just wanna break down and cry man but I can't. I took so much for granted.

[[Bi...]]

This is derealisation and depersonalisation, you are experiencing. I have had both. I know, not pleasant at all. I have had the derealisation since July '11, but it comes and goes. It certainly shaves a person's clarity, eh?

 

Here is some info;

 

Psychological symptoms: anxiety** (including panic attacks), depression**, insomnia*, derealisation/depersonalisation* (feelings of unreality/detachment from self), obsessive negative thoughts*, (particularly of a violent and/or sexual nature) rapid mood changes* (especially including outbursts of anger or rage), phobias* (especially agoraphobia and fear of insanity), dysphoria* (loss of capacity to enjoy life; possibility a combination of depression, anxiety, and derealisation/depersonalisation), impairment of cognitive functioning*, suicidal thoughts*, nightmares, hallucinations, psychosis, pill cravings. Note that it is far more common to fear psychosis than it is to actually experience it.

 

You can read more about it in the Ashton Manual.

 

Also-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derealization

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depersonalization

 

Billy.