how long can depersonalisation last?

Question

is there a certain period of time this feeling last's or can it be with you for months? it is a horrible feeling i am having right now and i do suffer with anxiety. i have been feeling strange/unreal for about 8months constant...Everyday i feel weird like im behind some hazy/foggy screen...such a weird feeling....yeh is it normal for this feeling to last 8months?

Regards,

Answer 1

My depersonalization began around Christmas and lasted for about 3 months. It is the most awful feeling I have ever experienced, like you are trapped in a jar and you cannot get out. I felt like I couldn't touch anything around me, I felt that "hazy/foggy screen" separating from the world, spacial distortion, like everything was padded with cotton, and it was driving me mad because I didn't know how to snap myself out of it. It's like a waking dream, well, more like a nightmare. I don't believe there is anything worse than experiencing unreality. For awhile I thought it was Psychosis, but it is not, because Psychotic people don't realize there is anything wrong with them and their distorted reality. The feelings I was having got so bad that I could hardly stand up, it physically manifested itself in such a way that I was having psychosematic aches and pains, visual/perceptual interferences; it wasn't like I saw things that weren't there, but it was like I was constantly intoxicated on some bad psychoactive drug, and I was having a really bad trip.
Depersonalization is often either precipitated by some a great trauma in your life, or it is a symptom of a greater disorder, like Panic Disorder, Depression or Psychotic Depression, Bipolar disorder, etc.
If you have had a trauma, it is likely the feeling will dissipate on its own.
If you possibly have a disorder or if it does not go away, I suggest you take an anti-psychotic for a short period of time, maybe just to snap your synapses back into place. I took Risperidahl. Anti-depressants will help too. However, I don't condone anti-depressants or any drugs, because there is a lot of hidden information about them, they can often cause more problems than you originally had, and if you don't need anti-depressants, you should do everything in your power before you resort to them. But, depersonalization is a severe, serious issue, and is worth risking almost anything to remedy. It is not normal for these feelings to last for 8 months. It is not normal for them to last for 3, it is not normal for them to last at all, for any period of time; we have tapped into something abnormal, something that very few people know about and understand. Many of the doctors I have spoken with didn't believe the condition was anything serious, or they didn't know what I was talking about, they had no idea, and simply diagnosed me as psychotically depressed, because that's the closest thing to what's in the medical book, and all doctors address issues and work off of what they know and learned in school and in their outdated, limiting textbooks. That's one reason why Depersonalization is difficult; doctors are not much help, and you are oftentimes on your own with the disease. Another reason is that the causes, symptoms, and duration of Depersonalization vary so much that it is impossible to find a general idea of how long it would typically last. I've read about cases where depersonalization lasts for 14 years, and cases where it lasts for 5 days. This variability makes it more difficult for you to help yourself, and it makes you discouraged, and disappointed, and it's hard to have hope when you have no idea what's going on and you have no assurance that you'll be okay again. But you have to have hope, and you have to be strong, because there are a lot of options for you, and there are bound to be some people out there who understand you and want to help you, like me. Again, if it does not dissipate, pharmaceutical drugs can help you help yourself.

online self-help support communities for Depersonalization and Derealization helped me a lot:

http://www.dpselfhelp.com/
http://www.dpselfhelp.com/forum/
http://www.dreamchild.net/

Remember that, despite variability, the general prognosis is very good.
"The prognosis for recovery from depersonalization disorder is good. Most patients recover completely, particularly those who developed the disorder in connection with traumas that can be explored and resolved in treatment. A few patients develop a chronic form of the disorder; this is characterized by periodic episodes of depersonalization in connection with stressful events in their lives."

"Treatment and Prognosis

Depersonalization disorder often disappears without treatment. Treatment is warranted only if the disorder persists, recurs, or causes distress. Psychodynamic psychotherapy, behavior therapy, and hypnosis have been effective for some people (see Overview of Mental Health Care: Psychotherapeutic Treatments). Sedatives and antidepressants help some people with the disorder. Depersonalization disorder is often associated with or triggered (precipitated) by other mental health disorders, which require treatment. Any stresses associated with the beginning (onset) of the depersonalization disorder must also be addressed.
Some degree of relief is usually achieved with treatment. Complete recovery is possible for many people, especially those whose symptoms occur in connection with stresses that can be addressed during treatment. Other people with depersonalization disorder do not respond well to treatment, although they may gradually improve on their own."

Stay strong.

Answer 2

A little more info would be helpful to respond to your question.
What initiated the onset?
What does the Dr or counselor say?

Following trauma and a car accident I also felt hazy/foggy, as if behind a screen from reality. Today it is 6 years later. Most of that sense has faded away, but when I am stressed it can return. It can also occur randomly for short periods of time.

I will say that I was/am also treated for Depression. Seeing a psychologist for therapy and a psychiatrist for medications was extremely helpful. I learned ways to deal with my not feeling like it was here and now, ways to lower my stress, and was able to receive coaching as I learned new ways of dealing with my problems. Medications have helped me, but so has the therapy and the lengthening time since my trauma/accident.

I am not Dr. I can't say how long it would last, or if your anxiety has any interplay with your symptoms. Hope you get the help you need.

Answer 3

Depersonalization Disorder Recovery

Answer 4

i have that same problem sometimes and then I will come out of the coma or what not and wonder what in the hell have i been doing. I hate it when it happens because its kinda like emotionally numbing out so I do stupid stuff that i dont really want to do because i cant feel it anyway. Oh and to answer your question no its not normal. A person should feel alive. So maybe try and find someone to talk to and break down what is going and what is making you feel unreal.

Answer 5

Did you ever recover from this?????