UNREAL: Life With Depersonalisation Disorder (A Short Film by Joe Perkins) 

every day question... Am I gonna be like this forever? I look forward to dreams. Dreams feel more real than reality

This video is amazing. Anyone who doesn’t suffer really do not understand. From being told “it’s all in your head” or “just don’t think about it”... I’ve been suffering from dpd 4 months now. Constantly checking and hoping I feel real. My surroundings feel real. But they don’t. Having conversations then completely forgetting what it was about 10 minuets later. No longer being able to enjoy life like you use to. It’s all so so real and so so distressing. I hope more awareness is made so people realize it’s not in our heads. I’m 19.. my life shouldn’t be taken away from me at 19. Update: 1 year later and I’m only seeing most of these replies. Thankfully with some good news. After suffering for what felt like forever my body slowly turned back to itself. I can happily say I am dpdr free! I have my bad days but I’ve thought myself to control over impulsive thoughts when it “heightens”. Thanks for all the lovely replies and I hope you all recover, have hope, it gets better 💕

Emotional numbness is very difficult it’s like my mind is blank and empty of thought like I’ve lost my personality and who I am.

'sleep is the only time my mind is at peace'... That one hit hard

It goes away. Good luck to everyone that still has this.

I’m 18 and I’ve had dpdr for as long as I can remember. That final sentence hit me hard cuz I realized I have absolutely no hope of ever “waking up”. Honestly I hardly even remember what a “normal” perception of reality is like.

20+ years 24/7 ive been suffering from this that "wake up" part of the video hit so hard it made me cry it's a beautiful video man. Hope we all get back to normal someday. Someday I will wake up!

For me is like being drunk 24/7, I can still feel everything from emotions to pain but it feels unreal

Joe, I am fighting back tears right now because my 25 y/o Son suffered for eight (8) long years with DPD. As he battled the severe Depersonalization, he fell into extreme depression which was followed by drug use, three unsuccessful suicide attempts and then on June 15th, 2017 he wrote his Mom and me a "Good-Bye" letter and intentionally Over-dosed, which left him brain-dead and ultimately he donated his heart and liver to some more elderly men here in the NJ / NY area. Your Doc / Film here is simply the BEST thing I've seen or read to help describe the disorder to the people who do NOT understand it. I applaud you for your work. SOmeday I hope the Psychiatric community will research the disorder, because more and more people are getting it from strong weed, MDMA, drugs, trauma, etc. etc.....GREAT JOB MY FRIEND - SO SORRY YOU HAVE TO SUFFER WITH DPD......Please hang in there is all I can say !! May someone or something BLESS YOU!

8 years for me. We all deserve a medal,a million dollars and a model girlfriend for the amount of suffering we've had to endure. Great video btw.

I watch this video every day just to know I’m not alone

I’ve experienced this for over ten years. I can’t begin to explain how scared I was in the beginning, how crazy I felt and no matter what I did made it go away. Years of being confused and feelings alone no matter how many people in my life cared for me. They all saw someone that seemed so normal and would never even guess for a second that i was dealing with this internally. No matter how bad it was to me, everyone else only saw a person that functions the same as them. I’ve learned that this makes us more human and for same then any other that doesn’t suffer with this. Because the emotions they run away from and want to wish away we the sufferers of this chase more then anything else. We want to be what everyone else denies and doesn’t want to feel. The good and the bad because this has taught me how to see the positive in anything. I wouldn’t trade places with anyone for even a second because I know I was lucky to turn out this way. I help people deal with their problems and emotions because I understand them more then I should. But I ask myself everyday how I can understand something that I haven’t felt in over a decade. Depersonalization makes you understand all of people’s feelings because being detached from them makes it where it can’t hurt you no matter how close the danger seems. I want to help people so they can never even come close to feeling what this is like. Something that makes us feel as we aren’t real, we are watching our lives play out as if we are watching it inside our own heads in a movie theater, but at the same time feel as if we are floating above our own bodies, blurred vision and having an autopilot, time never seeming to take as long as it should and waking up to look in a mirror and see a human look back at you that you feel you don’t even know. Accepting all of that was harder then it should have but once I did I learned so much about myself and everything around me. There’s an end to this hallway of confusion, you may not see an end but it’s there. What you also don’t see is others in your life that also deal with this. I’ve met a number of people like us and it helps to know that you aren’t alone. Helping each other can show us the way out of this darkness because someone else might have a spare battery for that flashlight that died without you noticing. You aren’t alone and the more you realize that the better it gets, because the way out isn’t a door just for you but for the people you meet along the way that also deal with this. Just have to look for them, because they might be someone you care about. Hiding this isn’t going to help, it only makes it worse.

been dealing with this for 4 years now i fear ill never come back

Made me cry... Lived with this for 7 years now.. Every day. Every waking moment... And no one understands. so this really hit my heart. and made me FEEL.

This made me cry. I’ve been feeling like this for a year and a half now and I didn’t know what it was until now.

This is beautifully made bro...pls hang in there. I know the unfathomable pain this disorder creates, but we will see the light one day!

Hi have had this condition for a year now. It is a severe disability. My life has completely changed. But with the help of Allah I stay strong and continue with life as best as possible.

I've had depersonalisation for more than half of my life and it's devastating to think of how much I've lost because of it. It's robbed me of my potential in terms of education and work ambition, it's impacted friendships, and I worry that it'll someday take my relationship too. I relate to this video so much, from the way that you experience depersonalisation to the way that others perceive you - people can never quite believe that I have this condition, I'm so bubbly, I'm so happy! But the closer they get, the more apparent my detachment is - I can come across as distant, rude, or like I'm not listening. It's a tremendously difficult condition to live with, and I wouldn't wish it on anybody...that said, there is something unifying in discovering that there are other people out there who, too, suffer with depersonalisation, and it does help me to feel less alone. I've struggled with this condition for so long: I've fought to understand my own emotions (or lack thereof); I've fought for a diagnosis for years (and have been persistently misdiagnosed/told that I feel 'sad' or 'low' - I wish more doctors would listen when I say I simply feel nothing at all!); I've spent a fortune on private therapy because, for some reason, doctors don't want to let me try any medication other than Sertraline because, if that doesn't work, nothing will. I do feel as if a lack of discussion around depersonalisation is a huge part of the problem, though I am encouraged by other people's stories that they have been able to try various forms of medication or therapy (to varying levels of success). It encourages me to keep trying. I disagree with a previous comment that somebody left about this being a 'self-pity' disorder - if one thing is for certain, it's that I am determined to beat this thing and I am hellbent on not letting it get in the way of my life. I'm 26 and I feel myself getting older every day; I'm aware of how much I've lost as a result of my depersonalisation, but over the last couple of years I've been trying my best to reignite that light inside of me. To engage in old hobbies. To see the world. To be more social, more connected, more present. It's an uphill battle, and it's certainly difficult to disregard that I have this disorder (how can I stand in the middle of Shibuya, Tokyo, under neon lights, but everything still feels muted..?), but I'm trying my best. I don't pity myself with this disorder; I'm increasingly determined to beat it. But as I said before, the conversation around it needs to improve - whether socially, or in the world of medicine and therapy (one therapist called me an 'anomaly' for feeling this way for so long - not exactly helpful!). This is a very valuable, clear video, Joe - I know I'm a couple of years late to the party, but thanks for sharing.

Excellent video, thank you. I've had DPDR since I was 7. I'm now 55. I do have brief periods of 'clarity' but always returns. This video is the closest to explaining depersonalisation although I still have extreme derealisation at times which is when I stay home. Little tip, if you feel like people can see there's something wrong with you (although they can't) I find that wearing sunglasses seems to help me with confidence to go outside. Thanks again I'll be showing this video to those who know of my condition to help them try to understand. Best wishes 💜

this is absolutely amazing, i’m been suffering dpd for 7 months now, such a scary world i’m living in right now. forever wishing life goes back to normality. thank you for this video, it explains it so much

I have DP for 1 year now and this video definitely nail it. Somehow, it's releasing To know that you're not alone. This trouble is terrible, it's like you're anchored and you have to watch everyone around you keep walking forward. Thanks for that video it could make my surrounding understand my feeling, i hope that you'll heal. COURAGE

Thank you! Great job describing the day to day of it. 17+ years now. But mine started as severe PTSD...most of the PTSD symptoms are gone...my body is pretty relaxed and I don’t pay much attention to the DPDR...it’s just an annoyance that it’s still lingering because I’m ready for life. What helped there most with my ptsd symptoms has been Neurofeedback...I’ve recently started back up again focusing on left brain right brain stabilization. Random memories from my past keep popping in everyday which tells me my brain is beginning to connect again. Don’t know how long it will take to fully get there, in reality, but it’s soon enough. Everyone is different and it takes people different therapies and amounts of time to heal. Good luck to all. 💗

It FEELS SO STRANGE.. But.. i tell myself its ok bc ill make it through.. Ugh. Greyscale life. But I'LL BE STRONG!

*DON'T LOSE HOPE* I suffered from depersonalization/derealization/horrible anxiety for several years when I was is in my '20s; every fucking day was like a bad dream for me. But I eventually pulled out of it. I'm not exactly mentally "well" now, but at least I'm no longer walking around in a nightmare.

I would probably wish death on someone before I ever wish this on them.

This video contains many words I've wanted to say for so long... So so long

My derealization started around the beginning of the pandemic and has continued to this day :(

i can feel ur pain,i have this for 3 years now and its really frustating when other say that its just in ur head and when they say its just a thought

I'm so happy I found this video! I didn't know what kind of problem I have until I found that word: Depersonalisation. It's terrible not being able to feel anything. I just feel numb and dream of becoming the old me. Back then, before I had this problem, I had emotions and saw the beauty everywhere, but not anymore. I don't have a simple depression, that's what my doctors have been telling me the whole past year.

Jesus, Joe. I had no idea. Your gear reviews are killer. I get overwhelmed when I think about what the other 8 billion people on earth are doing and what I'm missing out on, but from time to time I truly enjoy being in the wonders of nature or deeply connecting with my wife, my 2 year old son or my best friend. Most of the time I'm just going through the motions of the day to day daily grind, but nothing I'm enduring compares to your daily struggles. All I can say is thanks for your bravery in sharing this with us, and I truly hope things get better for you in the future. Cheers! :)

Genius film mate.

Its hard to explain it to people who dont go through it. Most people of I told them would call me insane but I wouldnt wish this upon my worst enemy.

had this for 27 years. back in the early 90s no one knew what I had neither did the doctors. I wandered for a decade not knowing and lonely af. I wasn't properly diagnosed until over a decade ago. iv just made peace with it. nothing works or fixes it. I'd love to feel real again just for one hour. it's all I ask.

Brother Joe, I did not know you were suffering. I'm so sorry. I did not know such a problem existed. Thanks for sharing and educating me on this. Sending good vibes and prayers to you and all who suffer from this. Please know that you are not disappearing in so many eyes. All the best. 😔 🙏

every day I dream in my sleep ..in days also(when I sleep in day time) ...they seem to be so real ... I hope one day i will beat this shitty situation ..and regularly taking medicines since 2015 ..hope for the better tomorrow....i know its curable ...so make yourself busy doing you like without thinking about dpdr..just make yourself busy..dont think too much about this definatly you will beat this ....

I am 42 years old, I have always been like this, but I have learned to enjoy this state.

When said people can't people you going to a mental hospital my heart jumped. Thats exactly me everyone thinks I'm fine cause I can smile and laugh. I manage bills heck I'm a asstinance manager for crying out loud but inside nothing. I even have trouble loving my kids. Like I'm not living my own life or I can't feel my own emotions. I just found out I have this. I know it must have been hard to film this but thank you so much really. To have a video to show myself and others what i go though is so much greater then any meds. Thank you and stay strong it will get better.

This is how I exactly feel every single day, brilliant!

Very relatable. I only started experiencing dpd about 2 months ago, and it was very scary in the beginning. Such a crazy feeling that Is so hard to explain. I felt like I was crazy when I was trying to explain it to other people. Grounding techniques help somewhat, but I'm just ready to feel 'normal' again.

This video describes really well dp/dr disorder... I’ve suffered from dp and dr for almost 4 years now (and I still do). It’s really hard, I ask myself everyday, I wonder if I’m gonna feel real again one day, I wonder if everything I did during those 4 years are actually real, if all those people I met during this long period, are real... I wonder if im crazy, if I made up all of this... I feel less and less like an actual person, I feel so fvckin tired of this sensation. I don’t recognize myself anymore, I feel like I’m watching a movie, everyone is just so...weird. Everyone feels alien-like... when I look at my own hands, I don’t even know if they are mine?? Well, logically, they are mine, but it just doesn’t feel like it??? I don’t know how to explain that, you should experience dp/dr to understand... Sometimes I just think about taking my own life, i think it would be easier like that. This feeling is so so scary and I hope that someday, I’ll wake up from this nightmare. Not only me, but also you, you are not alone. Don’t ever forget that dp/dr is not your enemy, but only an overprotective friend. Don’t forget that you are not in danger, you are safe. You’re not alone. You’re not crazy. We’re all going through this. So please, don’t give up. I know you can do it. I love you. ❤️

i had this feeling but now I'm ok and back to reality. Prayers and reading the bible really help.

this video is the only video that will ever fully describe what its like

This disorder is the most scary thing I ever experienced

This video is on point, thank you for doing it and opening the eyes for many many people. Hang in there 😀

Takes guts and braveness to put this out there, good on you...I suffer from some stuff myself, my days are a struggle in different ways. I feel for you and I think I can empathize...we all have our own crosses to bare, the only choice we have is to push forward and do our best, we can’t be so hard on ourselves. Watching the vid made me think of the Radiohead song How To Disappear Completely. This condition clearly needs more public awareness, you’ve definitely helped in that regard. And you’re a personable/well spoken and talented guy, take comfort in your strengths and the gifts that you possess. In the end, we’re all just trying to get through and do the best we can...kudos to you, you’re not alone.

This video had me in tears, It put feelings that I've felt for years in actually words, and the imagery explained it beautifully. Thank you for saying what so many have trouble saying.

Once I suffer of that thank God that sensation is gone 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

I hate the fact that i relate to everything said in this video. I don't really know where to get help. I'm still only a minor, just a teen I shouldn't have to be going through this at my age

5yrs and counting. Perfectly explained. Glad to know I'm not crazy

You made my eyes cry

I've had it for a few years. I'm much better now because I did something fundamental to get better with this condition...not pay attention to it. When you spend a ton of time in this state you just have to let it become your new normal and stop fighting it. The more you fight it, the more you will notice it.

I'm 25, and I remeber glimpses of reality until 5, I just accepted it and continued with my life. Two years ago I found out the term DPDR and ever since tried to explained it to my friends and family, most of them wouldn't understand of course. I recently was told there is a therapy called EMDR which can help with traumas and perhaps make me feel the world again.

Sorry to hear you've had DPD for over a decade. I first began to experince chronic DPD 9.5 months ago and it made me suicidal for the first 4 months. It's a trip man, very wild stuff. Anyways thanks for making this video and sharing it.

Dont forget guys... Its temporaily and u will recover, but u have to work on yourself

To all of you suffering from this condition, healing is possible without meds

ive been like this since i was small there are days when i dont know why to anything, days when i look at myself like a stranger, im an actor in a play that i dont recgonise. One day enough will be enough im glad finally there are other people that have this and maybe it will be a recognised disorder but for me it will all be too late

The last few worlds really hit home for me. This existence is like being on a train that is constantly increasing in speed and travelling forward, yet when I reflect on it all- nothing has happened differently; all is the same... I am still on a train that is constantly increasing in speed and moving forward.

This video was perfectly done! I just float thru life, haven't accomplished anything, always wonder "am I going crazy?" Or "will I be like this forever?" The last second of the video hit me hard cuz I do this every day as well, "I just hope one day I will wake up!"

Wow, so different from my experience. It helps to hear someone else's experience.

idk if this is just me but it puts my hearing into a scenic mode, like my brain flips a switch after i talk and it sends me into heavy dissociation, it’s hard to explain really, just imagine saying something and then detaching from yourself so bad that you feel like u didn’t say what u just said and someone else did

I've had derealization since 2011. It's been an ass kicker but it has also forced me to grow and improve in ways I wouldn't have otherwise. It still sucks, but just have to keep hoping for relief one day. Thanks for this video, man. You're not alone!

Wow this video really hit home. Had this for 3 years I wake up every morning with one thought has it gone yet. I honestly don’t know how I function at times. It’s a constant battle, that so far I like to think I’m winning but I honestly can’t put up with this for ever. I look forward to hitting my head on that pillow so I can get be at peace with my mind

Thank you for sharing. Know that you are helping others, even more than you know....even if it doesn't feel like it.

Thanks for this video. My girlfriend is going through this and it's given me a better understanding. I hope that you're able to get through this.

You've managed to explain this with words. Very well done

Everyday feels like today. Like presence

This is a great video by a great guy. I highly appreciate all your work. Stay strong, Joe! ❤

You hit the nail on the head perfectly. Have been dealing with it for over a year and a half now. DPDR makes it so I'm barely observant anymore. Like, I didn't even notice that you're not American until the @4:15 mark where you're driving on the left side of the road and I started to get anxious because I thought you were on the wrong side and were going to get in an accident, but then I kept watching and my brain finally processed that your accent is different than mine. And then I realized that you weren't on the wrong side of the road where you live... *sigh* Anyways, thank you for this video. It's really nice to know I'm not alone in this everyday fog and emotionlessness. God bless you and Jesus loves you.

Yesterday I got high and it felt more real than my usual self.

I'm a nurse and have experienced this for 4 months. I believe its stemed from chronic anxiety and panic disorder. Its horrible. Constant fatigue too. I keep feeling my blood sugar is low..but it isn't. And blood tests normal. But it happens to me at work too and my work is stressful.

Man thank you for this video. This really helps to explain to people what it is. Although even this video dosnt truly explain what it's like.

I’ve known I had severe disassociation since I briefly looked into the condition last year as I was looking into Borderline after being diagnosed with that (BPD) at the VA. This morning, while reading one of my books on the affects of parent(s) with narsisism, I ran across the different disassociation disorders and was surprised that I was never diagnosed. I’ve known I’m different for a long time now. Ive detailed to clinicians my recounts of staring at my self from above at an angle like I was in a movie. Also, not being in touch with feelings. I mean, I could check every box and not just occasionally. This is everyday. I don’t understand why more clinicians are not trained in detecting this disorder. Well, it’s good to know

This has been happening to me for around 6 months now ! I had generalized anxiety for some years and suddenly this happened to me ! I have not shared this feeling to anyone cause it's so hard to describe at all ! I have been doing meditation for some months now and with spiritual enlightenment ,which I am trying to pursuit , I hope it will get better oneday ! The feeling out of it is nothing else except numbness and when you feel that way , it's hard to focus on goodness ! I hope no human suffers and in these hard tims we need to be more Loving and telling ourselves we are here not forever ! Absorb the pain that comes out of it and One day We are gonna win over it! Bless you all

I've been struggling w this for like two years and I've never been able to put it into words as well as you did here,thank you so much for helping those struggling w this feel less alone ❤

Maybe the best explanation and description of the condition. I'm so sorry you, and so many of us, live like this.

Oh my god. “Can’t watch the video anyways so why film it?” Exactly!!

Thank you so much for this video. It's the closest thing to a true explanation I've heard, although I still say it's completely impossible to know what it feels like unless you've experienced it. I'm 62, and have suffered with it for no less than 35 years, after I had electroconvulsive therapy for post natal depression. I knew something was badly wrong then, and I know something is badly wrong now. I felt detached and my head felt empty, as if my self had disappeared. This feeling will never go now. I will never be normal again. I feel helpless. I just try to get through each day as best I can, and tick another one off when I crawl into bed each night.

Why did I know this kid would be a metalhead??? It's terrifying how much I relate to this, especially that he's a Metalhead called Joe...

Very good video and sums up all my thoughts exactly. I've had this twice the second time being 4 years and counting. It's truly awful and wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I look in the mirror and I have no clue who i am facing... I can't recognize myself, I am somewhere there, but lost .. May God help us all ! ❤️

Joe, you are incredibly eloquent in describing this condition. I am 52 years old and have been suffering from it since the age of 13. I hope you can take some hope if I tell you that from the age of around 30 I had longer periods where I managed to feel alive, at least to 60 to 80% of what I think living life without DP/ DR must be like. if percentages are anything to go by. Therapy and medication did absolutely nothing for me, only relentless ignoring of the DP and DR symptoms and going on with life best possible is what helped. Best regards from Germany!

I had dpdr without a break for 3 years. I wasn’t even human after a while, disconnected completely. Coming back to reality now at 19 feels incredible, I thought I was completely a goner but oh my god I have a grasp on reality again and I did it myself! It’s doable and worth it. Part of recovery for me was accepting life with dpdr. Even if my whole life was a haze, I was going to live it regardless.

i just started crying as soon as you started saying all the stuff you did, i go to the doctors and when i tell them about a constant fog over my eyes and i feel like im not here but i know i am they tell me nothings wrong with me or they dont know why and give me anxiety and depression medication to try 'help' me thats all i get and its destroying everything i know i love, i broke down acouple weeks ago to my girlfriend because i didnt know how i felt i kept telling her i want to end it because im not sure if i love her but i know i do i just physically cant feel that one thing that brought us so close in the first place, if someone who knows about the disorder or even you who made the video please reach out and text me back i think it would be good for me to talk to someone suffering from it, i just really dont know what to do with myself so please anyone just comment i would really appreciate it!!!!

Good job sir, this was accurate!

He Put into words something I've struggled to for a long time. And the ending really hit me hard don't skip to the end. Watch the video uninterrupted and feel the thing return that was taken from you. The read more gives the answer. . . . . . Color.. the vibrance and the beauty.

This was amazing and so accurate.

Came here from your guitar effects channel. Wasn't aware of this condition before. My heart goes out to you. Thanks for sharing. Reading the comments, I'd like to make an observation. What goes on in our heads IS REAL. Our thoughts are underpinned by 'real' biochemical processes. Descartian dualism is a heap of nonsense. Anyone saying 'it's not real, it's all in your head' misunderstands the nature of reality and existence. I truly wish you find the sense of self you seek. 🤗

I can’t believe how productive you are! While I do not have what you do, and I’m old now. I got a movement disorder that prevents me from sleeping for 8 weeks at a time. The results are similar to what you are going through. I wish you the best and your channel keeps me going, so thanks! ❤🎉

It’s crazy that you never know what someone’s going through. I usually go to your channel when I feel like crap as your videos are always high Vibrational for me , keep on Truckin !

I've had this on and off since taking ecstacy when i was 19 (36 now). It seems to rear its head whenever any life event occurs. Only thing I can get pleasure from is weed smoking which I'm pretty sure isn't helping. Its led me to spend my 20s hiding in my childhood bedroom, and losing all my friends and any hope of a relationship/family. It got better but was still there a few years ago when I stopped smoking weed and got into cycling and I managed to at least get myself into stable (relativley well paid) employment and my own place. Since I injured my knee and couldn't ride my bike in 2019 I started smoking again, then covid came and its been constant pretty much ever since. Going to attempt to stop smoking again, buts its the only bit of pleasure I have in my life at the moment, but even that doesn't make me feel better it just stops me caring that I've wasted my youth fighting my own head.

I can't remember much but the things I do remember are being seen in a birdseye view perspective like I'm witnessing it in someone else's eyes watching me do something and because I don't remember much I feel like the people that I've known my whole life are strangers. idrk but when he was describing how things pass by in an instant but very slow it's wild that I understand that completely.

Gracias por este vídeo! No se puedo describir mejor este trastorno. Mil gracias por enseñar al mundo como nos sentimos

You have described the horrible 24/7 feeling very well. When I have it, I cannot function at all. I can't eat or anything. So the only part I cannot relate to is getting on with it, despite the horrible disconnect. Also, I do feel. I feel completely in a panic state 24/7. Thankfully, I have it under control but it has happened again and again. It is always a part of me now and I have to be careful and still it's scary as hell to think this will happen again to the point I can't get out of it.

This is a great documentary and might be an eye opener to those who dont go through it and dont understand. It is true that you have to go through it to understand what it's like. The good news for everyone is that DPD does not get any worse than it already has been, and it does not cause dementia or anything of that sort. The best relief from this disorder is to just look at your hand and count how many fingers your holding up. This sort of helps but I wish there was a cure. Wish us luck in finding a cure. Cheers.

Thank you Joe for sharing this with us. I never knew about this 😢 I'm so sorry you and others have to go through this. I will be praying for you Joe 🙏

I’m in a group on Facebook with over 9000 followers I recommend your video because like me I didn’t know how to explain my symptoms and what I felt to anyone didn’t want them to think I was crazy , so your video help my teacher/Counselor get an idea . Thank you and hopefully everyone comes and takes a look at your video thank you so much and god bless!

This video was really powerful. I’ve had depersonalization 24/7 for 6 years now. I woke up with it after having too much weed. It hasn’t gone anywhere since. I had depersonalization for a few years in middle/high school and I did recover somehow. However I don’t know if I’ll ever recover this time.

Im going on 30 years of this. Keeping the body moving faster than the mind is key. Do your hobbies as best you can, it helps.

I know this video is a tad old but its nice to see everyone else talking about their experiences in the comments. I'm currently 21 and have had dpdr as long as I can remember. For most of my life I knew there was something very off, but I couldn't put it into words, so I couldn't figure out what the issue was. I don't think it'll ever go away for me, but that's alright! I've accepted who I am and the strange way I experience life. Of course it gets in the way, and that can be very upsetting, but that's also ok! I live for the good moments, those short bursts of happiness. Like a friend telling you a great joke, or a wonderful surprise gift. And for anybody experiencing chronic symptoms like me, stop telling yourself there's something wrong with you, that you're broken, etc! We're just different, and there's not a single thing wrong about that ♥️

Not kidding when I say I am bawling my eyes out right now. Everything Ive been feeling for weeks you put in to words. Feelings that I myself struggle to put in to words. I just wanna feel normal man this sucks.