Anxiety and derealization

[Codes84]

Hey guys, for the past four weeks I've been suffering badly from constant extreme anxiety and feelings of disassociation from reality. I've been waking up panicking everyday and have feelings all day that the world isn't real. The first few days were a living nightmare where I was having intrusive thoughts about self harm when I was trying to sleep. I went to the doctor a few days after it started and got put on antidepressants, which took a few days to kick in and start working, although they have helped to take the edge off but I'm still having feelings of disassociation from waking up until I sleep. I've had depression for a long time and could still cope and go about my daily life and function but now all of a sudden this has happened and I feel like I cant do anything.

I feel extreme panic when I go out in society. At the cinema or even waiting in line gives me bad heart palpitations and I feel like I'm going to die. My psychologist suggested I start trying meditation which I started last night but in all honesty has made me feel even worse. I've also been having Nystagmus (eyes dart side to side) lately and feelings of vertigo. I'm extremely worried that I will be like this for the rest of my life. What should I do? Has anyone else been through this and come out the other side?

[smallwolf]

Hi and welcome to beyond blue.

I imagine it would be very frustrating and upsetting having these physical feelings relating to anxiety. I had similar experiences at one time though for me it was in the context of opening emails. There were other sensations I also had. I talked to my psychiatrist and over time worked out the best medication for me. Now if the medication is working for you...

I think it is an app called smiling mind that has an SOS meditation.

Meditation can have negative effects for some. And if there are intrusive thoughts you might get upset. But this is something you would chat with your psychologist about. I started with the exercises in virtual hope box. And sometimes it takes a while for something like meditation to work as well.

I don't have any answers and hope some of my rambling thoughts were helpful. Listening to you,

Tim

[JonA]

Hey, I had something similar but to a smaller extent than what you describe.

Medication helps it get better and better over time with antidepressants as they take effect and better effect so that to look forward to. I found taking at night helps the side effects reduce as sleeping but that's just me, talk to your doctor before changing up.

The disassociation sideways the scariest part of my anxiety, I felt like the world wasn't real and driving was like a game. I didn't really care about much and was very blaise about risk. I found it scary the first way out of this was exercising so hard I hurt and the pain put me back into reality more. It made me understand why some people self harm which I spoke to the doctor about (not thinking about doing it but having that feeling and understanding). The doctor prescribed ssri drugs that I took for a month to get out of that cycle. These are apparently addictive so I was in regular meetings with psyc and GP over this time as worried about addiction also.

It does get better, just see a good GP who cares, and if they don't, see another. Good luck!