DPDR Stories: What a Depersonalization Episode Actually Feels Like

DPDR Stories: What a Depersonalization Episode Actually Feels Like (Real Examples)

One of the hardest parts of living with Depersonalization‑Derealization Disorder (DPDR) is that it often *can't* be fully described by clinical terms. And yet, when you're in it, you know something is deeply wrong: you feel unreal, detached, dream-like — but you're still functioning.

Here are real stories from people who've been there, followed by patterns many recognize—and what actually helped them survive and recover.

Real Voices: What It Felt Like

Story 1 – From a user on r/Anxiety:

"DP/DR (Depersonalization and Derealization) is not and is never permanent… It will and can go away 100%. … Everything feels (and looks) either too close or too far away from you, environments are distorted."
— Reddit user (r/Anxiety) How I Overcame DPDR…

Story 2 – From a user on r/DPDR:

"I've pretty much recovered from depersonalisation/derealization … My most severe symptoms were intrusive thoughts about existence, life, and reality. … The biggest thing I can say is that dpdr is essentially anxiety."
— Reddit user (r/DPDR) I've pretty much recovered from depersonalisation/derealization

Story 3 – From a user on r/Derealization:

"I was just wondering – what is your derealization story? … I was at a sleepover … I did weed for like the 3rd time … then it hit me. I really can't ever forget that night … I was so lost, the worst feeling in my life."
— Reddit user (r/Derealization) Your derealization story

Story 4 – From a user on r/Dissociation:

"100% recovered from weed induced DPDR … The first several months were the worst… Up until about 1.5 years it bothered me where I was thinking about it most days. … I would say about 2 years I no longer bothered me."
— Reddit user (r/Dissociation) 100% recovered from weed induced dpdr

These stories demonstrate how intense, varied, and personal the experience of DPDR can be—from foggy perception, to full detachment, to gradual recovery.

Common Triggers & Patterns

Reading through many stories, several triggers and patterns appear again and again:

• High anxiety, panic, or an abrupt change ("the world changed overnight"). Example: Story 3.
• Substance use (weed, alcohol) or major lifestyle shift. Example: Story 4.
• Persistent fear of "What's happening to me?" which triggers a feedback loop. Example: Story 1 & Story 2.
• Feeling disconnected from self, environment, time, or memory—not just "feeling weird."
• Recovery often begins when fear and avoidance reduce, not necessarily when symptoms vanish entirely.

What an Episode Can Look Like — Step by Step

To help you recognize an episode (or validate what you're going through), here's a composite walkthrough built from real-stories:

1. You wake up normally but something feels slightly off — maybe your hands feel odd or you're more aware of your heartbeat.
2. Your surroundings start looking wrong — the room seems flat, your body feels distant, the clock ticks too slow or too fast.
3. Your thoughts get fuzzy — words won't come easily, you keep replaying things in your head, you feel like you're watching yourself doing life.
4. You start thinking scary things: "Is this real? Am I going to be like this forever?" You try to test reality over and over.
5. Fear spikes → anxiety rises → symptoms worsen → a feedback loop begins. Many people describe this as the turning point.
6. You start avoiding things: social interactions, mirrors, driving, work. Your world shrinks and you feel stuck in limbo.
7. Either you begin to take small actions (grounding, therapy, self-care) or you stay in this loop longer. Many stories mark this as the turning point of recovery.

How People Navigate and Survive Episodes

Here are techniques people in the stories say helped them:

• Grounding with senses: "Holding my face in a bowl of cold water is my #1 go-to."
• Shifting from fighting to noticing: "I stopped fearing it … if you notice it but aren't scared of it, it will start slowly reducing in strength."
• Small action despite fog: Walking, changing scenery, socializing even when you don't feel "right." Many recoveries mention this.
• Tracking and understanding triggers: Knowing what came just before, "why did this start now?" changes the narrative.

When You're Out of the Episode — What to Do Next

After surviving an acute phase, here's what many people do to stabilise long-term:

• Reflect on what triggered it: sleep, substances, stress, major life shift.
• Tell someone you trust: talking reduces isolation and shame.
• Make small routines: sleep, meals, movement — even when you don't feel like it.
• Have your grounding tools ready ahead of time — know what you'll do the next time it hits instead of scrambling.
• Avoid the "Why is this still happening?" spiral. Overthinking the symptom intensifies it. Keep actions simple and consistent.

You're Not Alone — And These Episodes Can Improve

If you're amidst an episode right now, it can feel like you've been thrown into another dimension where nothing feels familiar. The good news from these stories: many people do improve.

"DP/DR … is not and is never permanent … It will and can go away 100%." — Story 1

That doesn't mean it's easy, or that every person's timeline is the same. But it does mean hope is realistic. With the right tools, understanding, and time, many people reconnect with life, clarity, and meaning again.

Presently is built to support you during and after episodes. Use our guided grounding tools, breathing exercises, tracking, and support features to turn these distressing experiences into steps toward recovery.