Originally Posted by qtipsq

Hi Lilnyc,

Sounds like you are on the slippery slope. This doesn't go away if we don't let it. I have been like you for over a year and a half. I say quit your job, go dark for a month, where you meditate, knit, eat well and maintain a positive attitude(single most difficult thing to do and the single most important thing). Without a positive attitude our minds crash.

The reason it old you previously that Jane Mcgonigals podcast is spot on how to recover from this is because the most important thing is to minimize symptoms, but you have to kill the depression and anxiety before they destroy your life. Depression and anxiety are the main culprits and I swear this website can cause a lot of those things. Get off the nets, focus on getting better, quit your job. If you don't have a working brain, all opportunities of life disappear. Figure out ways to curb your anxiety and depression and don't get on the internet or this recovery can go on forever. I was given this advice, I couldn't follow it and now most of my symptoms are intact. Good luck, remember recovery can take a year or more. If you can bring a good attitude to this it's possible to recover or you can decide if you want to live like this forever.

Originally Posted by RidingRollerCoaster

Lily

I agree with others that these are all very common PCS symptoms, and it is not ideal to obsess/self-diagnose. I experienced all of the symptoms you are going through, and all of them have diminished significantly. Please understand that this can be a VERY slow process of healing, and you may have to make changes in your life to allow yourself to heal. It may be very difficult for you to concentrate on recovery if you are having to work full-time in a demanding job. You may need to seek help from your family, tell them you are seriously hurt, and tell them you need help as you recover. If you can get your doctor to diagnose PCS, he/she can write you out of work for an extended period of time while you figure out what to do. A lot of employers have some sort of policy that allows for paid medical leave. You can use this until you figure out how to move forward.

The derealization/depersonalization is very scary, I understand what you are going through. Meditation is a very good tool to help with this anxiety. I also took a lot of warm epsom salt baths, got massages from my partner, got manual therapy from a PT, acupuncture, listened to nature sounds, etc... to help with the anxiety. This does pass with time, but only if you reduce stress on your mind.

Some other things you can do to help with your symptoms... Get your vertigo & balance issues checked by a vestibular specialist. Vestibular eye exercises actually helped improve the depersonalization & derealization for me (I think it was a mix of anxiety and vision issues that caused the derealization for me).

You may find that the anti-depressant helps with the anxiety and depression, but it also may not help. Reducing exposure to stimulating environments for some time would also be helpful, as well as the things I listed above to help with anxiety.

Take care.

Originally Posted by lilyNYC

good advice, thank you very much. the depersonalization is the freaking scariest. i will definitely look into vestibular therapy. i'll do anything at this point.


i actually went to my psychiatrist yesterday and i feel like my symptoms are being misread as something else besides PCS and it's scaring the living hell out of me. So. i decided that only I can fix this and while a professional's help is expert, only i truly know what's best for myself.

i tried hynotherapy which was incredibly beneficial and I look forward to going back.

Originally Posted by seth8a

Hang in there Lily. You will get better. Try not to freak yourself out too much on the internets. I know that is what I have been doing a lot, and it isn't productive.

I also think that a lot of what I'm going through is a combination of psychological issues coupled with a few real neurological problems (including my vision).