Can dissociation cause panic attacks?

Hello all.

I'm relatively knew to these forums and wanted to propose a question to you all. My question is whether it's possible that a period of dissociation could trigger a panic attack.

The reason I ask this is that almost a year ago, I started having these periods of depersonalization. Whenever they first started happening, I didn't know what the heck was going on. The fact that I felt unreal would trigger a panic attack and it would take me quite a while to snap out of it. This doesn't happen nearly as much as it did at first, but I still have to watch myself in order to keep it from happening again.

Whenever you guys go into these states, does it make you panic?

Actually for me, and I am speaking for myself only: the stress trigger happens first.
And I dont understand what "unreal" means?

Sorry for not being more clear. When I said unreal, i meant that at the time, I felt like i didn't exist. I felt like I was being physically stripped from body, and it would make me panic.

oh ok, Then for me the answer would be no. Only a large loss of time could be upsetting to me.

hope that helps,
red

It happens to me and that's how I explain it too, word for word. I feel like I don't exist, but my body keeps doing it normal thing. But socializing is hardest cuz that's when I start to think how I feel uNreal the most and then I start to panic. What helps me is eating lollipops or a hard candy. The sugar helps. Maybe anxiety medications would help best.

I'd say it's mostly dependent on the person. I know that depersonalization (DP) causes me great anxiety. When I go into DP reality checking mode, I tend to become uneasy about my existence....and I start to panic which leads to a world of other problems. It's not uncommon for people with DP to be comorbid with anxiety or panic disorders, because the horrible truth is, DP is fcuking terrifying.

titus wrote:I'd say it's mostly dependent on the person. I know that depersonalization (DP) causes me great anxiety. When I go into DP reality checking mode, I tend to become uneasy about my existence....and I start to panic which leads to a world of other problems. It's not uncommon for people with DP to be comorbid with anxiety or panic disorders, because the horrible truth is, DP is fcuking terrifying.

Depersonalization and dissociation though are completely different.

Derealization & depresonalization can cause anxiety, i've never dealt with depersonalization but I have with derealization and it wasn't fun.

Butterfly Faerie wrote:Depersonalization and dissociation though are completely different.

No, they are coupled together;

"Depersonalization disorder (DPD) is a dissociative disorder in which the sufferer is affected by persistent or recurrent feelings of depersonalization and/or derealization. The symptoms include a sense of automation, going through the motions of life but not experiencing it, feeling as though one is in a movie, feeling as though one is in a dream, feeling a disconnection from one's body; out-of-body experience, a detachment from one's body, environment and difficulty relating oneself to reality."

"Depersonalization is a subjective experience of unreality in one's sense of self, while derealization is unreality of the outside world. Although most authors currently regard depersonalization (self) and derealization (surroundings) as independent constructs, many do not want to separate derealization from depersonalization. The main reason for this is nosological, because these symptoms often co-occur, but there is another reason of great philosophical importance, namely, that the phenomenological experience of self, others, and world is one continuous whole. Thus, feelings of unreality may blend in and the person may puzzle over whether it is the self or the world that feels unreal."

DP is a dissociative symptom, that's what it is classified as. (DPD again, is a dissociative disorder). Hence why it is in the dissociative section of this fourm

for me I either have no stress trigger and somehow just start feeling depersonalization

or a stress trigger (most often) which leads to depersonalization

most of the time either of these will trigger panic because I'm scared of why I feel like that. Not to the point of a panic attack unless the depersonalization/derealization is extremely intense. Most times it is not that intense, but the panic can get relatively high. I dont see how I could NOT freak out when suddenly I feel everything is unreal, and I'm not sure about my conciousness (thats the best I can describe it, its like I feel unconcious, or like an observer) So I would suspect that most people would freak out if this happened to them unless they were really used to the feeling.

I have had it most of my life, since I was about 6, i pretty much having DP since then anyways, Not untill about 2 years ago did anything make sense.
I used to have 'asthma' attacks, or so i thought, I was actually having panic attacks where i basically couldnt breathe and i didnt feel real etc, everything just felt numb.
Im really busy, I need to go, But quick response.
YES.
You can and do have panic attacks from my experience with DP.
However, what i have noticed the more i accpeted it the less it happened.
I just tell myself i am different and unique.
Im not worried so much anymore.