Does this sound like DP/DR?

Hey guys, I've had to put up with this for almost a year or so now, and I just want it to go away. My most obvious symptom is feeling like I'm dreaming, I know I'm not but sometimes I still find myself looking down at my hands and thinking, "How/Why am I even here?". Even my memories feel like those of a dream and they rarely have any emotion connected with them any more, sometimes I even have trouble remembering whether I actually did/saw something or just dreamed/imagined it. Often when I touch something it doesn't really feel like it's ME touching it, I'm just watching my hands do it. It all feels so unreal.
After a while I stopped feeling emotion too. I can't feel happy. I can't feel guilty. I can't feel excited. I can't feel most things. Sometimes I'll feel pain, but even that's starting to fade now, sometimes I'll be in tears and suddenly just "switch it off" and stop feeling anything; and if I lose the pain then what will be left of me...? -_-

No one here can diagnose you.
I don't have a diagnosis, though I suspect DP/DR, but what you said sounds very similar to many of the symptoms I experience. So it could be a possibility.

How are you in new situations? When you have to work/drive (if you do)? How is it during social interaction? When did it start (around what age, don't need to be specific.like.. 14-18, etc.)? Did anything significant happen before the onset of your symptoms (anxiety, stress, breakup, someone died, trauma from any point in time prior to onset, depression, anything, even if it's slight, that was a change or could have been a shock to your system?)?
Has it been progressively getting worse as time goes on or is it fairly stable? Is it worse during the day, morning, afternoon, night time? How well are you sleeping? Do you take/have you taken any drugs? Is it constant or does it come and go?

It is a lot of questions but will help to get a better understanding of what's going on with you.

commedia wrote:No one here can diagnose you.
I don't have a diagnosis, though I suspect DP/DR, but what you said sounds very similar to many of the symptoms I experience. So it could be a possibility.

How are you in new situations? When you have to work/drive (if you do)? How is it during social interaction? When did it start (around what age, don't need to be specific.like.. 14-18, etc.)? Did anything significant happen before the onset of your symptoms (anxiety, stress, breakup, someone died, trauma from any point in time prior to onset, depression, anything, even if it's slight, that was a change or could have been a shock to your system?)?
Has it been progressively getting worse as time goes on or is it fairly stable? Is it worse during the day, morning, afternoon, night time? How well are you sleeping? Do you take/have you taken any drugs? Is it constant or does it come and go?

It is a lot of questions but will help to get a better understanding of what's going on with you.

Thanks for your response. ^__^
As for the questions; I'm fine in new situations/social interactions. It started about a year ago, when I was 13, I think. Nothing significant or traumatizing has ever happened. It's fairly stable. It's usually the same, but sometimes more intense in the evening/night. I'm sleeping well. Never taken drugs. It's constant.
This is partly why I'm asking here, because I'm so confused - as you can see, I can't find a single reason why this is happening, which means I also have no idea how I'd go about getting rid of it. >_>

There are quite a few that started around that age. Maybe its a hormonal thing for some?

Were you experiencing anxiety or anything around the time of onset? Even if it was slight and only happened a few times. Maybe a little sadness or you were lethargic? It can happen randomly. Just seeing if maybe it was just your body's response to anxiety or depression to protect you. Kind of pull you back so you won't experience it. Just a theory. And everyone is different.

I'm going to seek out a doctor/specialist and see if they can help at all. Maybe you should consider the same. They might be able to help, or atleast help you to help yourself. Its worth a shot.

Is the fact you don't know why its happening the only thing that's bugging you? Does it cause any difficulty functioning at all? If it doesn't then you might just be stuck as you are for a while.

commedia wrote:There are quite a few that started around that age. Maybe its a hormonal thing for some?

Were you experiencing anxiety or anything around the time of onset? Even if it was slight and only happened a few times. Maybe a little sadness or you were lethargic? It can happen randomly. Just seeing if maybe it was just your body's response to anxiety or depression to protect you. Kind of pull you back so you won't experience it. Just a theory. And everyone is different.

I'm going to seek out a doctor/specialist and see if they can help at all. Maybe you should consider the same. They might be able to help, or atleast help you to help yourself. Its worth a shot.

Is the fact you don't know why its happening the only thing that's bugging you? Does it cause any difficulty functioning at all? If it doesn't then you might just be stuck as you are for a while.

I'm naturally shy but I don't think I was experiencing anxiety, I did sometimes feel a lot of guilt though, sometimes even about things that happened years ago. That's certainly an interesting theory.

I can't really see a doctor about it since I'd need to tell my parents first. I mean, I want to. But I... don't know how, I guess, or how they'd react.
I hope you find a doctor/specialist who can help you though, and I'd love to hear how it goes.

The main thing that's bugging me is that I can't feel anything and nothing feels real. I just want things to be vivid again and I want to actually feel alive.

Its hard bringing it up the first time. I put off telling my mother for so long. She ignores a lot of what I say. She doesn't usually react very well to my problems. So I didn't see a point if she was going to 'forget' in five minutes. Eventually I approached her one night and told her straight up. Things don't look or feel real, I don't feel like I'm real, and everything is just not right. And on top of that I also told her details about my mood swings she didn't know about and other things. After a few times (the other night) she finally took it seriously and has been supportive since. Checking up on me and everything.

Just. Think over what your going to say and say how its a problem and it has you concerned. Tell the one you feel most comfortable with talking to. That way they can tell the other for you later. Then they'll probably ask if you want to go to a doctor or something (if not, don't be afraid to say you want to try a doctor. They can't lock you up in a ward just for DP/DR. All they can do is talk to you. So there's no worries there.). Just let it come out and go from there.

Telling parents is difficult, I know, trust me, but you feel so much better after. If they brush it off as nothing wait a week or two and bring it up again. Keep like that until they finally get its a problem since you aren't letting up.

I've never been very good at talking to people, but I know I've got to tell someone; I'm thinking about writing my mum a letter, though I'll probably hold on to it for a little while until I find the right opportunity to give it to her.

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it. :)

I'm horrible at talking to people unless I know them very well, am seriously out of my mind, or am high (don't do drugs unless the Dr. says so, kids!). Very hard talking to my mother. At some point something just clicks in your head like "Hey, gotta do this." and it comes out! You might falter, but it's okay.

A letter is a good idea. make sure you're home. Just walk/run into another room and let her read it. If she's going to talk about it with you she'll come find you. Thatw ay it'll already be started and you can just jump right in and answer her questions.

And no problem at all! Happy to help in any way I can. Don't say "Mum, I think I may have DP/DR" because then it will just seem like you found the name and you're going all hypochondriac on her. Not going to get you anywhere. They ignore that stuff. Just describe your symptoms and how much of a problem they are to you and that it has you seriously upset/concerned.

How'd you come across the disorder DP/DR anyways?

commedia wrote:How'd you come across the disorder DP/DR anyways?

I found out about DP/DR when, one day, I Google'd, "I feel like I'm dreaming." because, well, I felt like I was dreaming, and Google always seems to know the answer to everything. XD
How'd you hear about it? :3

I've got the letter written up now, though I have no idea when I'll actually end up giving it to her; hopefully it'll work out alright.

Psychology courses. Didn't think anything of it until I found the Deperspnalization sub-forum here and read some fo the threads. It's more of a vague description in textbooks and the teacher didn't canr much about the subject, She thought the other disorders would be more interesting and easier for most in the class to grasp since it was towards the very end we went over it.

She had just told us the names. "Dissociative Personality Disorder: Split of the self, Dissociative Fugue: blah blah blah" and went on like that. Not much detail.

Google just rolls like that. Type in whatever straight up and it's likely you'll find it.

You'll know when the time is right to give her the letter. It might not even be for a few months. But you'll get it to her when you're ready. No need to force it.