Hi All,
As the title suggests, Why is The treatment and knowledge about Depersonalisation / Derealisation DP / DR / DDD so bad? Its bad everywhere, but here in Ireland, its as though no one has EVER heard of it!
What is Depersonalisation:
Its the 3rd most common underlying mental disorder, is a major cause of anxiety, panic, OCD and self harm. From 1-2% of the population have it, but is so under-researched its actually hopeless almost being a sufferer.
"Here is an abstract from a 2003 [In DP/DR research terms still a relatively new article!]
Quote:
Quote:
"Depersonalisation (DP) and derealisation (DR) are subjective experiences of unreality in, respectively, one’s sense of self and the outside world. These experiences occur on a continuum from transient episodes that are frequently reported in healthy individuals under certain situational conditions to a chronic psychiatric disorder that causes considerable distress (depersonalisation disorder, DPD). Despite the relatively high rates of reporting these symptoms, little research has been conducted into psychological treatments for this disorder. We suggest that there is compelling evidence to link DPD with the anxiety disorders, particularly panic. This paper proposes that it is the catastrophic appraisal of the normally transient symptoms of DP/DR that results in the development of a chronic disorder. We suggest that if DP/DR symptoms are misinterpreted as indicative of severe mental illness or brain dysfunction, a vicious cycle of increasing anxiety and consequently increased DP/DR symptoms will result. Moreover, cognitive and behavioural responses to symptoms such as specific avoidances, ‘safety behaviours’ and cognitive biases serve to maintain the disorder by increasing awareness of the symptoms, heightening the perceived threat and preventing disconfirmation of the catastrophic misinterpretations. A coherent model facilitates the development of potentially effective cognitive and behavioural interventions."
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This is a huge mental health issue, but gets so little attention in what is an under funded and staffed health issue anyway.
Now the media blitz has screwed up Benzodiazepine prescribing, they are doing the same with Anti Depressants, happy pills, over-prescribing etc etc. Why always aimed at people with Mental health issues, not Statins, or BP, Cancer meds [which are in fact WAY LESS effective than Anti Depressants! People with DP/DR really need these meds, its about the only KNOWN way to help. CBT and relaxation help, but apart from a ton of quack remedies, thats it.
We have enough to face as it is. I have had this for 35 years, since age 14, Chronic, disabling and for 10 years MY OWN HELL! Yet we are made to feel like junkies or worse when we are already fighting a little known and massively understudied Disorder.
In Ireland the situation for sufferers under GP's is utterly awful. Meds which are integral to just surviving Depersonalisation and OCD etc etc are being withdrawn, patients left with nothing! Purely because some total idiot in the HSE decided on a blanket cut in Benzodiazepine and anti anxiety meds! People will die, MORE suicides, more self harm, more hopelessness. Its so bad suffering DP in the first place, now being demonised simply because no one knows about it is criminal. Its been known about for 140 years and known as an underlying disorder in itself for many years now. But who cares? I know my own GP, is more worried about their reputation in prescribing than in patient care. Drs are getting so bad that patients are dying. Just because of media and politics, NOTHING to do with care or help. What happened to duty of care by Drs and health workers?
But this is far from just Ireland's problem, I belong to a FB group with a large membership devoted to DP/DR DDD OCD etc. There are people from every corner of the globe and Drs everywhere are treating us patients the same!
There is a large and growing Face Book group, but we are simply left on the sidelines. The research now is NO better than when I first got it in the 80's and often patients don't find out what they have for years as Drs know so little about this!
This is so wrong, but nothing EVER happens!
Sorry for the rant, but I know so many young people so close to suicide and the only people they have are us the people within the DP/DR groups, which are small and very sparse. Even long term sufferers [which make up 25% who will never recover from it] are finding it tough as the very things that help, that make us feel in any way normal are being cut from under us. We in many cases took years to become stable, even ON meds, now we are being forced into a situation where, many will simply give up the fight. Its always a fight just surviving with DP, but this, this makes even people like me who have lived good valued lives, working and productive, just want to give up and yes I really do feel like that its that bad! Its horrifying and TBH GPs and others simply DO NOT CARE!
Regards [again sorry for the rant, but end of tether!]
There were links but under 10 posts ....
- Shaun