u/StrangerIcy6731

Hi everyone. I’m posting here because I feel lost and I’m trying to understand what is happening to me.

I’ve had derealization/depersonalization for years. I don’t know the exact moment it started or why it happened. It feels like life is far away but also close at the same time. The world feels distant, foggy, dreamlike, and unreal. I also feel disconnected from myself, my emotions, my memories, and who I used to be. It is basically 24/7. It gets worse when I think about it, when I don’t sleep enough, when I’m tired, when I scroll too much, when I’m outside, and sometimes when I socialize. Mirrors rarely make it worse too. The things that help even a little are music, showers, walking, talking to certain people, emotional scenes in movies, prayer, sleep, exercise, and sometimes being in nature. I know reality is real, but sometimes I still question it because the feeling is so strong. I also have a fear of going crazy and I obsessively check whether I feel real or not. The emotional numbness is one of the worst parts. I don’t feel real happiness anymore. I don’t feel real sadness either. I want to cry badly, but I can’t. It feels like my emotions are blocked. I feel empty, unmotivated, hopeless, and disconnected. The most concerning part is that my memories feel like they’re fading or becoming distant. Before or around the time this developed, I went through relationship pain, loneliness, family conflict, fear, and a big life change. I also carry things I avoid thinking about. Sometimes the frustration and avoidance get so intense that I want to hurt myself. I just want this to stop. I’m not asking anyone to diagnose me, but I want help understanding what this sounds like and what kind of professional help I should look for.

My questions are:

Can DPDR happen slowly over time without one clear trigger?

Can trauma, guilt, depression, anxiety, loneliness, or long-term stress cause this?

Can derealization make memories feel distant or like they’re fading?

Can emotional numbness and inability to cry come from DPDR?

How did you find the root cause of yours?

What type of therapy helped most: trauma therapy, EMDR, CBT, somatic therapy, something else?

Did medication like sertraline/Zoloft help your anxiety/depression and indirectly reduce the derealization?

Did anyone recover from 24/7 DPDR after years of having it?

I just want to feel real again. I want to feel emotions again. I want to feel connected to my memories, my past, people, and life. Any serious advice, recovery stories, or guidance would mean a lot.

Hi everyone. I’m posting because I feel like I’ve been emotionally gone for years, and I don’t really know what happened to me. I used to at least have anger. Even if it wasn’t healthy, it gave me something to hold onto. It pushed me. It gave me motivation. But now even that feels like it’s gone, and I’m left wondering what I even have anymore. I don’t feel real happiness. I don’t feel real sadness either. I crave being able to cry — like a real, deep cry with real tears and release — but I can’t. It feels like something inside me is blocked. I feel empty, numb, disconnected, and like my memories are fading or becoming distant. I’ve dealt with relationship pain, loneliness, family conflict, fear, and a big life change. I also carry certain things I try very hard not to think about. Sometimes avoiding those thoughts or getting frustrated with myself makes me want to hurt myself. I don’t want to die. I just want this feeling to end. I’m not asking anyone to diagnose me, but I’m trying to understand what this sounds like and what kind of help I should be looking for. Does this sound like depression, anhedonia, emotional numbness, trauma, dissociation, or something else?

I’m also wondering:

Has anyone here lost the ability to feel happiness, sadness, or cry, and eventually got it back?

Can depression make your memories feel distant or like they’re fading?

What helped you feel alive again?

Did therapy help with emotional numbness?

Did medication like sertraline/Zoloft help, or did it make the numbness worse?

How do I explain this to a doctor or therapist so they take it seriously?

I just want to feel human again. I want to feel connected to life, to people, to memories, and to myself. Any serious advice or personal experiences would mean a lot.

Hi everyone. I’m considering starting sertraline/Zoloft and wanted to hear from people who have experience with it.
I’ve been dealing with depression, anxiety, emotional numbness, brain fog, and derealization. The derealization is one of the scariest parts because I often feel disconnected from myself, my memories, my emotions, and the world around me. It feels like I’m not fully present or like life doesn’t feel real.
I know everyone reacts differently to medication, but I’m wondering:
Did sertraline help your derealization or make you feel more grounded?
Did it help with emotional numbness, or did it make numbness worse?
How long did it take before you noticed improvement?
Did it help more with anxiety/depression first, and then the derealization improved later?
Were the beginning side effects hard to get through?
I’m not expecting a miracle overnight. I just want to know if this medication has helped anyone feel like themselves again, feel emotions again, and feel more connected to reality.
Any experiences, advice, or honest answers would really help. Thank you.