r/pppdizziness

This is a long post but I wanted to share my story. I’m at my wits end. Beyond. I’ve been dealing with dizziness and more for over a year with little improvement.

Fall 2024- I started having dizzy spells at work. They wouldn’t last that long but they were very scary. I wasn’t lightheaded I just felt very dizzy. I’ve dealt with anxiety and panic attacks my whole life so I assumed it was that. The feelings got worse, I started having bad brain fog, head pressure, etc but I was functioning. I tried getting back on Zoloft and other psych meds but it felt like my body was rejecting it which was really weird. I was also on birth control and that completely wrecked me.

January 2025- I got sick. My tonsils were really swollen so I went to urgent care and they prescribed antibiotics + steroids. Around day 4 I started having bad side effects and the doctor told me to stop. Welp. That was the start of where I am now… i felt very off balance and gross after going back to urgent care. She told me it’ll go away in a couple days but it only got worse. I couldn’t even leave my bed for 3 days because walking was so hard. I went to my primary and she said I had a lot of fluid in my ear. I did all the things to help myself and eventually things got better for 3 weeks.

I was honestly kind of traumatized by the experience because I didn’t even know it was possible to feel like that but was improving. Then one day I was playing Minecraft on my laptop and felt like I was going to pass out.. after that the off balance feelings etc came back hardcore.

I pretty much felt this way until April. Like 10/10 miserable. I was also getting sick back to back which made it worse. I was still driving but stopped in March because it felt dangerous. I was getting really dizzy, my arm would tingle, felt out of my body, etc. I also had to stop working because it was unbearable. The only thing that made it a little better was changing my diet.

My anxiety got really bad because nobody could figure out what was wrong and I just kept feeling worse. I’m now diagnosed with MCAS and that was flaring realllly bad.

April 2025- I finally saw a neurologist. They did an mri and my neck is mess but nothing major. I kept bringing up the vestibular stuff but he wanted to diagnose me with dysautonomia and said I had vestibular neuritis. I saw a neurosurgeon for a second opinion and they put me in PT.

June-August 2025- I started PT and he told me about cervicogenic dizziness and vestibular system. I did vestibular testing and he told me I have vestibular hypofunction.

Septemeber 2025- back to the MCAS thing! I finally got diagnosed and started meds.

December 2025- I started dry needling and it helped a lot! I still didn’t feel good but it gave me some relief. She started telling me she thinks I’m hypermobile and wants me to work on building muscle with this other PT.

January - now..

I still feel awful somethings help but not fully. I haven’t good in over a year. I am dizzy everyday but some days I’m less dizzy. My anxiety has become so bad. I’ve tried so many psych meds for my anxiety and I can’t get thru the side effects. I’ve been medicated most of my life it feels like so I know what’s normal and what’s not. I do have klonopin and I know people don’t like it but it has been the only thing that has given me some of my life back. I don’t take it everyday.

I started the new PT so we will see how it goes. My everyday symptoms are:

- brain fog. Like horrible brain fog with no breaks
- symptoms worse when I wake up but get better after food
- feeling like I’m in a a video game
- head movements can make it worse
- everything feels overstimulating. Even conversations are hard.
- off balance
- crowded places make it worse
- anxiety/depression
- headaches, tight muscles
- ear ringing

When things flare up bad that’s when I get the sinking floor feeling/feel like I’m on a bad acid trip.

I don’t know if I have PPPD because I have been diagnosed with other things. Nothing has really helped me and I’m really sad. I try to stay positive but it’s hard. I feel so gross and scared every single day. I know anxiety makes it worse but it feels impossible to not be anxious. I just started taking progestin because my hormones are a huge trigger. It’s been rough but I’m hoping I adjust.

Idk what my goal is with this post but i also don’t know what to do anymore. I feel like I will be stuck like this forever :(

Where do I even begin. I have been experiencing lightheadedness and non-spinning dizziness on and off for almost 10 years, but the past month or so has been brutal. Of course I’ve addressed this unsuccessfully with my doctor and have a lot of testing done but was never referred to neurology. I have always been and anxious person struggling with depression and panic attacks so of course that’s what I’ve been told. I actually had a misdiagnosis of panic disorder and was put on welbutrin when I really had asthma so bad that I had to take injections for it. I had a terrible experience on welbutrin so I was not into taking any form of recommended SSRIs after that, but I didn’t really understand the medication side of anxiety. Then my blood pressure was addressed and I was hoping that I would find my solution with that medication. My doctored referred me to ENT, cardiologist and does very thorough bloodwork, checked gallbladder etc she even tried treating me for vertigo. About two years ago I had an event which caused me to get an MRI and they said I had a vestibular migraine but saw nothing out of the ordinary and in October I got into a car accident and I flipped my car and they did a head and neck CT scan and also saw nothing. I don’t know if this fully rules anything out but am going to bring up to my dr as well.

I recently started cognitive therapy due to the return of panic attacks and other things and she’s recommended I see psych and discuss SSRI. I am tired of anxiety/OCD controlling my life so I’m open to it now.

Now the PPPD. I was doing some research and learned about it, I thought oh my god this sounds identical to what I experience. I am NOT diagnosing myself with it, but am feeling hopeful to bring it up to my dr. When I read the treatments and use of SSRIs to help I thought well isn’t it perfect timing since I was finally open to them anyway. I have to get routine labs done, and will being seeing my doctor soon. Although I am hopeful and am nervous, I’m not the best at advocating for myself and have a habit of minimizing my symptoms (working that out in therapy.) Any tips to bring this stuff up to my doctor and/or ways you’ve had to advocate for yourself would be so helpful. This dizziness/feeling light headed is honestly ruining my life at this point. Being a mom to a toddler, in school, working a full-time job is challenging enough. People around me just truly do not understand what it’s like to go through this and it’s so hard. If this is what I have and I’m able to address it this would be LIFE CHANGING for me.

Dears,

apologizes for my english I am not a native.

Long story short: I started with PPPD symptoms back in JAN 2022 after a BPPV attack that lasted no more than 10 seconds. First 45 days normal life with vague residual dizzines in the background. Since it was not 100% resolved I found this PPPD s*** on the internet and I literally freaked out. For months I was all the time reading papers, forums, scared and anxiety started. It was very bad... symptoms also started to develop more.

From that moment until September 2024, so almost 3 full years, I was moving between a scale of 2-6/10, never stop doing my life, sport, etc. but the frustration feeling of ´´this will never stop´´ was there the 90% of the time of course feeding the anxiety and the loop.

In SEPT 2024 I decided to take meds. My Dr. is very knowledgeable in PPPD even writing books where he mentions this condition and MDDS. He was very straight with me: you have developed PPPD, chill, it can be cured/manageable.

He gave me just 5Mg of escitalopram/Lexapro (started with half of the pill) and it only took 3-4 weeks to start having what he calls ´´windows of normality´´. Since that moment until 3 weeks ago (almost 20 f**** months!) my life was exactly the same as it was before PPPD. Living at 90-95%, it was almost never in my mind anymore. Still some feelings very spaced in the time but never lasted more than few days and it was all the time chill and calm.

Important info: I only took the escitalopram for 5 months, so basically after leaving it I have lived 13-14 months without it.

Suddenly 3 weeks ago I started to feel a bit bad again, not to what I exprienced in 2022-2024, but still... and since It is not going anxiety knocked my door again. Some days with poor sleep, palipations and here I am, trying to ignore it but quite difficult.

my questions to you my fellow warriors:

Are relapses normal? What can I expect? any trick to avoid focusing in the stupid PPPD ... I am really trying but seems difficult.

It is normal that after +1 year witouth medication/symptoms, symptoms can come back? I read a lot of stories that they indeed can be present again just after weaning medication off, or at least couple of months but not that long.

Can I be ´´quiet/chill´´ since my body responded well the first time to escitalopram, so there is not reason to think in case I take it again it wont work?

Thanks to everybody for the answers!

Does anyone feel like they will faint? And does anyone have their vision look tilted like counter tops or floors seem slanted?

I’ve been reading posts here for months while I was in the thick of it, and now that I’m 95% recovered I finally want to give back the hope I desperately needed. If you’re feeling that constant boat-like dizziness, the “ground is moving, I’m about to faint or die” terror, and everyone thinks you’re crazy… this one’s for you.

Here’s my story.
I’ve smoked weed daily for years. Early 2024, fresh out of MBA, I was 63 kg. Moved to a new city for a desk job. Sedentary life + nonstop weed + junk food = 90 kg by early 2025. 28 kg in one year. By mid-2025 I was exhausted, lazy as fuck, and had switched to edibles every single day (I now believe this was a major trigger for my PPPD).

The nightmare hit mid-2025. Girlfriend dumped me (I was a mess, fair enough). Then at work my heart exploded — 170+ bpm on my Apple Watch. Felt like I was dying. Ignored it as “just the edibles.” Happened again the next day. After that, everything felt off. Random days I’d get hit with insane loopy dizziness — like I was about to faint or fall any second. Couldn’t walk without holding walls. Standing still felt dangerous. Heavy head, sweating, pure terror that I was going to collapse. It’s like being on a boat 24/7. The worst is walking when the ground feels unstable and your feet have zero grip. Impossible to describe unless you’re living it.

I ignored it and tried to push through, biggest mistake ever. One morning I woke up the same way and said “fuck this” and went to the gym. That session still gives me PTSD; I genuinely thought I was dying on the floor.
I felt suicidal from the constant fear. Booked a flight home to my parents, the scariest flight of my life. Saw two GPs, ENT, neurologist, and psychiatrist. First GP found severe deficiencies: B12 at 100 pg/ml and Vitamin D at 10. Gave oral supplements. No real help. I was in constant fight-or-flight, depressed, crying for days. Even my ex was worried about me even though she hated my guts. Came back to the city still in hell.
Decided to fight till my last breath. Saw another good GP. He recommended B12 injections instead of pills + other supplements, Ambien for sleep/anxiety. Two injections later my dizziness became unbearable — “wake-up” symptoms or whatever they’re called. Couldn’t get out of bed. Switched back to oral B12. He also tried Lexapro, one pill felt like cocaine, so I stopped immediately.

He suggested exposure therapy and I thought why not? I’m 27 and have bills to pay, quitting work wasn’t an option. So I worked full-time while feeling like I was dying every single day.

I spiraled after reading the CFS subreddit and convinced myself I’d be bedridden forever. Parents, sister, and even my ex thought I was going insane. Psychiatrist put me on propranolol (while continuing B12, D, zinc, etc.). Propranolol was the first thing that actually helped, it stopped the heart-rate spikes when I walked and felt dizzy.

Still bad after 3 months. Neurologist added tofisopam and clonazepam as SOS. Helped a little but I felt off on them. I had already quit weed completely by then.
I made a rule: 10,000 steps every single day no matter how dizzy I felt. Started with walks in my room (super dizzy but I had nothing to lose). After a month, no improvement. Then neighbourhood walks, some days better, most worse. Found Dr. John Saunders exercises on YouTube through my own research. Did those daily too (highly recommended)

The walks and the exercises slowly started reducing the dizziness, but bad days still felt like hell because of the PTSD from the previous months. I went back home for a few days and made the decision that changed everything: I was going to live my life exactly like before, no matter how I felt. Stopped tofisopam and clonazepam on my own. Stayed only on propranolol + supplements.

This was February 2026, after 4 months of consistent B12 and vitamins. I finally started feeling noticeably better. A month later I stopped the supplements. A month ago I stopped propranolol too.

Today I’m 95% recovered. I’ve lost over 10 kg, go to the gym every day, and can easily walk 10 km without dizziness. I still don’t know exactly what did it - the B12, propranolol, 10k steps, Dr. Saunders exercises, exposure through forced walking, or simply stopping caring and living normally. Probably a mix of everything.

To anyone still in the trenches:
It will go away. Be patient. See every doctor you can. Get your B12, D, and other levels checked properly. Try everything -supplements, medications your doctor prescribes, exposure, daily walks, whatever it takes. People will call you crazy. Ignore them. This constant dizziness feeling (without actually fainting or falling) is terrifying but harmless. Trust me, you will never fall no matter how intense it feels.

I’m here if you want to talk or have questions. You’ve got this. There really is light at the end of this dizzy tunnel. ❤️

On January 27th, 2026, I was sitting on my couch late at night playing a video game, when all of a sudden I got extremely lightheaded, like I was going to pass out. I immediately stood up, grabbed onto the wall, and started pacing until it went away. It lasted maybe 10 minutes. The same thing happened the next night, which is when I began to get concerned. Both of those occurred late at night, but on the third day it happened when I was in a therapy session. On day five, I was working when it happened, and had to go home early. I had to pull over several times on the drive because I was so out of it.

I ended up going to Urgent Care and the ER a couple days after that, both of which didn't discover or resolve anything. I was given a short prescription of Toradol and Meclizine, but the Toradol did nothing and the Meclizine made things a lot worse, so I quit taking it immediately.

My symptoms started out with the short bouts of lightheadedness, then escalated into entire facial numbness, and near-total derealization.

I saw my primary doctor who also didn't know what was wrong. She offered to refer me to a neurologist, an offer which I just took her up on yesterday because I'm getting desperate. I've been going to physical therapy every other week for about two months now, and I've noticed an improvement on the facial numbness, but the overall "floaty" feelings and eye strain won't stop.

My PT said that he's been treating it as cervicogenic dizziness, and that he's done just about everything he can do at this point, and recommended that I see a neurologist for the remaining symptoms.

I'm able to drive and work but only if I use every fiber of my being to focus on the task at hand. If I even feel the tiniest bit lightheaded, it's all over for me and it take hours to return to normal.

I've been doing research on my symptoms while waiting for the neurology referral to go through, which is what led me here. And it's scary because it seems like most people, even if they do get mostly cured, never fully recover and the progress they do make take months or years. I don't know how I can live like this for the rest of my life. I don't deserve this, none of us do. Why can our bodies be so cruel to us for no reason? I want to be able to function again.

I have been feeling dizziness for 10 months…it is a visual dizziness.
When I am inside the house I dont even realize that I am having dizziness but once I go out it hits me. Now it is better due to physio therapy, so now after walking for a min I am not feeling nausious. Thats a huge improvement.

I will continue the physio soon in private.

I went to ENT, MRI and to have blood test and so many checks from my GP and nothing is wrong with me. I dont feel anxious, I dont have stress in my life.

Has anybody experienced this kind of dizziness?
For how long have you struggled? What helped you?

Hey everyone. I've been dealing with PPPD for 2 years now. A doctor diagnosed me with PPPD but he wasn't very sure. My symptoms are heavily connected to my neck and shoulders, especially the base of my skull, and I wanted to know if anyone else here experiences similar things.

1. Tightness / pressure at the base of the skull (suboccipital area), sometimes feeling like pulling or guarding.

2. Dizziness triggered by moving my arms and consequently the suboccipital muscles guarding and spasming even harder.

3. After driving when I stop, I feel floaty/dizzy and there's pressure at the base of the skull.

4. Looking at screens can make the base of my skull tense up or spasmic.

5. Shoulder tightness and shaky/shivering shoulders during endurance exercises, along with upper trap tension.

I also get visual-triggered dizziness, light sensitivity, eye fatigue, and swaying while standing still, so I’m wondering if this is all connected through PPPD/visual-vestibular issues.

Does anyone else here have strong neck/suboccipital involvement like this?

Especially dizziness that seems connected to neck tension, driving, screens, or movement?

Ciao a tutti,

un po per sfogo, un po per cercare consigli, racconto qua la mia brutta storia degli ultimi 3 anni.

Ho 49 anni e tutto è iniziato nell'inverno 2023, dopo un intervento chirurgico all'intestino. Nei mesi successivi ho sviluppato una sensazione di sbandamento lieve e di stanchezza cronica, associata a una tensione che percepisco ai lati della testa e nella zona cervicale, oltre che ad una forte ipersensibilità ai rumori.

RM encefalo negativa (ne ho fatte due), visita otorino negativa, e adesso sono seguito da centro emicranie. Purtroppo i sintomi si stanno aggravando e non trovo sollievo con nulla. Purtroppo anche le notti sono diventate difficili, e talvolta sento un senso di confusione mentale durante la fase di addormentamento.

Chiaramente tutto ciò ha provocato un incremento dell'ansia e la comparsa di depressione, a causa della sensazione di aver imboccato una strada senza uscita che sta distruggendo lentamente al mia vita.

Ultimamamente il senso si sbandamento è lievemente aumentato, e si presenta tutti i giorni in modo costante. Comincia a comparire anche un lieve senso di vertigigini che sto cercando di non assecondare, ma le giornate sono tutte dure.

La terapia attuale consiste nel propranololo e mirtazapina, ma non mi sembra che stiano portando buoni risultati se non quello di farmi scomparire il mal di testa frequente di cui ho sofferto per molti anni, ma che rispetto ai sintomi attuali provocava molti meno disagi.

Sono veramente abbattuto e preoccupato, perchè vivere così è una dura condanna, e ho la sensazione che non ci siano terapie valide, se non tentativi maldestri e senza bussola di dare farmaci sperando che funzionino. Dopo un primo periodo di timore che si trattasse di un problema neurologico degenerativo, adesso la paura è di non uscirne più e di peggiorare prograssivamente

Leggendo i vari post mi ritrovo in molti sintomi descritti come PPPD, ma sinceramente mi sembra che non ci siano terapie affidabili e funzionanti, e non so nemmeno se è possibile uscirne.

Se avete suggerimenti o consigli vi prego di farvi avanti.

grazie

My doctor today said in addition to the PPPD my right suboccipital muscle is super tight. I've been using cold on it but he advised to use heat. My question is, the automatic neck heating pads kind of suck because they do more for the upper back. I haven't found one to focus on just the neck. A moist heat is recommended too. Is there a really good neck pad for this? Or do I have to go the microwave route? I would appreciate any recs!

I have had chronic dizziness for almost 3 years now. It all started with BPPV or vestibular migranes attack 3 years ago. Since then I have had fewer attacks, but they left me with a baseline of dizziness and "off" feeling. In addition, I developed weakness feeling in my legs. It is most noticable when I am coming down stairs ir after long walks (2km). I also sometimes have really inconsistant and weird pains in my legs - that pain is almost always one-sided and goes away after I sleep the night. I have never heard anyone else complain about this, makes me scared. My overall illness pattern has been dizziness attacks -> baseline of dizziness -> weird muscle soreness and stiffness -> random muscle twitching (small but still noticeable). M22, previosly healthy.

So after 17 months of this i had the worst flare lasted a few mins felt and saw the world Heabvy rocking like i was in a boat . Residual feeling lasted like 15 mins i was so scared i also had 4 little flares that day as well which is the most ive had in a single day. Im scared i got worse or new damage occured. Idk what to do im freaking out i thought i was doing better. Has this Happened to anyone else

When I wake up the first thing that has been popping into my head recently is “what is my body going to do today”. (Basically which of my symptoms will be there, how will I feel, will today be a good or hard day).

I know LOGICALLY that’s not helpful and keeps me in the anxiety loop but I am having a hard time NOT thinking that first thing in the morning.

(Yes I have a therapist but thought I’d ask here, too- to see if y’all have any suggestions or recommendations. I’m slowly making my way through the Steady Coach’s free course. I’ve had VM and PPPD since 2023 so this isn’t new to me, but my symptoms have been changing and have become less predictable over the last few months so it’s been harder for me to manage emotionally).

Does anyone else have these types of feelings/thoughts?

Hi,
After months of trying to figure out my dizziness and other issues, I learned about pppd last night and think I may have this. I have weird symptoms that I’m curious if it could be from this. It’s very uncomfortable for me to stand still. It feels like the floor is going to give out, I’m falling over, the floor is moving below me, it feels like I can’t perceive my surroundings correctly and it just feels overall really weird. I am fine walking and actually feel my best when I am walking at a fast pace. I think it distracts me from the typical feelings and I get in a zone and ignore them, although sometimes while I am walking or after a while of walking it feels like I’m on a boat and the floor is rocking, or like my leg is going to give out randomly/ floor will give out I’ll get flinches of those but I try to ignore them while walking and they do go away. It’s gotten to the point that when I’m sitting it’s an issue and I constantly feel like I’m rocking/ swaying which then makes me dizzy. When I sit in a lounge chair or on a bench at a certain angle, it feels like I am constantly falling backwards or something is pulling the chair out from behind me. It is the worse feeling. I also have a hard time staring at someone directly and focusing on things, if I focus on someone talking while I am standing up I feel like I’m going to fall over and like idk where I am in space even tho I never actually fall over. If I focus on my phone or computer for too long my head gets foggy and I get really uncomfortable. I’ve been chalking all of this up to an overdriven nervous system or anxiety, but I really do feel like it’s more than that. I think it may have started as just anxiety but I think constantly being stressed has caused my system to malfunction which is why I think I may have pppd. It’s getting. More constant and it’s SO uncomfortable and it happens worse in situations where I feel trapped. It’s so hard to deal with. I have been to neurologist, ENT, and cardiologist. They really didn’t find anything at all. They said potentially vestibular migraines but they didn’t know for sure. I have other symptoms so I was looking into potentially dysautonomia but I think that’s just a whole other issue in itself and the pppd symptoms are the worst part of it. I also have my b12 and iron checked and they are good. I just started taking magnesium glycinaye this week and am starting CBT therapy which I think can help this issue. Has anyone had a good experience with it ? I guess what I really want to get out of this post is , do these symptoms sound like PPPD and does anyone else have that feeling of falling backward while sitting In a chair . It is so annoying . Also have extreme light headed ness and constantly feel like I’m going to pass out. I’ve also always had a huge fear of passing out so not sure if that’s feeding into it. The only other thing I can think is my neck muscles are so tight and they give me bad tension headaches which I guess could also be causing these symptoms. Not sure at this point.

Hi all,

I am looking for some answers on why I have been SO dizzy the last 5 months. It started slowly, a little dizzy here and there and quickly ramped up to dizziness every day. I sometimes get the odd day or few hours of relief but otherwise, I am always dizzy. Around this time I had quite a spike in pretty significant anxiety as well (not sure which came first, the dizziness or anxiety, or anxiety from being dizzy).

I went to a neuro optomitrist who diagnosed me with BVD and convergence insufficiency and said that this could be the cause of my dizziness. I tried prism glasses which made my dizziness much worse and am starting vision therapy next week to correct my convergence insufficiency and I am so hopeful that this will help my dizziness.

My question is, has anyone been diagnosed with BVD and PPPD? Perhaps BVD caused initial dizziness which is amplified by PPPD? Or are these not related? Given that prism glasses did not help my dizziness I am starting to wonder if something else may be going on.

So I started a new job after being a SAHM for 9 years, I was pretty nervous that my dizziness would act up during my work day (9-3 at a daycare) surprisingly I had an amazing day and hardly any dizziness. However once I got home it hit me like a ton of bricks, any guesses as to why it's like this?

I honestly don’t even know what to call this anymore because “dizziness” doesn’t really describe it properly.

For years I’ve had these weird episodes where it feels like my balance or body perception is just completely off. Not spinning vertigo like BPPV, more like internal shifting/swaying/sliding sensations.

The sliding feeling is honestly the weirdest part. Sometimes it genuinely feels like my whole body internally slides a few centimeters for a split second, even though I’m physically completely still. Almost like my brain suddenly thinks my body shifted position without it actually happening. Sometimes it feels like the world or my body rotated a few degrees left/right for a split second too.

I can even trigger it sometimes while lying down if I tense/move my legs slightly and my body shifts a tiny bit against the couch or bed. It’s like my brain completely overreacts to tiny movement signals.

One thing I’m really curious about:
Does anyone else get this way worse when standing still to pee?

That’s one of the situations where it can suddenly hit me hard:
- weak knees
- near faint feeling
- palpitations
- feeling like I need to sit down immediately
- horrible internal imbalance feeling

What confuses me is that I can still:
- drive
- walk around
- move normally overall

So I’m not collapsing or unable to function, but the episodes feel extremely physical and real.

Other stuff I have:
- neck/upper back tension
- tinnitus episodes
- visual snow/BFEP
- occasional nausea
- legs buzzing/tingling sometimes, especially when hot
- heart rate jumps up when standing

I’ve already:
- had blood tests done
- had MRI of cervical spine
- been to eye doctor
- been told it’s not BPPV/ear crystals

Everything mostly comes back “normal”.

I’m honestly tired of hearing “anxiety”, because these episodes often happen when I’m mentally completely calm and come out of nowhere. Of course it makes me anxious afterwards because it feels fucked, but that feels more like a result than the cause.

I’ve even completely cut caffeine.

Has anyone here experienced something similar?
Especially:
- internal sliding/shifting sensations
- standing still intolerance
- near faint feeling without actually fainting
- weird proprioception/body position feeling
- symptoms while lying down or moving legs slightly

And if so:
- what did it end up being?
- did anything actually help?
- any good specialists/clinics in Europe or Denmark?

At this point I’m mostly just trying to figure out what the hell is actually going on.

I’ve been suffering from PPPD + DPDR for a long while. Tried VRT, didn’t try SSRIs (yet), had some almost-normal phases and several painful setbacks.

Everywhere I go, I keep seeing stuff such as “YOU NEED TO START ENGAGING WITH LIFE AGAIN AS IF YOUR SYMPTOMS WEREN’T THERE” and all possible declinations of this sentence.

I’m wondering, IS THIS SERIOUSLY OUR ONLY OPTION? Trying not to think about symptoms? Ignoring them? Pretending they aren’t there and pushing through life whilst our nervous system is literally screaming in pain?

Is this seriously all that’s left to us? Or is there something I’m missing out on?

Thanks to everybody who will reply

Hey guys, I need some help.

So I was prescribed 37,5mg of venlafaxine primarily for my health and body anxiety which for me are really severe. Besides that I was also diagnosed with PPPD recently, haven’t started VRT yet but will in the future.

I was also given a really small dose of mirtazapine for sleeping because I wake up everynight at 5am in complete panic and was also given 1,5 mg of bromazepam for like 2 weeks and then half of quetiapine to take as needed for rumination.

Before that I never took any antidepressants, I used a benzo maybe like 5 times in the past when I couldn’t stop a panic attack and even that was stresful for me because I really don’t like how it sedates me. I’m scared of taking all these pills, especially venlafaxine because of all the bad side effects especially dizziness because of my PPPD.

I’m so freaking scared of being extremely dizzy and sick, I was crying yesterday the whole day because of it because I know I need help for PPPD and anxiety as well but I can’t imagine having the balls to start taking the pills. I don’t know what to do.

Hello everyone. I came across this platform learning how everyone here either gets help or the feeling that they are not alone. So I thought to give it a try as well. I don't know how to describe what I feel exactly but I'll try my best....

So..the background details in short. I 24F have had a good childhood. I've never had problem making friends or anything. I am mostly happy with myself. Up until 2020 I had one of the best life anyone could think of. That was when I completed my schooling. After it covid came. I didn't really have any college life as I did it remotely. I was inside my house all day. Barely went out. But I was happy. I didn't really feel like missing out on anything or such.

Fast forward to 2024. Feb..I had a panic attack. At that time I thought it was the end. I was having a heart attack. I was dying. And lets say life after it has been different.

It took me a few months to grasp it. I was so confused. Why did I have panic? Anxiety? I was happy. I went through brain tests and heart tests as my palpitations won't stop. Before I went to a psychiatrist and he ruled out panic attack.

After it i started craving people. Humans. I joined a few games and met people. And as long as I was occupied my Anxiety was on hold. It took time but things got better. So thats what I thought. I was deficient in Magnesium, Vit B12 and D3. Supplements helped.

Its 2026 now. And what I can describe about my feelings would be..

I am every single day going though the same feeling of being on a boat in the middle of ocean..

If I am sitting in a chair doing stuff I'd feel those zaps like my head just went in wave. If I stand in feel my legs are a nit heavier...like I am in a wave motion. Or just jumpy. If I walk i often feel my legs are stepping on clouds.

If I lay on bed to rest or sleep..I'll feel like I'm on a boat that's sailing. Sometimes it's a rocking chair feel. Sometimes I feel like I am moving back forth..swaying sideways. I could swear I feel I'm in motion. But when I record myself I barely see any visible motion..when I am anxious I can capture slight swaying and others can see it too.

The thing is..its constant now. Every day. I didn't travel but what I feel is like a motion sickness that refuses to go awat. Its always there...some days worse. Some barely there. But it's interfering with my life..I barely want to go out. I am constantly checking if I feel okay. And the worst part is...I notice if I dont feel it for some time..and my first thought is..wow it didnt come today and thats when it starts again.

I have this fear that I'll faint even though I know I wont. I still take Supplements and its helping but...I don't know who to go to for this. I have really important exams I need to sit for..its life deciding for me. If anyone can help. Even slightly. I'd be deeply grateful.

Google says it's some inner ear thing. Its not exactly vertigo. It says a lot of things like PPPD and others match it. I am so confused. Any advice or suggestions would be helpful. Thank you if you took time out to read it..