Sociable Introvert » Introvert

6 Ways to Manage and Mitigate Depersonalization and Derealization

Samantha Sampson — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 16:25:33 +0000

Depersonalization and derealization are unhealthy patterns of thought that result in feeling like you’ve lost your personhood or humanity, failing to recognize the humanity in others, and struggling to grasp reality.

People who suffer from derealization question whether or not the world around them is real, and because of this, often have a very hard time functioning in the world around them.

Depersonalization is equally harmful: it robs the person of their feelings of humanity and makes them feel disassociated from the world around them.

Understandably, people who suffer from depersonalization and derealization may have a difficult time with social interaction, and may feel isolated and alone.

The best way to combat depersonalization and derealization is to get professional help from a mental health specialist, since depersonalization and derealization are often symptoms of larger mental illnesses, like anxiety or depression.

Along with professional help, these are some methods that can help reduce the panic, stress, and depression that come from depersonalization and derealization.

6. Assess your current medications.

If you’re currently taking medications for anxiety, depression, or any other illness, talk to your doctor about feeling dissociative: it could possibly be a side effect of your medication.

Common medications that can induce depersonalization or derealization include antihistamines, anti-anxiety medications, carbamazepine, fluoxetine, fluphenazine, indomethacin, nitrazepam, and sodium pentothal.

5. Monitor your recreational drug use and diet.

According to the US National Library of Medicine, long-term use of hallucinogens like LSD and marijuana can either cause, increase, or lessen feelings of dissociation in people with depersonalization and derealization disorders depending on their neural chemistry.

If you’re in a state that allows medical marijuana, consider talking to your doctor about possible depersonalization treatment; but in any other case, stay as far away as possible from unregulated marijuana or LSD from street vendors. While LSD and other hallucinogens may have promise in helping treat depersonalization, their lack of regulation can mean it may worsen your symptoms.

Regulating less intense chemicals like caffeine and alcohol are important as well. Because caffeine and alcohol both interfere with natural brain processes, eliminating or reducing their presence in your diet can help mental health and reduce the number of reactions with your medication.

4. Get some sleep (no, seriously).

We all know the woozy feeling from not having enough sleep. And while one or two all-nighters are fine, consistently having a bad sleep schedule can contribute to feelings of depersonalization or disassociation, not to mention a host of other negative effects on a person’s health.

The number of hours needed per night is different for everyone: according to the UCLA Psychiatry and Behavioral Services Center for Sleep Research, the best way to figure out how much sleep you need is to go cold turkey on everything.

Quit caffeine, quit sleeping pills, quit anything that wakes you up or puts you to sleep, and let your body naturally fall into a sleep pattern rhythm. It may take a couple weeks, but you’ll find your body may need much more or way less sleep than you’ve been providing it.

It’s important to fix that in order to effectively manage any mental illness, especially depersonalization and disassociation disorders.

3. Instead of obsessively concentrating on trivial things, practice purposeful, mindful meditation.

One of the hardest and most challenging aspects of depersonalization and derealization is the feeling of obsession, or not being able to “let things go”.

This obsessive quality can not only be personally distressing, but is also often one of the most significant symptoms that make forming social relationships with other people extremely difficult for people who struggle with it.

Obsession can be overwhelming, and can be tough to treat “on the spot”. However, practicing daily mindful meditation can help prevent obsessive episodes from occurring.

Mindful meditation can take many forms, and it’s important to find which type works best for you.

Essentially, a mindful meditative session will include focusing your entire being, mind and body, on the present moment: the pillow you’re sitting on, the smell you’re smelling, the thoughts you’re thinking.

You don’t pass judgment on the thoughts or feelings, you simply let them exist.

You accept the world as it is, for just 10 or 20 minutes, and feel calm and rooted in reality.

Guides for mindful meditations can be found virtually everywhere, and remember: the best ones are free. Mindful meditation has been successfully practiced for centuries, so don’t let some scam artist in L.A. convince you he has a “secret formula”.

Do, however, research different guides for mindful meditations, as everyone’s needs are different.

2. Find and foster communities, both likeminded and otherwise.

One of the toughest parts about living with depersonalization and derealization is the feeling of social isolation.

When first learning how to manage your symptoms, you may feel uncomfortable talking to people in public, and that’s okay: everyone recovers at different rates, and taking things slowly isn’t bad.

Luckily, lots of online communities exist for people suffering from depersonalization and derealization, from subreddit communities to 4chan forums and Facebook groups. Sometimes forming connections online can be easier than forming connections in real life, and it’s not a bad place to start.

Of course, it’s extremely important that your social interactions don’t begin and end online. Moving outside of your comfort zone, meeting people without your same mental illness, is very important.

Apps like Meetup are great places to start: if you’re interested in books, they have book clubs, or if you love football, there are lots of Meetup groups that meet for games. If you crave a more romantic or sexual connection, apps like Tinder or websites like Match.com can be good places to start to meet other people.

Because the worlds of online communities and the “outside world” are being more and more connected by apps like those mentioned, it’s becoming easier to transition to a social life outside of your laptop.

1. Be kind to yourself.

It’s very easy to let your inner monologue turn hateful: you’re not good enough, you’re bad with people, you have no friends, you’re a loser, etc.

If you follow nothing else in this list, follow this advice: do not let that internal script continue to play. Self-hatred will do nothing but make your condition worse. Instead, practice mindful thinking: when something like “I’m so stupid” crosses your mind, immediately say to yourself, “I may have some things to learn, but I am a smart, important person”.

Counter every negative thought you have with a good one and see how much self-love can help.

As always, take everything here with a grain of salt — that grain of salt, of course, being your mental health provider.

Only a trained professional can give you the complete resources you need to be mentally healthy, and there’s absolutely no shame in accessing one.

Have a great week, and remember to love yourself!

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A Computer Game About An Introvert

Alex — Mon, 18 May 2015 17:10:31 +0000

I decided to put my programming skills to good use and make a retro-style pixel-art computer game about a brave introvert. He fights against the evil Dr./Prof. Extravert who wants to convert all the people into extraverts (and rule the world, of course).
I’ve already implemented basic game features. Here’s an early screenshot. Plot, art and gameplay (as well as title) have yet to be polished. Please, support my game by sharing this post.

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Recharge It Now: 12 Proven Ideas to Quickly Recharge Social Energy after Intensely Practicing Interpersonal Skills for An Introvert

Alex — Sat, 02 May 2015 17:02:48 +0000

That’s the usual thing to experience energy drain for an introvert who puts a lot of effort in practicing his or her interpersonal skills.

Even highly positive social activities may leave you exhausted and eager to find ways how to relax your mind and recharge your social energies.

Moreover, when you’re learning something, whether it’s math or your goal is to improve your social skills, the thoughtful rest is as important as the practice.

If you live (or wish to live) a fulfilling social life, it is crucial to master the techniques which will let you get back in shape as soon as it is possible.

Here are the twelve credible recommendations which will give you a quick social energy boost.

Take a long walk in a quiet place
Find a peaceful area in your city, such as a park, or quiet neighborhood. Let noise of the busy stressful city become distant, and casual sounds of nature surround you. If you feel like it, put your headphones on and listen to your favorite music.
Plan a physical exercise session
Look for some relaxation exercises on the Web or hit the gym with an intense 45 minute workout.
Read a book or watch a movie
I found out that movies I watched in my childhood somehow relieve stress, calm my over-excited brain down, and improve my mood. I’m talking about movies of 80s and 90s starring Jackie Chan, Jean-Claude Van Damme, etc.
Watch an inspirational video at YouTube (or other video service), or just randomly watch music videos.
Find a YouTube playlist or create your own. Let it play at the background of your consciousness and zone out.
Cook
Yesterday I challenged myself to cook some burritos. Here is the picture of a victim of my ambitious experiment.
Have a cup of coffee alone
Find a cozy place (cafe, bar, coffee shop) to have a cup of coffee or tea in. Do not invite anyone to join you.
Have a small talk with a random person you don’t know
As counterintuitive as it may seem, this step can really boost your social energy.
Paint, Write, DIY
Even if you suppose, you don’t have any abilities for such activities, do it anyway, just for fun.
Connect with an old friend by writing him/her a letter (and of course, sending it to him/her).
Watch Studio Ghibli anime movies
“Princess Mononoke” and “Ocean Waves” are my all-time favourites. They all are brilliant.
Play old-school masterpieces of computer game industry
“The Secret of Monkey Island” (remastered in 2009), “Kyrandia”, “Goblins”, “Syberia” (not so old-school) or any other wonderful computer game of “quest” genre will entertain you in an unhurried way for long hours.
Take a ride
Get in your car or take a bus, and take a ride to some distant place outside the city. You may go further and visit a nearby town. Or drive around suburbs with no clear destination.
Stop at gas stations to have a snack.

Take your time to recharge completely. The higher your social energy level is the easier it is to take part in social activities.

Image of the electric adapter by renjith krishnan at www.freedigitalphotos.net

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Introvert Quotes and Solitude Quotes

Alex — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 13:46:00 +0000

A collection of free introvert quotes and solitude quotes.

I’ve combined famous quotes on introversion and solitude together, because solitude and introversion go hand in hand quite often.

Please note, that solitude and loneliness are not the same thing. Solitude is a state that heals you. It lets you take a look inside your heart and soul and find the inner peace.

Quoting May Sarton: “Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self. ”

Some of the introvert quotes are turned into pictures. For your convenience, every image has a social buttons toolbar attached to it, so you can share the quote on Pinterest or Facebook with ease.

However, if you prefer plain text, I’ve prepared every solitude quote in such a way that you can tweet it right away.

One of the best and direct ways how you can help this site grow is sharing content you like. When someone shares a piece of information from this web-site, I feel urgent aspiration to create better content. Besides, the famous gorgeous pixelart kawai unicorn pony poops out a beautiful baby butterfly!

So if you have found a quote you like, please do share it. Thank you! ^^~

Without further delay, señiores and señoritas, – solitude quotes and introvert quotes!

“I love people. I love my family, my children… but inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that’s where you renew your springs that never dry up.”

This quote by Pearl S. Buck cannot be tweeted as it’s too long. Please, share the picture below.

Image by kai4107 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

All of our unhappiness comes from our inability to be alone. Jean de la Bruyere

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Please note: this quote by Keanu Reeves was translated.

Image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I’m a loner who loves people. Keanu Reeves

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“After all, human beings are like that. When they are alone they want to be with others, and when they are with others they want to be alone.”

This famous quote by Gertrude Stein is too long for a tweet. However, there is a picture with this quote available for sharing:

Image by njaj at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image by Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Solitude is often the best society.

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“I’m an introvert… I love being by myself, love being outdoors, love taking a long walk with my dogs and looking at the trees, flowers, the sky.” Audrey Hepburn

Again, too long to tweet. Please, share the picture with this quote:

Photo by Dino De Luca at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It is better to travel alone than with a bad companion.

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Photo by wiangya at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I feel the same way about solitude as some people feel about the blessing of the church. Peter Høeg

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I would admit I’m an introvert. I don’t know why introverts have to apologize. Bill Gross

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Solitude is painful when one is young, but delightful when one is more mature. Albert Einstein

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“The whole value of solitude depends upon one’s self; it may be a sanctuary or a prison, a haven of repose or a place of punishment, a heaven or a hell, as we ourselves make it.”

John Lubbock.

Please, share the image with this quote if it is available, as it’s just too long to tweet.

Please do share this article if you are feeling thankful :)