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I’ve Been Suffering From DPDR For Over 3 Years Now, And I Want People To Know What It’s Like (10 Comics)
Hi fellas… My name is Lulu, I am from Switzerland, and I am turning 26 this year. I’ve been suffering from DPDR (depersonalization/derealisation disorder) for a little over three years. I was diagnosed with this mental illness around two years ago. DPDR is not very well known because it’s weird and hard to describe mental disorders, and people often suffer in silence.
DPDR can be a diagnosis on its own, but in often cases, it‘s also a symptom of other mental problems such as anxiety, dissociative disorders, etc… It‘s often caused by smoking weed, trauma, and other things.
For me, DPDR is a 24/7 thing. For the first year, I suffered in silence and was unable to do anything for my mental health. I could not describe what I was going through… People who don’t have this disorder often just don’t understand.
So I made these relatable comics for all of you who suffer from this rare disorder, or maybe feel strange and can’t explain why, and for friends and family members who don’t have it to get a better understanding.
All of these illustrations may look cute, and everything does not really sound terrible, but let me tell you – DPDR and all the everyday problems that come with it is hell, and I would never wish this on my worst enemy!
I hope my comics help someone out there!
More info: Instagram
RELATED:
Strange me in a strange world
Spacing out
Vision problems
Disconnected
Is this really me?
Who are you?
Thoughts
Fear
Past
Locked…
Dealing with DPDR can feel incredibly isolating, but it’s important to remember that you’re not alone in experiencing uncommon neurological phenomena. Interestingly, there are other unique and lesser-known disorders that affect people in various ways.
Understanding unusual sleep disruptions may offer insight into how unusual our brain’s behavior can be, similar to what you might experience during depersonalization episodes.
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What do you think ?
boi 6 years ago
this is so off topic lol but i noticed your name is neferpitou and you're on an article with a cartoon girl that looks exactly like komugi. the irony is real
Load More Replies...
Bobbi Newell 6 years ago
Hi Lulu! I have DPDR moments occasionally, with that disengaged, dream-like quality you describe. It's actually a relief to know it has a name. Your comics are very informative, and I love your art style! So glad you posted here, and I hope that you'll be able to "re-personalize." (Also, everyone should have a Totoro blanket!)
Planetmclulu (Post author) 6 years ago
thank u so much i am glad u like it and its a lil relief for you
Load More Replies...
taylor02 6 years ago
Thank you for sharing! Been experiencing derealisation for over 2 years & I haven't been able have someone understand it, other than people on the internet. Some days it absorbs me and I find myself obsessing over what it is, why it is, and how to fix it (is it congestion in the ears, nose, and throat? or the start of MS/dimensia? is it something in my diet?). It's hard to accept that one day I popped into this and I'll never pop back out... I try to stay busy enough so I don't have a free moment to have it surface... those are the good days. I try to make the most of it - came across a few articles on how it's kind of like a dark version of enlightenment, and a bit of a gift in that sense.
Blue Cicada 6 years ago
Thank you for this clear and precise description. It is not easy to share our personal struggles with the world. By sharing, you helped others to know that they are not the only ones surviving with mental illness. By sharing your struggles, and naming your illness, you are helping to destigmatize mental illness.
jeffrey blankenship 6 years ago
While I've only experienced it very minimally a handful of times, my girlfriend (soon to be fiancé....don't tell her, please) had spent a number of years, prior to when we had met, suffering with this exact thing, and with it being coupled with PTSD, it led to a nearly complete dissociation disorder. It has taken many years of careful therapy, prayer, and love, but she's very nearly completely normal, and while she still has her moments, I'll hold her and tell her "Breathe slow deep breaths, blank your thoughts, and focus on me....I promise that this moment is real, you're real, I'm real, and I've got you and God's got us." It seems (according to her therapist) that this method works better than 6 months of sessions, and doesn't want me to ever leave her (like that would ever happen).
diane a 6 years ago
That is so nice to read. I'm glad things have improved for her - and you. I wish you both all the best for your future.
Load More Replies...
Chris Ockman 6 years ago
I used to experience that for years when I was in my teens. My therapist didn't even know about it. I could only afford a counselor though, so that may be why. People would tell me they felt that way too, but I was always doubtful. What helped me was dealing with the root of it, which I think had a lot to do with my OCD and anxiety. I still deal with those two, but manage it better, and DP/DR seems to have gone almost all away for more than a decade. I have had a few hiccups, but instead of going down the rabbithole, they pass, and they are not as intense. Sometimes, when I get wrapped up into my current issues, I forget that it can be a whole lot worse. This doesn't have to be a permanent state. I'm no mental health professional, and I really am not totally sure if I am right in my assessment of how I overcame it, but the fact is, I did, aside from the rare minor hiccups of it in the last like 15 years. Wow, I counted, and it's been that long.
Loki 6 years ago
As someone who actually has this. Thank you. I'll just show this to everyone whenever I tell them I have DPDR. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Broken Bay 6 years ago
This is the first time I've ever seen information about depersonalization/derealization shared publicly. The world needs to know this.
Alia G. 6 years ago
Wow. Ok, this is me. I've always felt like I'm watching myself talk instead of of actually doing anything myself.
Anna Phoenix 6 years ago
I know, right? Sometimes, especially when I am stressed, I say something and then keep on listening for what comes next! I am waiting to hear what I say... It is terribly weird and takes effort to "jump back".
Load More Replies... boi 6 years ago
this is so off topic lol but i noticed your name is neferpitou and you're on an article with a cartoon girl that looks exactly like komugi. the irony is real
Load More Replies... Bobbi Newell 6 years ago
Hi Lulu! I have DPDR moments occasionally, with that disengaged, dream-like quality you describe. It's actually a relief to know it has a name. Your comics are very informative, and I love your art style! So glad you posted here, and I hope that you'll be able to "re-personalize." (Also, everyone should have a Totoro blanket!)
Planetmclulu (Post author) 6 years ago
thank u so much i am glad u like it and its a lil relief for you
Load More Replies... taylor02 6 years ago
Thank you for sharing! Been experiencing derealisation for over 2 years & I haven't been able have someone understand it, other than people on the internet. Some days it absorbs me and I find myself obsessing over what it is, why it is, and how to fix it (is it congestion in the ears, nose, and throat? or the start of MS/dimensia? is it something in my diet?). It's hard to accept that one day I popped into this and I'll never pop back out... I try to stay busy enough so I don't have a free moment to have it surface... those are the good days. I try to make the most of it - came across a few articles on how it's kind of like a dark version of enlightenment, and a bit of a gift in that sense.
Blue Cicada 6 years ago
Thank you for this clear and precise description. It is not easy to share our personal struggles with the world. By sharing, you helped others to know that they are not the only ones surviving with mental illness. By sharing your struggles, and naming your illness, you are helping to destigmatize mental illness.
jeffrey blankenship 6 years ago
While I've only experienced it very minimally a handful of times, my girlfriend (soon to be fiancé....don't tell her, please) had spent a number of years, prior to when we had met, suffering with this exact thing, and with it being coupled with PTSD, it led to a nearly complete dissociation disorder. It has taken many years of careful therapy, prayer, and love, but she's very nearly completely normal, and while she still has her moments, I'll hold her and tell her "Breathe slow deep breaths, blank your thoughts, and focus on me....I promise that this moment is real, you're real, I'm real, and I've got you and God's got us." It seems (according to her therapist) that this method works better than 6 months of sessions, and doesn't want me to ever leave her (like that would ever happen).
diane a 6 years ago
That is so nice to read. I'm glad things have improved for her - and you. I wish you both all the best for your future.
Load More Replies... Chris Ockman 6 years ago
I used to experience that for years when I was in my teens. My therapist didn't even know about it. I could only afford a counselor though, so that may be why. People would tell me they felt that way too, but I was always doubtful. What helped me was dealing with the root of it, which I think had a lot to do with my OCD and anxiety. I still deal with those two, but manage it better, and DP/DR seems to have gone almost all away for more than a decade. I have had a few hiccups, but instead of going down the rabbithole, they pass, and they are not as intense. Sometimes, when I get wrapped up into my current issues, I forget that it can be a whole lot worse. This doesn't have to be a permanent state. I'm no mental health professional, and I really am not totally sure if I am right in my assessment of how I overcame it, but the fact is, I did, aside from the rare minor hiccups of it in the last like 15 years. Wow, I counted, and it's been that long.
Loki 6 years ago
As someone who actually has this. Thank you. I'll just show this to everyone whenever I tell them I have DPDR. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Broken Bay 6 years ago
This is the first time I've ever seen information about depersonalization/derealization shared publicly. The world needs to know this.
Alia G. 6 years ago
Wow. Ok, this is me. I've always felt like I'm watching myself talk instead of of actually doing anything myself.
Anna Phoenix 6 years ago
I know, right? Sometimes, especially when I am stressed, I say something and then keep on listening for what comes next! I am waiting to hear what I say... It is terribly weird and takes effort to "jump back".
Load More Replies...
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