have you ever felt detached from the world or felt like you don't belong in your own body when you look down at your hands?Depersonalization and Derealization are psychological disorders in which this experience is intense and prolonged. About 50% of the population have come across at least one of these experiences in their lifetime but only roughly two percent are actually diagnosed with the disorder. It occurs equally in both men and women and can start early in one's early or middle years.But the two terms Depersonalization and Derealization are often mixed up and misunderstood.

Depersonalization vs Derealization

Depersonalization is when you feel cut off from yourself. When you feel like a robot or like you're not in control of your own movements, you're experiencing depersonalization. People with depersonalization disorder don't feel like themselves and struggle with feeling in tune with their emotions. These patients may feel like they're outside observers of their own lives. They feel disconnected from their memories and may not remember them clearly. Most of the time they have out-of-body experiences because they don't feel grounded in their own bodies.

So what's the difference?

The symptoms could be hearing undefined sounds such as a train going by or soft murmurs and feeling like you're synching into a bed while your body feels numb and out of control.

Symptoms of out-of-body experiences 

derealization is when you feel cut off from the world. Patients who experience the symptoms of derealization feel as if they're in a dream or as if there is a glass wall or veil that's separating them from their surroundings. The world feels funny and distorted objects around them can feel and appear smaller or larger than they actually are. Surroundings may also be blurry or unusually clear. Sounds can seem louder and more overwhelming and time can feel like it's slowing down or going too fast.

Derealization

The causes and treatment methods for both depersonalization and derealization are similar. Anxiety and depression are common in patients with these two disorders. They're often developed in people who experience severe stress in their lifetime which includes but is not limited to being emotionally abused or neglected during childhood, physical abuse, witnessing domestic violence, having a severely impaired or mentally ill parent, and having a loved one die unexpectedly. symptoms of this disorder can also be triggered by severe stress from toxic relationships, financial concerns etcetera

Causes and Treatment 

To get diagnosed with this disorder, one may get a doctor's evaluation, take questionnaires or tests and undergo specifically structured interviews. Physical examination and urine tests are also done to make sure other mental health disorders such as seizure disorder and substance abuse are ruled out. This disorder is diagnosed when symptoms last for a long time or recur over time. It's important to know that getting brief and temporary episodes of these symptoms doesn't necessarily mean you have these disorders instead you may just be going through a highly stressful situation.

Diagnosis

For treatment for depersonalization or derealization, many patients undergo psychotherapy treatment of this disorder must address all stresses associated with an individual's triggers as this may help the patient become self-aware and give them the ability to take careful measures to prevent the next stressful episode in their lives. Cognitive techniques can also be used to help lock obsessive thinking about the unreal state of being and grounding techniques can encourage the individual to use their five senses to feel more connected with themselves in the real world.

Treatment

Have you ever felt detached from the world, or felt like you don't belong in your own body when you look down at your hands? The psychological disorder depersonalization and derealization is this phenomenon more intense and prolonged. Depersonalization is when you feel cut off from yourself, and derealization is when you feel cut off from the world. Both the causes and treatment methods for both depersonalization and derealization are similar. To get diagnosed for this disorder, common processes undertaken include getting a doctor's evaluation, questionnaire tests, and structured interviews. Many patients often undergo psychotherapy to get treated for depersonalization and derealization. Script: Catherine Huang Voice Over: Connie Pickett Animator: Chloe YouTube Manager: Wendy Hu References: Spiegel, D., Wilson, S., Wilson, J., & Wilson, L. (2018). Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder. Merck Manual. Retrieved July 10, 2018. Ways To Support Us: https://www.patreon.com/Psych2GoNow Buy from our shop here: https://www.introvertpalace.com/ Use the discount code: psych2go to get 10% off anything in the shop. Sign up with our sponsored link for affordable online counselling: http://betterhelp.com/Psych2Go http://betterhelp.com/Psych2Go Intro: Surey Camacho Project Manager: Wendy Hu Community Manager: Priscilla Cha, Nicole Pridemore Producer: Psych2Go Website: http://psych2go.net Twitter: http://twitter.com/psych2go Facebook: http://facebook.com/psych2go Tumblr: http://psych2go.me Patreon: http://patreon.com/psych2gonow Contact + editorial@psych2go.net

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Have you ever felt detached from the world, or felt like you don't belong in your own body when you look down at your hands? The psychological disorder depersonalization and derealization is this phenomenon more intense and prolonged. Depersonalization is when you feel cut off from yourself, and derealization is when you feel cut off from the world. Both the causes and treatment methods for both depersonalization and derealization are similar. To get diagnosed for this disorder, common processes undertaken include getting a doctor's evaluation, questionnaire tests, and structured interviews. Many patients often undergo psychotherapy to get treated for depersonalization and derealization.

Script: Catherine Huang
Voice Over: Connie Pickett
Animator: Chloe
YouTube Manager: Wendy Hu

References:
Spiegel, D., Wilson, S., Wilson, J., & Wilson, L. (2018). Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder. Merck Manual. Retrieved July 10, 2018.

Ways To Support Us: 


https://www.patreon.com/Psych2GoNow

Buy from our shop here: 
https://www.introvertpalace.com/

Use the discount code: psych2go to get 10% off anything in the shop. 

Sign up with our sponsored link for affordable online counselling: 
http://betterhelp.com/Psych2Go 
http://betterhelp.com/Psych2Go 

Intro: Surey Camacho

Project Manager: Wendy Hu
Community Manager: Priscilla Cha, Nicole Pridemore
Producer: Psych2Go

Website: http://psych2go.net
Twitter: http://twitter.com/psych2go
Facebook: http://facebook.com/psych2go
Tumblr: http://psych2go.me
Patreon: http://patreon.com/psych2gonow

Contact + editorial@psych2go.net

Saving lives by building a community around mental health and psychology animated content. Our mission is to give you the hard topics and make it relatable and understandable; we hope to decrease the stigma associated with mental health and bring light to the darkness. 

This channel started back in 2017 when the founder has just graduated from his BA psychology degree from UBC. After realizing the power of psychology, he wanted to share what he was learning to the world. Psych2Go is more than just a psychology channel. Psych2Go empowers people to seek professional help by validating the challenges that we all go through. 

Our team now extends beyond just students, but also professionals working in the field. You will see series of interviews with experts, stories from real people who went through mental health challenges, and also relationships advice. 

Disclaimer: Don't use our content to self diagnose though. Use it as a starting point for self-advocating. 
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Changing habits can be challenging. Anyone who has attempted to change their eating habits, or quit smoking or drinking, or stop illicit drug use can probably tell us how challenging it can be to put a stop to these old habits. I myself find myself struggling at times with urges and was reading this helpful article provided by my professional coach. I figured that others here might also have similar struggles and I can share the skill with you all. The technique that I am going to share is called Urge Surfing, and you use it before you slip into having a relapse.

Riding the Waves, Mindfully surfing through any urge

Thanks to late psychologist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._Alan_Marlatt">Alan Marlatt, Ph.D.,</a> we have Urge Surfing. We can consider the urge to be an impulse to engage in an old habit. This old habit can be drinking or using, and often the urges are experienced as physical sensations in the body. These urges are like waves that rise in intensity, peak, and eventually crash. Urge surfing involves riding these waves.

What is Urge Surfing?

Stop for a moment and think about an urge that you recently experienced. As you think about this urge, see if you can notice all the sensations that come up as you think about it; see if you notice how these sensations shift across time. Use your breath to help you ride out the waves (i.e., the urge); like a surfboard, you can simply observe your breath as you ride out each wave that arises. Congratulations! You just successfully surfed your first urge!

A brief exercise to do with this technique:

Usually, urges peak between 20-30 minutes, if we allow them to. We have to hold an open and curious attitude about our urges and watch it without battling them. The urge will subside. If we battle with our urges (example: I want to get rid of the urge NOW), they take longer to subside. Giving in to urges can make them stronger and decrease our confidence in changing our habits.

There are different ways to surf your urges but most of them include the following steps. I will be sharing the information directly from the <a class="idea-content-link" href="https://portlandpsychotherapy.com/2011/11/riding-wave-using-mindfulness-help-cope-urges/">article</a>

How to Surf an Urge?

Take a few moments to notice where you experience urges in your body. You can do this by taking some time to sit in a quiet place, and if you are comfortable doing so, closing your eyes, and just allowing your attention to go to the place(s) in your body where you tend to feel urges. For some people they notice that urges are most connected to sensations in their abdomens; for others, they notice urges in their mouth (e.g., their mouths water when experiencing an urge to drink).

Whats most important is that you notice where in your body you most notice urges when they show up.If you are having trouble noticing urges,think back to a time when you experienced an urge to engage in an old habit.If you are concerned that thinking about a particular instance when you had an urge will lead to doing the habit,pick a situation where the urge was less strong or you successfully prevented yourself from acting on the urge.Picture the situation as clearly as you can in your imagination.Once the situation is clear in your mind, notice where in your body you are experiencing urge.

There is no right or wrong place for an urge to be located

(if you notice that more than 1 area of your body is connected to an urge, start with the place that you most intensely notice the urge). Take note of the sensations you are having in this body part. What do the sensations feel like? Does it feel like pressure, tingling, warmth, or coolness? How much space do these sensations take up in this place in your body?

Once you have noticed what part of your body is most connected to the urge, focus your attention on it

Try to draw an outline around the place where the sensations are felt. See if the sensations have any movement. Some people tend to associate sensations with colors or temperatures. Check to see if you notice any colors or temperature associated with these sensations. For some people, it can be helpful to silently describe the sensations in an objective and non-judgmental manner (e.g., I notice the warmth and tingling in my belly). If more than one part of your body is associated with an urge, go through this exercise with each body part.

You do not need to change your breathing at all. Notice your breath for the next 1-2 minutes. Some people find it helpful to bring their attention to a particular place in their body where they notice their breath (e.g., the abdomen); some find it helpful to say phrases like “breathe in,” “breathe out” as they inhale and exhale

Bring attention to your breath

Gently shift your attention back to the part(s) of your body where you notice the urge. Allow yourself to notice whatever sensations come up in these places. If it becomes overwhelming to notice the sensations, gently return your attention back to breath for a few moments and then go back to noticing the sensations connected to the urge.

You may find it helpful to imagine sending your breath to the parts of your body that are associated with the urge (e.g., you can breathe into your shoulders and let your breath fill up that part of your body). Notice if and how the sensations change as you watch them. Be sure to practice this step for at least 1 minute, but longer is probably better.

This next step is optional, but I have found it to be helpful in my own life and in working with people with addictions. Imagine that the sensations connected with your urge are a wave. Watch the wave rise and fall over and over again as the intensity of your sensations peaks and subside. Your job is to use your breath as a surfboard to ride these waves. No matter how big the wave gets, no matter how much you feel as if the wave will consume you, you are a skilled surfer and you will use your breath to ride each wave as it comes. Practice this for at least 1 minite.

As you’re riding the wave (or just noticing the sensations), you may find it helpful to silently describe the sensations in an objective and non-judgmental way (e.g., I notice warmth in my belly that is increasing…the warmth in my belly is decreasing and my belly feels cooler). When you are done surfing the urge, take a moment to thank yourself for taking the time and being willing to do something different with your urges. You can also use this time to set your intention for the next few minutes, hour, or day.

With practice, the urge surfing gets easier. You may notice you do a really good job at surfing. Practice this technique by using it whenever you notice yourself having an urge or practice it regularly by setting time in your days to practice the technique. This practice can help you get better at it when you end up needing to use it. Credit to this article <a class="idea-content-link" href="https://portlandpsychotherapy.com/2011/11/riding-wave-using-mindfulness-help-cope-urges/">here</a>

Urge Surfing

I saw that most of the people struggling with BED have a hard time finding coping strategies, so in this post, I would like to give some ideas of coping strategies for people struggling with BED

It can be difficult to overcome binge eating and food addiction. Unlike other addictions, your "drug" is necessary for survival, so you don't have the option of avoiding it. Instead, you must develop a healthier relationship with food—a relationship that's based on meeting your nutritional needs, not your emotional ones.

1- Develop a healthier relationship with food

Avoid temptation. You're much more likely to overeat if you have junk food, desserts, and unhealthy snacks in the house. Remove the temptation by clearing your fridge and cupboards of your favorite binge foods. Listen to your body. Learn to distinguish between physical and emotional hunger. If you ate recently and don't have a rumbling stomach, you're probably not really hungry. Give the craving time to pass.

How often have you binged in an almost trance-like state, not even enjoying what you're consuming? Slow down and savor the textures and flavors. Not only will you eat less, but you'll also enjoy it more. Eat regularly- Don't wait until you're starving. This only leads to overeating! Stick to scheduled mealtimes, as skipping meals often leads to binge eating later in the day.

Focus on what you're eating

Do not avoid fat- Contrary to what you might think, dietary fat can actually help keep you from overeating and gaining weight. Try to incorporate a moderate amount of healthy fats into your meals to keep you feeling satisfied and full. Fight boredom- Instead of snacking when you're bored, distract yourself. Take a walk, call a friend, read, or take up a hobby such as painting or gardening.

One of the most common reasons for binge eating is an attempt to manage unpleasant emotions such as stress, depression, loneliness, fear, and anxiety. When you have a bad day, it can seem like food is your only friend. Binge eating can temporarily make feelings such as stress, sadness, anxiety, depression, and boredom evaporate into thin air. But the relief is very fleeting.

2- Find better ways to feed your feelings

One of the best ways to identify the patterns behind your binge eating is to keep track with a food and mood diary. Every time you overeat or feel compelled to reach for your version of comfort food Kryptonite, take a moment to figure out what triggered the urge. If you backtrack, you'll usually find an upsetting event that kicked of the binge. Write it all down in your food and mood diary: what you ate (or wanted to eat), what happened to upset you, how you felt before you ate, what you felt as you were eating, and how you felt afterward. Over time, you'll see a pattern emerge

Identify your triggers with a food and mood diary



The next time you feel the urge to binge, instead of giving in, take a moment to stop and investigate what's going on inside. Identify the emotion you're feeling- Do your best to name what you're feeling. Is it anxiety? Shame? Hopelessness? Anger? Loneliness? Fear? Emptiness?

Learn to tolerate the feelings that trigger your binge eating

Accept the experience you're having- Avoidance and resistance only make negative emotions stronger. Instead, try to accept what you're feeling without judging it or yourself. Dig deeper- Explore what's going on. Where do you feel the emotion in your body? What kinds of thoughts are going through your head?

Distance yourself- Realize that you are NOT your feelings. Emotions are passing events, like clouds moving across the sky. They don't define who you are.Sitting with your feelings may feel extremely uncomfortable at first. Maybe even impossible. But as you resist the urge to binge, you'll start to realize that you don't have to give in. There are other ways to cope. Even emotions that feel intolerable are only temporary. They'll quickly pass if you stop fighting them. You're still in control. You can choose how to respond.

Sometimes it feels like the urge to binge hits without warning. But even when you're in the grip of a seemingly overpowering and uncontrollable urge, there are things you can do to help yourself stay in control. Accept the urge and ride it out- instead of trying to fight it. This is known as urge surfing. Think of the urge to binge as an ocean wave that will soon crest, break, and dissipate. When you ride out the urge, without trying to battle, judge, or ignore it, you'll see that it passes more quickly than you'd think.

Take back control of your feelings

Distract yourself- Anything that engages your attention will work: taking a walk, calling a friend, watching something funny online, etc. Once you get interested in something else, the urge to binge may go away. Talk to someone- When you start to notice the urge to binge, turn to a friend or family member you trust. Sharing what you're going through can help you feel better and discharge the urge to binge.

When you're physically strong, relaxed, and well-rested, you're better able to handle the curveballs that life inevitably throws your way. But when you're already exhausted and overwhelmed, any little hiccup has the potential to send you off the rails and straight toward the refrigerator. Exercise, sleep, and other healthy lifestyle habits will help you get through difficult times without binge eating.

Support yourself with healthy lifestyle habits

Manage stress- One of the most important aspects of controlling binge eating is to find alternate ways to handle stress and other overwhelming feelings without using food. These may include meditating, using sensory relaxation strategies, and practicing simple breathing exercises. Make time for regular exercise- Physical activity does wonders for your mood and your energy levels, and it's also a powerful stress reducer. The natural mood-boosting effects of exercise can help put a stop to emotional eating.

Get enough sleep- When you don't get the sleep you need, your body craves sugary foods that will give you a quick energy boost. Getting plenty of rest will help with appetite control and reduce food cravings. Connect with others- Don't underestimate the importance of close relationships and social activities. You're more likely to succumb to binge eating triggers if you lack a solid support network. Talking helps, even if it's not with a professional.

😎 Coping Strategies : Binge Eating Disorder

Coping Strategies for Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

A Binge-Eating Disorder is a type of Eating Disorder Binge-eating disorder is a serious eating disorder in which you frequently consume unusually large amounts of food and feel unable to stop eating. Almost everyone overeats on occasion,such as having seconds or thirds of a holiday meal. But for some people, excessive overeating that feels out of control and becomes a regular occurrence crosses the line to binge-eating disorder. When you have a binge-eating disorder, you maybe embarrassed about overeating But you feel such a compulsion that you can't resist the urges and continue binge eating.

What is a Binge Eating Disorder?


Behavioral symptoms:1-Inability to stop eating or control what you're eating2-Rapidly eating large amounts of food3-Eating even when you're full4-Hiding or stockpiling food to eat later in secret5-Eating normally around others, but gorging when you're alone6-Eating continuously throughout the day, with no planned mealtimes.

What are the symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder?

Emotional symptoms:1-Feeling stress or tension that is only relieved by eating2-Embarrassment over how much you're eating3-Feeling numb while bingeing—like you're not really there or you're on auto-pilot.4-Never feeling satisfied, no matter how much you eat5-Feeling guilty, disgusted, or depressed after overeating6-Desperation to control weight and eating habits

Emotion Symptoms:

Factors that can increase your risk of developing binge-eating disorder include:- Family history. You're much more likely to have an eating disorder if your parents or siblings have (or had) an eating disorder. This may indicate that inherited genes increase the risk of developing an eating disorder.

What factors can influence a Binge Eating Disorder?


-Psychological issues. Most people who have binge-eating disorder feel negative about themselves and their skills and accomplishments. Triggers for bingeing can include stress, poor body self-image, food, and boredom.

-Dieting. Many people with binge-eating disorders have a history of dieting — some have dieted to excess dating back to childhood. Dieting or restricting calories during the day may trigger an urge to binge eat, especially if you have low self-esteem and symptoms of depression. -Your age. Although people of any age can have binge-eating disorder, it often begins in the late teens or early 20s.

-Encourage him or her to seek help. The longer an eating disorder remains undiagnosed and untreated, the more difficult it will be to overcome, so urge your loved one to get treatment. -Be supportive. Try to listen without judgment and make sure the person knows you care. If your loved one slips up on the road to recovery, remind them that it doesn't mean they can't quit binge eating for good.

Tips for helping a person with Binge Eating Disorder

-Avoid lectures or guilt trips. Binge eaters feel bad enough about themselves and their behavior already. Lecturing, getting upset, or issuing ultimatums to a binge eater will only increase stress and make the situation worse. Instead, make it clear that you care about the person's health and happiness and you'll continue to be there. -Set a good example by eating healthily, exercising, and managing stress without food. Don t make negative comments about your own body or anyone else's.

Depersonalization vs Derealization

Urge Surfing

Coping Strategies for Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

Binge Eating Disorder (Awareness)

Dimah Khan