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Chronic derealization

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Shyhi

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Does anyone have methods that help them ground themselves or routines that have helped them with their derealization?

Every day I wake up and go through the whole day feeling as if I'm in a dream. It's been a never ending cycle for me these last few months, I legit don't feel like a real person anymore. I'd love to know of a routine I could try that may help this feeling.
 
i wake up an hour or two before the other members of my household to give myself a morning meditation routine. starting my day with that quiet hour (or so) helps me find my center before the distractions of the day begin. my routine starts with one or three sudoku puzzles, then i read from 3 daily meditation readers and move on to making the rounds of my online support network. the would be the step i am working as i type here. starting the day with a reminder that i am not alone helps allot. my brothers and sisters-in-healing often and unintentionally give me extra food for thought to help me start my day as i take the time to care about problems outside of my strictly personal problem set.

on the days where i am dissociating heavily, i carry what i call, "grounding talismans." those are doodads which i carry with me for tactile grounding. which doodad i carry isn't as important as having something available to stimulate my physical senses. my current favorite is a rosary i wrap around my wrist. the crucifex dangles in the way of everything i do, kinda like the handicaps of my psychotic symptoms. the dangling keeps me aware that i am in episode. be gentle with myself and patient with the process.
 
Hi @Shyhi , I'm right there with you in derealization. A lot of days I just think about how I don't feel "real"- especially as I work from home.

While I would say that showers/baths are a good way to ground and feel more "in" myself, when I am depressed it is really really hard to get myself to do that. I've been watching too much TV ( I blame drag race) and that makes derealization worse. But even if I am too depressed to take care of myself in other ways, a good way to deal with derealization for me is having something tactile. I don't know if you live by a park or not even a park but just somewhere you can go and not just walk to walk, but to touch something green and growing and living. It could even just be wild grass growing along a sidewalk. The other day I went to a park near me and it was so grounding to sit down in the grass and feel things with my hands and listen to the birds and feel my butt getting cold lol. I brought back a shell that had washed up and that's really good to "stim" on for grounding- I like to rub my thumb on the inside of the shell and feel how smooth it is, along with the contrast of the hard, ridged outer shell. So I second what @arfie said about "grounding talismans"- that is the most useful in my opinion.

I would love to hear what has been helpful for you as well. I hope you are hanging in there and please know that you are not alone in feeling like this. I unfortunately ran out of my mental health medications a few days ago because my provider left the practice and I wasn't able to get in contact with them for more refills- it is definitely a mind-fork and makes the derealization worse. so I am right there with you! Do you have an animal friend or a plant that you care for?
 
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