DPDR succes story (1): How Lauren recovered from DPDR & Existential Anxiety

[@evatempleton5994]

Thank you so much Lauren for sharing your story. I cried with you, because I relate to your story 100% and also you gave me hope that I will also can and will recover. God bless you!!🩵🤗

[@frankiel9879]

I loved this video so much - I've been going through this since December 2023, and I've noticed these layers I shed. For me I always want to 'get better quick', which is natural, I'm only human, but I am trying not to expect it to go away so quick now. I'm at a place now where I can see it as a journey. I still get bad moments, but seem to be coming out of them quicker than before. I find it's not about changing your experience, whatever thoughts and sensations arise, but rather changing your relationship with these things. To those of you really in the thick of it, that sounds awful because you just want some answer and reassurance for these thoughts, but trust the process. You are viewing it from the state of fear. You are ok to be with it. It will get easier. Everyone is so different - different things work for everyone. You don't need to force something to work for you that isn't doing the trick, but I do suggest meditation, which you need to cultivate over time. For me, acceptance has been accepting my frustration, accepting not being able to accept, and all these little nuances of acceptance. Nothing about me is wrong - that has taken a long time to feel, and I continue to work on this - that's life! Thank you Lauren, and I'm so happy at how happy you are! And thank you Robin. I am no expert, but am only sharing from my own experience so far! :) Love to all

[@inspiredByFlorian]

i have fully recovered!!! thanks for giving me hope Robin

[@robinschindelka2117]

That's incredible!! I'm so proud of you

[@inspiredByFlorian]

@@robinschindelka2117means a lot coming from a great person like you

[@inspiredByFlorian]

you gave me hope when nothing could

[@laurenruthers]

💪💪💪💪

[@moonlight22014]

How did you recover?

[@vanessawilhelm594]

Thanks for this wonderful interview Lauren. I am also in recovery (my dpdr was triggered as part of long covid - but I am shedding all these labels slowly). It's been 3 years and most days I do not notice the dpdr anymore (sometimes slight visual issues) , and I go on with my day normally. I socialise, work etc. I will continue to focus on my healing and know that it will all come

[@juliaimpelizieri151]

thank you for this! i’ve had chronic dpdr for 4 years now and i truly hope i can heal like you ❤

[@laurenruthers]

You absolutely can and will Julia, I felt the same way and now I am grateful for it all

[@ih4102]

Julia, I'm in the same situation as you. We can do this❤️ it's own kind of journey for everyone🌙

[@longislanddirt]

This is an amazingggg series. Lauren, you literally described everything I've been going through to a teeee. I can't tell you how helpful and healing watching this is, gives me so much hope!

[@laurenruthers]

Thank you Rose, continue to hope. Your healing is probably way closer than you think - trust me 😍

[@marlysaf]

@@laurenruthershi Lauren! Been suffering with dpdr the past 5 weeks.. is there anywhere I could chat with you? Instagram or anything?x

[@MsValerie6]

I cry with Lauren because i'm in the difficult part of this process, i'm really struggling but seeing her recovery is so beautiful to me and i hope i Will feel that way too.

[@poffstarr5897]

What is your routine like for recovery? I’m excited for you, you’ll feel the same way she does one day!

[@skye3830]

I will never stop thanking you for being such a huge part of my recovery. Genuinely never would've made it without you, you're an angel

[@marlysaf]

Hi! Is there anywhere I could text you?

[@chiselcheswick5673]

I can totally sympathy with the time passing thing. I am currently suffering another bout of extreme anxiety and depression due to a fixation with my own mortality and time passing. I ended up in a mental hospital for 2 weeks and am now back on ssri. Its still torture every day but I hope the ssri will kick in soon (7 weeks on) to give me a fighting chance. The anxiety is just so debilitating. Good luck to anyone going through it.

[@chiselcheswick5673]

Thanks for the video and your channel by the way ❤️

[@danielleramos6898]

how are you feeling?

[@chiselcheswick5673]

Took about 12-15 weeks before I had a good couple of months of no fear or symptoms. Unfortunately I have had a few stressful life situations over the last few weeks and slipped back into the anxiety spiral again. It's tough and have the same thoughts about never getting better, but got to keep going and be hopeful I can get back to where I was. Thanks for asking 👍

[@lyndastanonis4356]

Thanks for sharing your story Lauren. I especially related to the part you said about time passing, that's been challenging for me but getting easier. Also your advice about leaning into the process of feeling everything you are frightened of is so true. Just really appreciate you sharing your recovery story with us.

[@laurenruthers]

Thank you so much Lynda, its funny that time passing seems to be the 'problem' but it really is the healer. I know you'll get there - I've felt the same way. Trust me it will come to you and you aren't even ready for how good your going to feel. Sending love

[@a.f.680]

Thank you so much for sharing Lauren. I could understand everything you said - especially about the racing thoughts etc. And also how hard it is to describe what you are experiencing. Me, as someone who went through something similar, could relate a lot. I'm so glad to see that you are doing way better now! 🤗 I'm not trough the whole interview by now but I'm curious about how you found your way back to peaceful. I really enjoy this series Robin! I think it's a great idea - I think it would be very interesting to hear from someone who had it for years and recoverd? Looking forward to what's about to come! 🙌🏼

[@charlottestannoo]

Wow, thank you Lauren and Robin for this conversation. That's given me so much hope! I have a similar story with drug / alcohol misuse and partying as a way of distracting from my feelings. Sober now but still struggling with the dissociation and adapting to a sober life seems to have heightened anxiety. And YES to the butterflies! I have been seeing multiple white butterflies every day for the last 6 weeks or so since starting to struggle with DPDR and intense anxiety. I hadn't thought of them of positive signs of my healing until hearing this conversation, but had thought of them as angel messages from loved ones who have passed over. Can't explain how helpful this convo has been thank you both, and might even get a butterfly tattoo myself now LOL

[@sleepyhead8155]

This video is so so beautiful !!!! Congrats on your recovery lauren ❤❤ i hope i recover soon and get back to my old self again

[@johnstubbs8748]

A beautiful hour of discussion. 🙏

[@laurenruthers]

love you 😘 thank you for everything you did for me along the way

[@lillianmackenzie4082]

I rewatch this all the time, can't tell you how much it has helped! And now I'm doing so well!! :))

[@robinschindelka2117]

That's amazing 😍😍

[@RSTC18]

Excellent conversation and so helpful. Thank you both for sharing. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@marieferret8868]

What a beautiful story! Lauren, did you ever have any physical symptoms with your DPDR, like tinnitus/headache/..? I wonder if I might have some sort of brain damage.

[@chazbeats-charlieaylesbury]

these videos are so important

[@joerusso949]

Setbacks keep me in this loop. They’re so disheartening, after feeling like myself then that whoosh of fear hits out of nowhere. It’s just so frustrating, it pisses me off. If I was younger I could be more patient.

[@laurenruthers]

Joe, I really believe the setbacks are part of the process and you learn through them how resilient and patient you can be as you keep going forward despite it. Please be soft with yourself - your doing the best you can. The day will come

[@poffstarr5897]

Try and journal. Everyday, keep a routine do these things and when you have a setback look back and see what you’re working for. Don’t give up recovery is comjng

[@derkollege2723]

Do u have tips 4 people who are scared of the „awakening“ ? I watched so much videos about it and I listended to ghurus and stuff like that and i cant understand (facing death and more things….) Thx for your Videos !! 🧡 Sorry for my english:D

[@vanessacortes6377]

Check out some videos about from new age to Jesus. I’ve watched a few and they talk about how awakening, yoga & all that stuff is bad for you. How “awakening” is horrible for you

[@kirstencorbett2289]

Hi Robin (and Lauren, if you see this) thank you so much for this!! I have recovered from DPDR before, but now it is back with a vengeance. I relate 100% to how Lauren is feeling 🥹😭😭 Is acceptance and surrender really the way to go about treating this? What about healing the body from within, so to speak? Like trying to keep the body relaxed in the longterm, and avouding stress building up (since built-up stress and anxiety can trigger DPDR too)? Just a bit confused on WHERE to start!

[@robinschindelka2117]

It's the same thing :) tensity in the body is literally your body showing stress & resistance. Physically relaxing and releasing stress is the same thing as accepting the here and now & surrendering.

[@daphnew476]

Hi Kirsten, I am going through this for the second time as well. I would love to get in contact with you to maybe motivate each other when things get hard, let me know if you are interested in that :). Greetings, Daphne

[@Ariana5281]

Watching this in a butterfly print singlet!!!

[@laurenruthers]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yes girl 🦋

[@sandstone_block5980]

Great video, can I ask Lauren a question? Thanks

[@SamJamison-j4o]

Question for Lauren (and maybe Robin) if she is still willing to reply: I am currently towards the end of my journey (I think and I hope), I have just started seeing someone while still on my DPDR journey, do you think it is possible that I can fully recover while being with him? We have been seeing each-other for 6 weeks now but it's feeling pretty serious already and I already know he cares deeply for me, and I do for him. I just get scared sometimes that if I have a setback I'll need to let him go and heal this thing on my own. I don't like when I feel far away from myself because I feel far from him. I don't like when I'm with him and I look in his eyes and my brain tells me he doesn't matter/ love doesn't matter because it's all chemicals. I've known everything is chemicals and energy since middleschool; I don't know why I have such a problem with it now. I want to fall in love with him without my brain telling me it's not real/ doesn't matter all the time, and so I fear I need to breakup with him and heal myself first sometimes; I don't know if he'd wait for me if I had to do that.

[@nmash6835]

Is fatigue and sleepiness part of anxiety and dpdr?

[@carolinebarry5035]

yes!

[@nmash6835]

Can I have a session with you I'm from south Africa

[@brandylove6642]

Any idea why I feel like I need to live my life in front of a mirror ? & me thinking i don’t know what I look like? 😔

[@brandylove6642]

This is my last symptom and I don’t understand it

[@Pavel_Franta]

my english is probably worse than i thought 😁 i understand her every fifth word 😁

[@laurenruthers]

hahahah apologies Pavel, I tried to speak as eloquently as I could but hopefully the message got through despite my awful accent

[@poffstarr5897]

@@laurenruthers how are you now? I’m 17 dealing with it, I have moments where I’m fine but the setbacks I have such issues handling. I want to start working because I can’t afford counseling with anyone bc I live off my single mom who supports 3 daughters. I got it when I was 15 from trying weed. Your story is giving me hope, I just had a setback and instead of going to Reddit like I normally do I’m watching recovery stories and still doing my day to day. Hope all is well, god bless you 💗

[@nmash6835]

Please help me