Hemera has been undergoing Equine-Assisted therapy - and bravely shares what the experience has been like for her.

Caring for somebody experiencing DPDR can be challenging. Eklavya shares a perspective on how best to do this.

The second instalment of a 9-part blog series written by Rob.

Olivia has found her love of crafts to be an essential coping strategy in her journey with DPDR.

Like all of us, Shannon has been on a journey of coming to terms with her DPDR diagnosis and finding coping strategies that work for her.

Jacqueline has found fulfilling her dream of learning to play the piano to be an important part of her DPDR journey.

The first instalment of a 9-part blog series written by Rob.

Lotties shares her advice for navigating relationships with DPDR for Valentines Day.

Evan has lived with DPDR long term, and has found accepting it to be his best coping strategy.

Joe finds that he struggles more with his mental health during the holiday period - and has had to develop coping strategies to make December an easier experience.

Samara is an actress and writer who has found engaging with the Arts to be an important coping mechanism for life with DPDR.

For those that are new to the condition, or have only now just put a name to it, you're now on a new path.  I have been diagnosed with this condition for a number of years – and if DPDR is connected to anxiety, controlling that did not help. I think this might be because reaching out added to the condition and highlighted other people not understanding – shrugging their shoulders, or the doctor saying, “take two of these and see me in the morning.”

*Trigger warning: mentions of suicide, self harm, abuse & psychological distress

At the moment, I speak to the Samaritans nearly every day. I’m not suicidal. I do not want to hurt myself. I am really feeling alone. I have been lonely before: in fact, in my family of origin I was so used to it that I didn’t really see it for what it was or how it made me behave.

*Trigger warning: mentions drug use

I would like to start by saying to anyone feeling incredibly hopeless about their DPDR experience: after five years with this condition, I am better. By that, I mean - I am able to experience clarity, perspective, space, ease, a sense of self, and, crucially… connection with myself and others. Not all the time, and not always fully, but the fact it is possible is enough. Suffice it to say: Feeling better is possible. There are tools and techniques. There is hope.

The Dissociation Photography Project is something I have been working on for a couple of years now. From 2021 onwards I have been on a journey of self-exploration. Photography is something I was able to find in the midst of my darkest days, my connection to the sunsets, forests and the moon allowed me to start feeling a part of the greater world - us humans are a part of nature, just as much as anything else.

*Trigger warning: mentions mental health and struggles with DPDR*

My name is Emily, I am 29 years old and I have Sensory Processing Disorder and I am Autistic. I live in the UK and have always struggled with my mental health since my early teens. I had never experienced dissociation until September 2020. I described it as having had ‘a flash’ of it (a 'flash’ meaning a feeling which last just a few seconds).

*Trigger Warning: contains references to drug usage, psychological distress and physical health concerns.

When I was 18 years old, I tried cannabis with my then partner. Moments later, I experienced intense panic and a sense of unreality that left me terrified and literally shaking for hours. This state unfortunately persisted for months. Over this time, everything felt distant, like I was in another dimension, or weird dream.

Hi, I’m  Kaitlin, and I have been living with Chronic Depersonalisation and Derealisation Disorder for over 5 and a half years. I only discovered DPDR about a year and a half ago. So, for four years, I was living with it not knowing what was going on. I’m sure the majority of people experiencing DPDR have lived through that ‘not knowing’ phase and understand how scary and confusing it can be. The sad reality is that DPDR is widely experienced (1.93% of the UK population), yet not many people have even heard of it.

For years I hid the fact that I blank out during commutes, can feel myself dissolve in meetings and have trouble navigating the office because I don’t have complete control of my body. But why was I trying so hard to keep my DPDR a secret at work?

It can sometimes feel like we’re living in a world where everyone sees the two faces, and trying to explain the candlestick to others, when you seem to be the only one experiencing its existence, is both difficult and frustrating.