Depersonalization From Weed?
Top 10 Tips To Feel Better (Today!)

Drug-induced Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder (DPDR) can leave you feeling high when sober, disconnected, or like you're stuck in a dream. But don’t worry -- this is a common and temporary condition.

In fact, it's much more common than you might think. And as stronger strains become more popular, Derealization and Depersonalization from weed are becoming increasingly more frequent.

The most common situation is that you've recently had a bad experience or panic attack while on cannabis / weed (or LSD, ketamine etc) and now:

• 'I still feel high the day after using weed.'
• 'Everything feels unreal, like I’m stuck in a dream while awake.'
• 'I can’t shake the feeling of being disconnected from reality or my emotions.'
• 'Sometimes, I feel high suddenly, even when I haven’t used any drugs.'
• 'It feels like I’m outside my body, or like I’m experiencing a lingering weed hangover.'
• 'Even days after taking an edible, I still feel weird or disconnected.'

Feeling high when sober can persist for hours, days, or even weeks, but it’s still completely temporary.

You might also feel distortions in time and space; that your vision is affected, the world is in 2D, the people around you aren't real -- these are just some of the classic symptoms of Depersonalization and Derealization .

It can come on suddenly and be intensely frightening -- but just by understanding and doing a few simple things you can immediately start to feel better and ensure that it doesn't turn into a long-term condition.

1. DON'T PANIC

You will feel a strong urge to panic, but don't worry. You're not going crazy, even if you feel disconnected from reality -- it’s just a temporary response to anxiety

What is happening feels weird and frightening, but for now all you need to understand that it's actually a defense mechanism of the brain. It's perfectly natural.

Most importantly, drug-induced Depersonalization / Derealization is not permanent. It will not hurt you, it won't lead to anything worse and it is 100% temporary.

2. WHAT YOU ARE FEELING IS NOT THE DRUG

This is very important: If you have allowed time for the drug to wear off and you're still feeling 'high' or 'unreal' -- It's not the drug that's causing this feeling.

Worries like 'Why do I feel high when I haven't smoked weed?', 'Why do I feel high when I'm sober?' or 'I feel high but I haven't taken anything' can certainly feel terrifying, but just remember that the feeling has nothing to do with the drug.

There are no persistent traces of the drug in your system, and the drug hasn't caused permanent change to your perceptions. This is not some bizarre, never-ending weed hangover that you can't shake.

Those things can not happen and have not happened. 

Once the drug it out of your system, the drug is out of your system. 

You are ok, you are safe.

What you are experiencing is a temporary reaction to what your brain has perceived to be a traumatic experience (which a bad drug experience can absolutely feel like).

For the moment the feelings might persist but don't worry - Depersonalization from weed or any other drug is NOT permanent.

People get and recover from weed-induced DPDR all the time. So keep that in mind and stay calm!

3. DON'T TAKE MORE OF THE DRUG

You might think that the drug has got you into this, so it might get you out.

This will not work.

If anything, it could make things worse. You don't need to take drastic measures to recover from this.

4.  DON'T DRINK COFFEE OR OTHER SOURCES OF CAFFEINE

The feeling of unreality can often be confused with tiredness or need to "wake up", and people sometime drink lots of coffee or other stimulants in order to shake the feeling.

This will not work.

It will only raise your anxiety levels higher and make you feel worse. If you want a drink, have a glass of sparkling water or chamomile tea.

5. DON'T RESEARCH THE CONDITION

What you are feeling is completely unfamiliar and you will feel the need to dive into Google and start finding out everything you can about DPDR in all its forms, including drug-induced Depersonalization and Derealization.

Don't do this! 

What you are experiencing is an anxiety-based habit of thought and so what is guaranteed to prolong it is to keep obsessing over it.

If you start persistently looking through DPDR forums and groups, constantly looking for more DPDR recovery tips, you are just strengthening the idea that there is supposed to be something seriously "wrong" with you, and it will take longer to recover.

Not only that, but you're bound to come across frightening information that will only upset you, intensify the DPDR and make you feel worse.

Take it from me, someone who had the condition for over two years: this condition thrives on research and you need to starve it of that as soon as you can.

If you have already been researching the condition, stop NOW and read this.

6.  DISTRACT YOURSELF IMMEDIATELY

Play a video game. Play an instrument. Do something that engages you.

You might still feel the Depersonalization and Derealization, but the important thing is that as soon as possible you break the chain of association in your mind that goes from Anxiety to Depersonalization to Panic.

What's the best way to do this right now? By staying distracted. 

I know that this probably sounds almost too simplistic to be true, but it works. You're not just distracting your attention away from the thoughts, you're communicating to your brain that the thoughts are not important.

This is one of the basics of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Reframing unhelpful thoughts as being unimportant gives your brain the nonverbal permission to start to let them go.

7.  DON'T ATTEMPT TO GET BETTER RIGHT AWAY

The feeling you're experiencing is your body's natural reaction to intense anxiety and perceived trauma. I know it sounds counterintuitive but it will fade away naturally if you allow it to do so.

I also understand that thoughts like "Why do I feel high all of a sudden?" can be particularly scary and urgent.

But if you sit around focusing on those thoughts, becoming more frightened and panicked that it's not going away right now, that will just raise your anxiety levels and make the feeling worse.

It's also communicating to your brain that these thoughts are powerful and important, which is not how you want to be framing them.

The best thing you can do is accept that it's there temporarily and go about your day as if nothing was wrong.

The chances are that the feeling will stay with you for a time, but don't worry, that's perfectly ok. Right now the MOST important thing is what you do with it.

Remember, you are safe. This isn't going to get worse or turn into something else.

8. DEPERSONALIZATION IS ALWAYS THE SAME

Depersonalization is absolutely not some sort of bizarre mystery condition. People experience this all the time and it's EXTREMELY common.

Most people experience it for a few minutes at a time, ignore it and it goes away naturally. People experience it from drug use, trauma, car crashes, panic attacks etc.

But even though it can have any number of causes, here's the important thing -- It's always the same.

If you have Depersonalization from weed (or any other drug) it's the exact same as DPDR that you might have developed in a car crash, panic attack, mugging etc.

Depersonalization and Derealization from weed or any other drug is not special and the methods to deal with it are exactly the same.

Oh and by the way -- If you're feeling more Derealization than Depersonalization? That's nothing to worry about either.