Depersonalization: A Psychotherapist's Recovery Story
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I recently interviewed Emma Beau, a Clinical Psychotherapist based on the Sunshine Coast of Australia.
Emma is also a social media influencer and musician. She is the creator of The Life Clinic, a counselling and psychology clinic. Emma has amassed a TikTok following of over 40,000 followers, where she has gained a positive reputation through openly discussing mental health challenges such as Emetophobia, Depersonalization and Derealization Disorder, and ADHD.
Emma had her first experience with DPDR at the age of 18, after a traumatic experience. She struggled with the condition for two years, before getting her life back on track. But years later, in 2020, that 'out of body experience' hit her again, and Emma found herself back in the midst of Chronic Depersonalization.
As she says on her website: "I had anxiety ever since I can remember, that led to Emetophobia which led to more anxiety which led to OCD and DPDR. Enter the present day - I'm feeling happier, healthier and stronger than ever and with my degree in clinical counselling I have a passion for helping others."
I first spoke to Emma back in 2020 when she was struggling badly with Chronic Depersonalization and Derealization. As she says in the interview: "I was bedridden, I wasn't eating, I thought I was going to die."
It was an incredibly difficult time for her, but thankfully she had made a complete recovery, and now uses that experience as a resource for helping others in her professional life.
In this interview, Emma and I discuss our experiences of DPDR at length. We talk about our initial reactions to the condition (thinking that it's a hangover, etc) and symptoms such as the intense feeling of disconnection and racing, existential thoughts.
We also talk about some of the more distressing symptoms associated with the condition, like feeling exhausted all the time, and the feelings of intense guilt that can often come with drug-induced Depersonalization. And we discuss some of the most catastrophic interpretations of DPDR, like it's a form of purgatory or unwanted enlightenment.
Emma also talks about her experience with ADHD and Emetophobia, and the steps she took to reduce her anxiety levels, including reducing caffeine + alcohol intake, practicing yoga, and engaging in relaxation activities.
We discuss the Depersonalization recovery process at length, how reengaging away from the thoughts allows the brain to forget them, how having a habit tracker helps, and how The DP Manual was useful in Emma's recovery.
Finally, we talk about how healthy it is to process these difficult experiences, and channel them into fulfilling projects like helping others, artistic endeavours etc.
It was such a pleasure to interview Emma for my YouTube channel, and I look forward to seeing what her future career holds!
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Start your Recovery from DPDR today!
Hi there! My name's Shaun.
Back in 2005 I suddenly developed chronic Depersonalization Disorder. For almost two years my life, my career, everything went on hold. It was a living nightmare. But through much trial and error, I began to understand what was happening, and how to stop the Depersonalization symptoms, including all the terrifying thoughts and feelings. I made a TOTAL recovery, and I wrote the DP Manual to help others do exactly the same. The DP Manual Package contains everything you need to know for YOUR recovery from Depersonalization.
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