Depersonalization: A Psychologist's Recovery Story
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I recently interviewed Lucas Luvison, a clinical psychologist studying Depersonalization + Derealization, based in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
In 2017, in his second year of college, Lucas developed chronic Depersonalization + Derealization after a bad weed experience. Fortunately, he has since fully recovered.
Lucas subsequently wrote his undergraduate thesis about Depersonalization and last year joined a Masters program where his research project is going to be focused on the investigation of psychological processes and their relation to Depersonalization.
As Lucas wrote to me in a recent email:
"At the time my DP started I didn't know your channel yet, nor the manual. But recently I started to watch the recovery stories and was amazed by the common features that are shared, which generated insights for my project. Going forward in my career I'm looking forward to contributing to the development of effective psychological treatments for Depersonalization."
In this brand new interview Lucas tells me all about his experience with, recovery from (and research into!) Depersonalization Disorder.
He tells me about the personal impact of Depersonalization on his life; the difficulty in explaining the condition to his friends and parents. He explains how his father assumed that Lucas was a drug addict. We also talk about Lucas’ efforts to find a therapist who was familiar with DPDR, and how frustrating an experience that can be.
Lucas and I discuss the research limitations in Brazil due to funding constraints, and how Lucas was able to conduct his own (very impressive!) undergrad research using WhatsApp and the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale. We also talk about our mutual admiration for Anthony David, one of the leading experts in DPDR in the UK.
Lucas’ research findings demonstrate how what is referred to as ‘Psychological Flexibility’ can be a major factor in determining whether or not a temporary DPDR incident can turn into chronic Depersonalization + Derealization.
Lucas tells me about his work with DPDR sufferers, and how he uses The DP Manual material as an adjunct therapy for his patients.
We also discuss how the experience of DPDR can create a strong sense of empathy with others going through the same thing (or any anxiety-based condition), and how that can be very beneficial as a therapist.
He also introduces us to the "Tug Of War" metaphor from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which is a great way of thinking about the futility of anxiety.
Finally, we discuss the idea of pain and difficult experiences having a function and purpose, and how they always make you stronger in time!
It was such a pleasure to interview Lucas for my YouTube channel, and I look forward to seeing what his career and future research 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.
The DP Manual package includes 65+ mins of exclusive video, the complete DP Manual book including audio book, progress tracker, relaxation guide and much, much more. Download instantly to begin your recovery TODAY!
