How I Recovered From PPPD & mdDS
What I did to recover
I know you’re probably wondering what exactly I did to recover from PPPD/mdDS. As you can imagine, there were many different things.
I had the symptoms for almost 3 years before I learned about neuroplasticity, so my brain was rather stuck in its ways. It took me just over a year of doing these practices to feel mostly back to normal. Of course with gradual improvements throughout the year.
I began with daily VRT, parasympathetic breathing and somatic tracking for two months. I then gradually let go of VRT however continued the breathing and somatic tracking daily for the next few months. In fact I still do the breathing technique even now because it feels so good! I eventually crept out of my comfort zone by going to the grocery store more often or out for lunch every now and then if I could.
These things were very challenging for me, however it was important that I tried my best to resume “normal life activities” as much as possible. Of course some days it felt impossible to do anything other than stay in my room. I’d even have weeks or months at a time where I could barely do function.
At its worst, I couldn’t: make meals, walk more than 5 minutes a day, shower daily, see any friends, go out with family, hold a conversation with anyone for longer than 5 minutes. My mum once even had to wash my hair for me because I felt so debilitated. It was awful and hellish. So trust me, I completely understand how you feel right now.
How long did it take to feel improvements?
For the first two months of my new practices the symptoms didn’t change, in fact they felt a little worse for a while which made me want to give up completely. However, after about two months I could feel my emotional state shifting slightly. All the anxiety around the symptoms and the fear of stepping outside my comfort zone were slowly diminishing.
I also spent a lot of time going back over my past and understanding my belief systems. This was important for me, because it allowed me to become more aware of what I was thinking and doing that was not serving me.
I spent years wondering if I’d ever get better, so it was going to take a while for the symptoms to match my new mindset! Doubting the process was something I also experienced a lot during the first few months.
Seeing others get better and not seeing improvement in myself often had me terrified that I wasn’t going to recover. Please try not to be discouraged if you don’t “see results” quickly. Things are changing under the surface whenever you do these practices. To begin using the exact practices I did, click here.
After 5 months of hard work I felt capable enough to get a part-time job. I chose a delivery driver position just because the symptoms felt much better in the car. After my first shift I was feeling absolutely awful because it had been so long since I’ve been out the house for 4 hours! I thought about quitting, but my mum convinced me to stick it out.
Gradually, it got much easier to do the job. Some days it was even fun! I believe getting this job really helped the symptoms feel better. I suddenly had to leave the house because I had a job. If at first you feel worse, stick with it for at least a month and you will see changes. Of course you need to be working on the anxiety during that time to let your brain know that it’s safe.
Unfortunately these practices are not going to be a “quick fix”. It has most likely taken a long time for the symptoms to appear, therefore it may take some time to reverse it all, especially if you’re very anxious. The emotional state is the main element to work on. Our thoughts, feelings and emotions play a huge role in our brains ability to heal. If you’d like more information on how our thoughts create things, click here
The eventual goal is to get to a place of indifference about the symptoms, which of course is impossible at first. However, as you do these exercises, I promise that you will see changes so long as you are consistent.