October 2021 - Unreal
October 10th around the world is mental health awareness day - as the nights grow longer and the days get wetter we tend to loose the enthusiasm the sunshine brings during summer so being reminded that it’s okay to not be okay and to take things slower is very welcomed.
Our charity this month is Unreal - they reach out to people of lived experience with Depersonalisation and Derealisation Disorder, their carers and families; Seeking to raise awareness of Depersonalisation and Derealisation Disorder, providing support and to promoting involvement through providing up to date information, signposting, networking, the sharing of experiences and by celebrating success.
Although DPDR is considered a single diagnosis, it has two distinct aspects that may or may not apply to one person.
Depersonalisation
Depersonalisation refers to feeling detached from yourself, as if you're watching your life take place from the sidelines or viewing yourself on a movie screen. It can include:
Alexithymia, or an inability to recognize or describe emotions
Feeling physically numb to sensations
Feeling robotic or unable to control speech or movement
Feeling unconnected to your body, mind, feelings, or sensations
Inability to attach emotions to memories or to "own" your memories as experiences that happened to you
The sense that your body and limbs are distorted (swollen or shrunken)
The sense that your head is wrapped in cotton
Derealisation
Derealisation is a sense of feeling detached from your environment and the objects and people in it. The world may seem distorted and unreal, as if you're observing it through a veil. You may feel as if a glass wall is separating you from people you care about. This aspect of disassociation can also create distortions in vision and other senses.
Distance and the size or shape of objects may be distorted.
You may have a heightened awareness of your surroundings.
Recent events may seem to have happened in the distant past.
Surroundings may seem blurry, colorless, two-dimensional, unreal, or larger-than-life or cartoonish.
To raise money for Unreal our additions to our menu for October include -
Pizza - Pesto Based Pizza with Maple Roasted Pumpkin, Feta, Spinach topped with Chilli Flakes and Pumpkin Seeds (available vegan on request)
Mocktail - Spiced Apple & Caramel 0% Hot Toddy with a Salted Caramel Stirring Spoon
We are hosting a Guided Meditation & Workshop Evening with the theme of 'Letting Go' to raise more funds for Unreal this month. If you are interested then please RSVP and donate using the links below.
