Be and Claythrow,

Before I learned about mercury issues, I was exploring a phenomenon called Depersonalization to explain my symptoms.

Like Claythrow, I was in shape, socially active in New York city, healthy and happy. Then, 6 weeks after getting a flu shot with Thimerosol (mercury) in it, everything changed. (I was also taking alpha lipoic acid, 600 mgs 1x a day as an antioxidant, which could have taken that thimerosol right into my brain. I was also jogging over a bridge in NYC, which was totally choked with auto exhaust).

I was and am TOTALLY emotionally blunted. Now, this is a KEY aspect of the depersonalization diagnosis. I also started getting brain fog and headaches shortly thereafter.

Interestingly, I met with a doctor who is one of the leading experts on Depersonalization, and told her about the mercury hypothesis. She said other patients have brought it up to her, but she didn't believe it. That said, she was very naive about mercury's potential effects. She tried to tell me the emotional deadening and the brain fog were because I got dumped by a woman in November. Sorry, but there's no way on earth what I'm experiencing is from getting dumped.

Anyway, Bex, ESPECIALLY what you're describing is depersonalization symptoms. Feeling detached and numb. Below is a link to a DP bulletin board; check it out.

So, perhaps we are all "DP'd" as they say, or perhaps DP is mercury poisoning. What do you all think?

http://www.dpselfhelp.com/