An episode of depersonalization can last anywhere from a few minutes to (rarely) many years. Depersonalization also might be a symptom of other disorders, including some forms of substance abuse, certain personality disorders, seizure disorders, and certain other brain diseases.
Episodes of depersonalization-derealization disorder may last hours, days, weeks or even months at a time. In some people, these episodes turn into ongoing feelings of depersonalization or derealization that may periodically get better or worse.
If Depersonalization / Derealization is a temporary condition, why do people report having it for years, even decades? Well, for the same reason that some people report having other treatable anxiety-spectrum conditions like OCD or Agoraphobia for years. These are NOT permanent conditions.
Myth: Recovery is impossible. Fact: It is possible to recover from depersonalization-derealization disorder.
You Stop Caring Whether DPDR Is There Or Not
This is a BIG sign that you're recovering from Depersonalization and Derealization! The feelings of DPDR (and the anxiety that's driving them) may come and go, but it affects you less and less.
Depersonalization also might be a symptom of other disorders, including some forms of substance abuse, certain personality disorders, seizure disorders, and certain other brain diseases. Depersonalization disorder is one of a group of conditions called dissociative disorders.
In depersonalization disorder, reduced gray matter volumes (GMV) in right thalamus, caudate, and cuneus, and increased GMV in the left dorsomedial PFC and the right somato-sensoric regions were observed [93•]. As abovementioned, these areas have been implicated in dissociation [10, 61, 62, 85].
Severe stress, anxiety, and depression are common triggers for DPDR. A lack of sleep or an overstimulating environment can also make DPDR symptoms worse.
The outlook for people with this disorder is good. The symptoms associated with depersonalization disorder often go away. They may resolve on their own or after treatment to help deal with symptom triggers. Treatment is important so that the symptoms don't come back.
Psychotherapy, also called counseling or talk therapy, is the main treatment. The goal is to gain control over the symptoms so that they lessen or go away. Two such psychotherapies include cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy.
One of the most common symptoms of Depersonalization is having constant racing thoughts, intense self-analysis and weird existential fears. Things that are usually perfectly normal and everyday can seem bizarre. When I had Depersonalization, I remember constantly thinking "I feel like I'm going crazy".
Four stages of the formation of depersonalization were identified: vital, allopsychic, somatopsychis and autopsychic. The correlations of the leading depersonalizational and related affective and neurosis-like disorders were considered at each stage.
It's always the same temporary, harmless, treatable condition. In every case all that's happening is that the person has Depersonalization until, either deliberately or inadvertently, they stop doing the wrong things that caused it to persist for as long as it did, and start doing the right things for their recovery.
Summarizing the current state of information we consider depersonalization with the experience of being in a dream or being dead as a heuristic reaction to brain damage. Similar models have already been discussed in neuropsychological disorders as for instance reduplicative paramnesias, neglect, and anosognosia.
Dissociative symptoms include derealization/depersonalization, absorption, and amnesia. These experiences can cause a loss of control over mental processes, including memory and attention.
A person can survive countless episodes of DP/DR, yet each episode still can feel new and emergent. Someone can simultaneously appear present, but be far removed from an experience when depersonalized.
The disorder is usually triggered by severe stress, particularly emotional abuse or neglect during childhood, or other major stresses (such as experiencing or witnessing physical abuse). Feelings of detachment from self or the surroundings may occur periodically or continuously.
Depersonalisation-derealisation disorder
People and things around you may seem "lifeless" or "foggy". You can have depersonalisation or derealisation, or both together. It may last only a few moments or come and go over many years.
The most common way to treat depersonalization disorder is through psychotherapy. “Psychotherapy can help individuals learn techniques or coping mechanisms that distract them from their symptoms and make them feel more connected to their feelings and the world around them,” says Dr. Hafeez.
Derealization can last for as long as the panic attack lasts, which can range in length from a few minutes to 20 or 30 minutes. In some cases, however, these sensations can persist for hours and even days or weeks.