Depersonalization occurs on a spectrum, from few/transient episodes in individuals with a variety of psychiatric disorders, to recurrent or ongoing episodes experienced in those with posttraumatic and dissociative disorders.
Depersonalization/derealization is categorized as one of the dissociative disorders, which also includes dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, dissociative identity disorder, and forms of dissociative disorder not otherwise specified.
Four stages of the formation of depersonalization were identified: vital, allopsychic, somatopsychis and autopsychic.
Is depersonalization disorder a psychotic disorder? The difference between depersonalization and psychotic disorders is awareness. People with depersonalization disorder know the feelings of detachment are not real. People with a psychotic disorder believe their feelings are reality.
Depersonalization and derealization have been found to accompany anxiety in 18% of autistic youth. In addition, a study found that 7% of autistic individuals meet a screening cutoff for somatization disorder,49 and somatization is higher among autistic compared with typically developing youth.
DPDR disorder produces a disturbing sense of detachment from one's body or surroundings, often as a result of psychological trauma. DPDR shares high diagnostic co-morbidity with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) due to overlap of clinical features such as inattention and lack of cognitive inhibition.
But it's not always so extreme as that. For many, it takes the form of depersonalization or derealization, where your automatic survival/protective response kicks in, causing you to "detach" from the pain or stress you're experiencing.
The phenomena of depersonalisation/derealisation have classically been associated with the initial phases of psychosis, and it is assumed that they would precede (even by years) the onset of clinical psychosis, being much more common in the prodromal and acute phases of the illness.
Depersonalization/derealization disorder is often associated with or triggered by other mental health disorders (such as anxiety. It is also present in a wide range of psychiatric disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder,... read more or depression.
Severe stress, anxiety, and depression are common triggers for DPDR. A lack of sleep or an overstimulating environment can also make DPDR symptoms worse.
Depersonalization symptoms
Feeling like a robot or that you're not in control of your speech or movements. The sense that your body, legs or arms appear distorted, enlarged or shrunken, or that your head is wrapped in cotton. Emotional or physical numbness of your senses or responses to the world around you.
The SCID-D evaluates depersonalization in the context of four additional dissociative symptoms: amnesia, derealization, identity confusion, and identity alteration.
Recent research evaluating the relationship between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and dissociation has suggested that there is a dissociative subtype of PTSD, defined primarily by symptoms of derealization (i.e., feeling as if the world is not real) and depersonalization (i.e., feeling as if oneself is not real) ...
Like other dissociative disorders, depersonalization disorder often is triggered by intense stress or a traumatic event -- such as war, abuse, accidents, disasters, or extreme violence -- that the person has experienced or witnessed.
Is Depersonalization Permanent? No, Depersonalization is not permanent. Like other anxiety-spectrum conditions (like GAD and agoraphobia) it can persist if not addressed properly, but like those conditions it can be managed, reduced and stopped.
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].
So remember -- you are absolutely safe when driving with Depersonalization! Yes, feelings of dissociation while driving can seem scary initially, but don't let anxiety stop you from doing any of your day-to-day activities, and that 100% includes driving. Get into your car and drive, even if it's for a short distance.
That's right -- what you are experiencing is nothing more than a natural and temporary habit of thought and is literally the opposite of insanity! Sure, there's lots of weird, frightening existential thoughts. But they don't mean anything and they'll pass. Again -- if you think you're going crazy, you're not.
Emotional numbness can be a symptom of depersonalization-derealization disorder, which can, in turn, be a symptom of other dissociative disorders. In a person with depersonalization-derealization disorder, there is a persistent disruption of self-awareness.
OCD focused on fears of depersonalization often falls under the OCD subtype called Existential OCD, encompassing fears and obsessions about one's existence and identity. People experiencing fears of depersonalization may feel as though they are outside of their bodies and watching themselves.
However, it is a disability that can greatly impair an individual, making them qualified for Social Security disability benefits for mental conditions if they meet the necessary criteria.
Depersonalization and derealization are symptoms of dissociative disorders. These disorders, generally born from other serious mental health conditions and trauma, leave a person feeling disoriented and confused about what's happening internally and in their environment.