Depersonalization-derealization disorder.
Other people and things around you may feel detached and foggy or dreamlike, time may be slowed down or sped up, and the world may seem unreal (derealization). You may experience depersonalization, derealization or both.
Depersonalisation-derealisation disorder
Derealisation is where you feel the world around is unreal. 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.
Four stages of the formation of depersonalization were identified: vital, allopsychic, somatopsychis and autopsychic.
Dissociation might be a way to cope with very stressful experiences. You might experience dissociation as a symptom of a mental health problem, for example post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder.
The most common event that can trigger derealization is emotional abuse or neglect at a young age. The experience prompts the child to detach from their surroundings as a way to manage the trauma. Other causes of stress might include: Physical or sexual abuse.
Individuals with the disorder may remain in a depersonalized state for the duration of a typical panic attack. However, in some situations the dissociated state may last for hours, days, or even weeks at a time. In rare cases, symptoms can last for years.
The primary symptom of depersonalization disorder is a distorted perception of the body. The person might feel like they are a robot or in a dream. Some people might fear they are going crazy and might become depressed, anxious, or panicky. For some people, the symptoms are mild and last for just a short time.
Symptoms of depersonalization/derealization disorder are usually episodic and wax and wane in intensity. Episodes may last for only hours or days or for weeks, months, or sometimes years. But in some patients, symptoms are constantly present at a constant intensity for years or decades.
Medication: There isn't a medicine for depersonalization disorder. But treating depression or anxiety can help. Your provider may prescribe antidepressant or anti-anxiety medications such as desipramine (Norpramin®).
There are five main ways in which the dissociation of psychological processes changes the way a person experiences living: depersonalization, derealization, amnesia, identity confusion, and identity alteration.
This is Not Psychosis
People with schizophrenia or psychosis commonly experience hallucinations or delusions that are difficult to distinguish from reality. Individuals with DR may feel strange about themselves or their surroundings, but they do not typically experience hallucinations or delusions.
A Truman Show delusion, also known as Truman syndrome, is a type of delusion in which the person believes that their life is a staged reality show, or that they are being watched on cameras.
Individuals experiencing solipsism syndrome feel reality is not 'real' in the sense of being external to their own minds. The syndrome is characterized by feelings of loneliness, detachment and indifference to the outside world.
Prevalence of Depersonalization-Derealization
About half of all Americans are thought to experience at least one or two depersonalization episodes during their lifetime. Roughly 200,000 people in the United States each day experience a depersonalization event. Depersonalization-derealization disorder is much rarer.
Depersonalization (also referred to as "derealization") is a common symptom of anxiety disorder. Many anxiety disorder sufferers get depersonalization as a symptom, especially when anxiety has become chronic. There are many reasons why anxiety can cause depersonalization (derealization) symptoms.
Severe stress, anxiety, and depression are common triggers for DPDR. A lack of sleep or an overstimulating environment can also make DPDR symptoms worse.
Many people experience dissociation, or a lack of connection between their thoughts, memory, and sense of identity, during or after a traumatic experience. A specific type of dissociation—persistent derealization—may put individuals exposed to trauma at greater risk for mental illnesses and functional impairment.
Many of us have had the thought, “I feel like I'm losing my mind” at one time or another. This thought may surface in times of heightened stress, but it can also be a manifestation of a mental health condition, such as anxiety,1 panic disorder,2 or depersonalization.
Less common and more severe dissociative experiences include amnesia, derealisation, depersonalisation, and fragmentation of identity. Dissociative features may play a role in the pathology of bipolar disorder.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can teach you to challenge intrusive thoughts and manage symptoms of depersonalization. Trauma-focused therapy like eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) can help you process traumatic memories. Once your trauma heals, symptoms of depersonalization may lessen.