- Depersonalization can be a really strange experience.
And one of the most common questions
for people who get it is:
what could have caused it?
Hey everyone, I'm Shaun O Connor,
author of "The Depersonalization Manual."
I suffered with chronic depersonalization disorder
for two years before I recovered completely.
And in the more than 10 years since,
my book, "The Depersonalization Manual,"
has helped thousands of people around the world
to recover from DP.
And today, we'll be answering the question:
what causes depersonalization disorder?
Let's get started.
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So first off, let's remember that depersonalization
is an anxiety-based condition.
So in the vast majority of cases,
depersonalization is caused by stress and trauma.
Now, I'd like to mention that in much rarer cases,
depersonalization and derealization
can also be caused by head trauma and brain injury.
What I'll be speaking about today
is anxiety-based DP and DR,
which are much more common.
But, of course,
if you've recently experienced any head trauma,
please don't hesitate to speak to a medical professional.
In terms of anxiety-based DP and DR,
the three most common triggers for this are:
number one, panic attacks;
number two, bad drug experiences;
and number three, accumulated stresses.
So why are these specific events
triggers for depersonalization disorder?
Well, let's take a look at each one and find out.
Number one, panic attacks.
Panic attacks are extremely common.
It's estimated that one in 10 people
regularly experience panic attacks,
and one in three will have at least one
at some point in their lives.
They can hit you out of nowhere.
And when they do, your fight or flight system kicks in.
Your body prepares you for danger.
This causes a number of different physical reactions:
heart palpitations, tense muscles, dilated pupils.
In evolutionary terms, it's a great system.
If you were being chased by a wild animal,
this is exactly what you'd want your body to do.
But remember that it also causes mental reactions.
For example, racing thoughts and catastrophizing
are extremely common.
And another common mental symptom
is the feeling of depersonalization.
The sense of being cut off from the world around you
is extremely useful in life-or-death situations.
It numbs you to the immediate danger
and allows you to remain calm.
Think of it like an airbag for your brain.
The problem arises when there is no actual danger around.
There's no wild animal chasing you, no fire, no nothing.
Just the intense unexplained fear of the panic attack
and this bizarre feeling of unreality.
But if that's the case,
why does the feeling of DP sometimes continue
after the panic attack is over
and turn into what we call depersonalization disorder?
Well, the explanation is quite simple.
What often happens
with people experiencing a panic attack
is that they focus on one specific symptom
of the panic attack.
Take heart palpitations, for example.
Somebody having a panic attack
will often focus on their increased heart rate
and jump to the mistaken conclusion
that they must be having a heart attack.
That's why you so often hear
about people having panic attacks
checking themselves into hospital,
certain that they're in the middle of a cardiac arrest.
The doctors examine them,
tell them that they're in perfect physical health,
and send them home.
It happens all the time.
And the exact same thing happens with depersonalization.
It's a perfectly natural
and recognized mental symptom of stress and trauma.
75% of all adults in the US
will experience DP or DR at some point in their lives.
It's that common.
But when you experience it
as part of a panic attack,
it can be focused on in the same way as others do
on the heart palpitations.
Those weird feelings of unreality,
well, just like increased heart rate,
they're actually there to protect you
as part of your body and brain's defense mechanism.
But in the midst of a panic attack,
you focus on them specifically
and think of them as a threat.
You think, "I must be going crazy."
This can create a feedback loop between the anxiety and DP,
which is a symptom of the anxiety,
which can keep going long after the initial panic attack
has subsided.
So now, you're still frightened
and super aware of the feelings of DP
and constantly checking in on them,
not allowing them to fade away and stop naturally,
which is what they're supposed to do.
This habit of checking in, fueled by constant research,
keeps the feedback loop going
and can quickly turn
into what we call depersonalization disorder.
Number two, bad drug experiences.
Drug-induced depersonalization can be triggered by any drug
and usually, in the context of a bad drug experience.
The most common drugs associated
with depersonalization disorder are LSD, magic mushrooms,
and, in particular, weed.
The latter is becoming extremely common,
primarily due to the legalization of weed and edibles
across the US and Canada and around the world.
Now, I want to point out
that this is, in no way,
a criticism of the legality of weed.
There are many health benefits associated with cannabis.
But, of course, like all psychoactive drugs,
there are also risks associated with it.
And the more awareness we have of those, the better.
With drug-induced DP,
the most typical situation
is that somebody is smoking weed for the first time
and does know what to expect
or they're an experienced smoker
who tries a strain that is much stronger than they expected.
You might have been expecting a mellow, relaxing experience,
but are suddenly thrown into a full-on trip.
This can be terrifying.
You think that you might be going crazy,
that you've damaged your brain,
that you'll never get out of it.
And depending on how much you've smoked or ingested,
the experience can last for hours.
Bad drug experiences are often dismissed
as being insignificant,
but it's important to emphasize
just how traumatic the experience itself can feel,
especially for somebody who is new to the drug.
But it's very important to remember
that it's not the weed or any other drug
that actually causes the ongoing feelings
of depersonalization.
The weed can be the trigger,
but it's the perceived trauma
from the frightening experience that actually causes it.
Remember, if you're panicking
and worrying that you're going to die or go crazy
and it lasts for hours,
well, that's a scary experience.
Of course, you're not actually in any danger,
but, still, it's a very frightening experience.
And because of the mental effects while on weed,
short-term memory loss, inability to concentrate, et cetera,
the feelings of panic are both intensified
and more introspective.
And just like with a panic attack,
this can start a feedback loop
of anxiety and depersonalization
that can last long after the drug is out of your system.
Not only that,
the feelings of DP can make you worry
that you're still high
hours or days after smoking the weed.
You might think that you've broken your brain
or flipped a switch in your brain,
and now you're stuck like this forever.
But don't worry.
Once the drug is out of your system,
it's out of your system.
Just like with the panic attack,
the feelings of being still high
are just the feedback loop of anxiety and DP
running on longer than it should.
I know it can be scary,
but it's temporary and it's harmless
and you can reduce and stop it 100%.
Number three, accumulated stresses.
Depersonalization doesn't always have to be caused
by something as clear and obvious as a panic attack
or a bad drug experience.
I often speak to people who have developed DP,
but can't quite put their finger on what caused it.
It may have developed over the course of a few days or weeks
with no obvious trigger.
However, there has invariably been a buildup
of stress beforehand;
be it from relationships, work, grieving, health, et cetera.
We often have a tendency to push our problems down
or accept intense daily stress and anxiety as being normal.
This is especially common in today's environment
with the stress of short-term contracts, financial pressure,
and global issues like climate change, et cetera.
So don't underestimate the impact
the stresses like these can have.
They can build up and trigger intense anxiety,
causing the protective mechanism
of depersonalization to surface
even without a clear and obvious single event to cause it.
Each one of these causes are pretty common.
So you might ask, "If DP can be triggered
by so many different stresses,
aren't you always at risk of it coming back
even after you've recovered?"
The answer is no.
Part of recovery is understanding that DP
is actually nothing to be afraid of.
It's a symptom of anxiety.
That's all.
It's the mental equivalent
of heart palpitations, or muscle tension, or dilated pupils.
It's designed to be a temporary measure
to help you get out of dangerous situations.
It's not dangerous,
it can't hurt you,
and it won't turn into anything worse.
It's your body and brain's defense mechanism
doing exactly what it's supposed to do
at times of anxiety and stress.
DP is a temporary measure your body uses
to get you out of danger.
That's all.
Because the only reason depersonalization
lasts longer than it should
is that it gets stuck temporarily in a feedback loop
with the anxiety that caused it in the first place.
But what causes depersonalization disorder,
be it drugs, panic attacks, stress, et cetera,
is ultimately not that important.
Why?
Because it always results
in the same temporary, harmless, treatable condition.
Remember that no matter what caused your DP
or how long you've had it,
it's still just a feedback loop.
And all you need to do to end that feedback loop
is to reduce and stop the anxiety that's causing it.
Once you do that, all the symptoms of DP
will fade away and stop completely,
just like they're supposed to do,
regardless of what caused them in the first place.
If you want tons more information
on depersonalization recovery,
check out my website at dpmanual.com,
where you'll find everything that you need to know,
including my complete guide to recovery,
"The Depersonalization Manual."
If you have any comments or questions,
leave them in the comment section below
and I'll make sure to answer and help out.
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And if you found this video helpful,
please do like and share.
Thanks for watching!
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