Hey there! Welcome to Life Noggin!
Have you ever felt like you were living in a dream? Or like your surroundings seemed
artificial? Or objects were distorted in terms of their distance, size, and shape?
If so, you may have been experiencing an episode of derealization.
Or maybe you’ve felt like an outside observer of your own body and thoughts.
Or not in control of your speech. Or like your arms and legs were too big or too small.
These are symptoms of depersonalization.
Together, they make up the components of depersonalization-derealization disorder.,
This falls into the family of dissociative disorders,
where there is a disruption or a breakdown of awareness, consciousness, or memory.
With derealization, the disconnection is with your environment, while with depersonalization,
the disconnection is with your thoughts or body. But a key aspect of this disorder is that
you know these feelings of detachment aren’t real, which is what separates it from psychosis.
Passing episodes of derealization or depersonalization are pretty common.
A 2001 study found that in just one year, 19% of the 1000 participants
had experienced an episode of depersonalization and 14% experienced an episode of derealization.
The disorder, on the other hand is pretty rare,
as only about 2% of the population experience these episodes repeatedly.,
Typically, these individuals include those who have had a traumatic event in the past,
struggle with severe stress, or have another mental disorder like depression or anxiety.,
While the exact cause is unknown, the 2001 study found that 78% of the reported episodes occurred
when something very stressful happened and 66% when the individual was nervous or depressed.
Findings like these have led some researchers to believe that it may be a way to reduce anxiety and
increase alertness, essentially putting you in survival mode when your body feels threatened.
But when these episodes cause distress
or interfere with your life, it's time to see a doctor.
In order to treat the disorder, your healthcare provider will develop a treatment plan that
addresses the trigger that causes the symptoms and the severity of the episodes.
Typically, some form of psychotherapy is used, but in patients with depression or anxiety,
an antidepressant or antianxiety medication may also be prescribed.
This adaptive method has been found to help even severely dissociative individuals. So,
if you’re struggling with episodes of derealization or depersonalization,
contact your doctor or check out the description for links to some helpful resources.
and it's always best to believe people when they say they're going through
this. The last thing somebody who is experiencing depersonalization or derealization wants to hear
is that they're making all this up. They know something wrong, so be there for them!
Are there any other disorders you want me to talk about next?
Let me know in the comment section below, and if you're comfortable with sharing,
let me know if you or someone you know has experienced derealization or depersonalization.
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and as always my name is Blocko, this has been life noggin, don't forget to keep on thinking!