Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder: Symptoms and Treatment

Imagine that your life is a movie and nothing is real, you have no control over what you say or do. This is how people suffering from depersonalization-derealization disorder feel regularly. Let’s find out more about it. 

What is Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder?

Depersonalization-derealization disorder, or DPD, is a mental health condition in which one experiences persistent feelings of detachment from oneself or the surrounding environment. These feelings, often described as depersonalization and derealization, are those that can majorly affect the daily life of a person. The DSM-5 classifies DPD as a dissociative disorder, or disruption in normal memory, identity, or perception. Symptoms are not fully known, but it generally believed to be due to a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. 

Symptoms of Depersonalization 

The following are signs of depersonalization: 

• Sensations are as though you can see your body or certain body parts, thoughts, or feelings from the outside. One may experience, for instance, the sensation of hovering above oneself.  
• The sensation that your arms, legs, or body are twisted or not quite right. Alternatively, they could appear abnormally big or little.  
• Having the impression that you are a robot or that you have no control over your speech or movements.  
• Apathy, either physical or emotional, to your surroundings or your senses’ reactions. 
• A sensation that your memories are emotionless and may not even be your own. 

Symptoms of Derealization 

Derealization symptoms include: 

• Imaginary conceptions of size, form, and distance. 
• Feeling as though there is an emotional glass wall dividing you from the people you care about.
• notions of unreal time, such as the perception that events of the present are happening in the distant past. 
• Having the impression that you are in a dream or a movie and that other people and your environment are not real.  
• Surroundings that are hazy, colourless, or appear to be off of their typical shape. Alternatively, they could appear to be two-dimensional, meaning they lack depth and are flat. Or your surroundings can seem clearer to you than normal because you are more conscious of them.  

Understanding the Disorder 

Although the specific origin of the depersonalization-derealization condition is unknown to medical professionals, extreme stress or trauma can be a potential cause, such as:  

• Risk to one’s life.  
• Physical mistreatment.  
• Natural disasters or accidents.  
• An extremely mentally ill parent.  
• The unexpected passing of a dear one.  
• Domestic violence (as a victim or as a witness). 

Risk factors 

Certain individuals may be more susceptible to dissociative disorder development because of:  

1. Such as a seizure disorder. 
2. A diminished capacity for emotional awareness.  
3. Specific mental health conditions or personality abnormalities.  

When to Consult a Physician 

Transient experiences of depersonalization or derealization are typical and don’t always warrant alarm. However, depersonalization-derealization disease may be indicated by persistent or severe feelings of detachment and distortion of your environment. If you experience depersonalization or derealization that:  

• Do not leave or refrain from returning
• Are upsetting you or causing emotional disturbances
• Obstruct relationships, daily tasks, or employment, you should consult a mental health professional

Treatment 

All early stressors (such as abuse or neglect as a kid) that may have predisposed individuals to the late onset of depersonalization and/or derealization must be addressed in the treatment of depersonalization/derealization illness.  Certain patients respond well to different forms of psychotherapy:  

• Cognitive therapy can assist in preventing compulsive thoughts about an idealized state of existence.  
• Patients who use behavioural approaches can participate in activities that divert their attention from depersonalization and derealization.  
• During treatment sessions, some patients find that naming and monitoring their mood and detachment moment by moment is beneficial. 
• By using the five senses—for example, by putting a bit of ice in the palm or turning on loud music—grounding treatments assist patients in feeling more present and connected to the outside world.  
• Psychodynamic treatment assists patients in resolving unpleasant emotions, underlying conflicts, or experiences that cause them to detach from particular effects because they are unacceptable to them. 

Many drugs have been tried, but none have shown to be very effective. Lamotrigine, opioid antagonists, anxiolytics, stimulants, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be helpful for some people. But it’s possible that the main way these drugs work is by focusing on other mental illnesses (such as depression and anxiety) that are frequently brought on by or linked to depersonalization and derealization. 

Depersonalization-derealization disorder is a complicated mental health condition characterized by constant feelings of detachment from oneself or the surrounding environment. These feelings, in most cases described as depersonalization and derealization,  can have a major impact on the daily life of the victim. Fortunately, treatments are available for DPD that have proved to be quite effective including psychotherapy and medication. Seeking professional help could be an important step in managing the condition and generally enhancing the quality of life. It is necessary for any person going through DPD to seek professional support.