There is no cure for depersonalization-derealization disorder, but treatment can ease troubling symptoms. Some individuals experience a full remission of the condition. Over time, what was once a poorly understood dissociative disorder now benefits from advances in trauma-related research. Professionals know more about how to manage depersonalization-derealization, and therapy often centers on trauma-related roots. Depersonalization-derealization treatment usually involves therapy, sometimes combined with medication. Although derealization stands as a distinct aspect of this disorder, derealization treatment is included in the same interventions for depersonalization.
What is Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder?
Depersonalization-derealization disorder involves feeling detached from yourself (depersonalization) and disconnected from your environment (derealization). Though many people occasionally feel out of touch with themselves or their surroundings, those with depersonalization-derealization disorder experience lasting or recurring episodes that cause distress.
Depersonalization affects how you perceive your thoughts, feelings, and body. It might feel like you’re watching yourself from outside your own body, as if your life is a movie and you’re just an observer. For example, when grocery shopping, you might feel as if you’re watching someone else push the cart or pick out items.
Derealization affects how you see the world around you. Environments may seem unreal or appear through a fog. Colors might seem dull or objects may look oddly shaped or sized. Despite these distorted perceptions, you still know these impressions aren’t real. This understanding that something is off can cause anxiety and frustration.
Experts classify depersonalization-derealization disorder as a dissociative disorder, similar to dissociative identity disorder and dissociative amnesia. This means it’s related to disruptions in how you experience consciousness, identity, memory, or perception.
How Common Is Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder?
While most people experience brief episodes of feeling disconnected or “out of it,” these sensations usually pass quickly. Depersonalization-derealization disorder, however, involves prolonged or recurring feelings that disrupt daily life. It affects about 1% to 2% of people. Teens and young adults seem more susceptible to developing this disorder.
Medications for Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder
No specific depersonalization-derealization cure exists, but treatment can lessen discomfort and sometimes lead to full remission. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should talk to a professional. Getting support early can improve outcomes. While therapy remains central to treatment, doctors may prescribe medications to help relieve certain symptoms.
Antidepressants and antipsychotic medications sometimes help manage mood issues or anxiety linked to depersonalization-derealization.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
Many individuals with dissociative disorders also battle conditions like depression. SSRIs—such as sertraline (Zoloft), fluoxetine (Prozac), and citalopram (Celexa)—may help lift depressive symptoms and stabilize mood. By improving mood and reducing emotional numbness, SSRIs can ease depersonalization.
Antidepressants can also address anxiety, another common companion of depersonalization-derealization disorder. Research indicates combining SSRIs with lamotrigine, a mood stabilizer, can prove effective for dissociative disorders, including depersonalization-derealization disorder. These medications reduce anxiety, stabilize moods, and may diminish dissociative symptoms.
Antipsychotic Medications
Though depersonalization-derealization disorder differs from psychosis, antipsychotics can sometimes help. People with this disorder maintain insight into their condition’s unreality. Still, antipsychotics might offer mood stabilization, reduce anxiety, and widen emotional range.
By targeting and reducing certain symptoms, antipsychotics may help individuals feel more grounded. Adjusting medication might require patience, as doctors often test different combinations to find what works best.
Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder Symptoms
Short, passing episodes of depersonalization or derealization happen to many people. But when these feelings last a long time or return often, they can interfere with everyday life, such as working or attending school. Even during these episodes, you understand that the sensation of feeling disconnected from your body or surroundings is just that—a feeling, not reality.
Describing these experiences can be challenging. You might worry you’re “going crazy,” leading you to constantly check if you exist or what’s real. This focus on the experience itself can increase stress and confusion.
These symptoms often start in the mid-to-late teenage years or early adulthood. It’s uncommon for younger children or older adults to develop depersonalization-derealization disorder.
Depersonalization Symptoms
Depersonalization symptoms include:
- Feeling as if you’re observing your thoughts, feelings, or body from the outside. For instance, you might feel like you’re hovering above yourself.
- Feeling like a robot or not controlling what you say or how you move.
- Sensations that limbs appear distorted or that your head feels wrapped in cotton.
- Emotional or physical numbness, where responses to the world seem dulled.
- Memories feeling distant and lacking emotion.
While these symptoms can unsettle anyone, they become more concerning when persistent or recurring, and when they cause distress or functional problems.
Derealization Symptoms
Derealization symptoms involve:
- Feeling like people and surroundings aren’t real, as if you’re seeing everything through a haze or watching a movie.
- Emotional detachment from loved ones, as if separated by invisible walls.
- Objects looking oddly shaped, blurry, colorless, or flat.
- Distorted perception of time, feeling like recent events happened long ago.
- Distorted distances or sizes of objects.
These experiences can last hours, days, weeks, or months. Sometimes they come and go. While frightening, individuals with this disorder know these perceptions aren’t real, which can heighten their anxiety and frustration.
What Causes Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder?
Experts aren’t entirely sure what causes depersonalization-derealization disorder. But intense stress or trauma often plays a role.
Potential triggers include:
- Physical abuse
- Domestic violence (as a witness or victim)
- Accidents or natural disasters
- Life-threatening situations
- Sudden loss of a loved one
- Growing up with a parent who has severe mental health issues
These situations can overwhelm coping mechanisms and lead to dissociative symptoms like depersonalization and derealization.
What Are the Risk Factors Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder?
Some factors might increase the likelihood of developing depersonalization-derealization disorder:
- Reduced awareness of emotions
- Certain personality types or other mental health disorders
- Physical conditions like a seizure disorder
Not everyone facing these factors develops the disorder, but they can raise vulnerability, especially when combined with intense stress or trauma.
Complications of Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder
Persistent depersonalization or derealization episodes can impact daily life, affecting work, school, and relationships. People may struggle with memory, focus, and concentration. The distress and frustration these symptoms cause can contribute to anxiety, depression, or hopelessness.
Such ongoing stress may push individuals to avoid social interactions or previously enjoyed activities, increasing feelings of isolation. Identifying and treating depersonalization-derealization disorder can prevent such complications and improve overall well-being.
How Is Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder Diagnosed?
A mental health professional evaluates symptoms to rule out other conditions that might better explain them. They also check for co-occurring disorders like depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or personality disorders.
If no other diagnosis fits, and the experiences aren’t caused by medication or substances, the practitioner may diagnose depersonalization-derealization disorder. Receiving a proper diagnosis is the first step toward understanding the problem and exploring effective depersonalization-derealization disorder treatment.
How Is Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder Treated?
While researchers are still studying the best ways to treat depersonalization-derealization, several options show promise. Treatment often involves medication and talk therapy. Mental health professionals consider your medical history, symptoms, and goals when choosing an approach. Therapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), can help.
Therapists may use these techniques to address trauma or anxiety that might be fueling dissociative symptoms. Over time, therapy can help individuals feel more connected to themselves and their surroundings.
Medications
Though there’s no specific medication created solely for depersonalization-derealization disorder, certain drugs may help manage symptoms. Doctors might recommend:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for mood or anxiety issues.
- Anti-anxiety medications to reduce distress.
- Mood-stabilizing medications for improved emotional balance.
- Antipsychotic medications to help with severe symptoms.
Medication choices depend on individual needs. The goal is to reduce the intensity of dissociative symptoms, stabilize mood, and address co-occurring conditions like anxiety or depression.
Side Effects
Different medications produce different side effects. Some common issues include constipation, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, increased appetite, and urinary retention. Weight gain might occur too.
Many drugs can interact with other medications, recreational substances, or alcohol. Always share a full list of what you’re taking with your healthcare provider. Together, you can find a safe and comfortable treatment approach.
No single solution fits everyone with depersonalization-derealization disorder. Treatment often involves trying different therapies or medications until you find what helps most. With persistence, many people learn to manage symptoms effectively. Some experience partial or full remission.
If you suspect depersonalization-derealization disorder, reach out to a Hooked on Hope Mental Health at 470-287-1927 or fill out our online contact form for assessment. Understanding the condition and seeking help early can reduce its hold on your life. With proper support, individuals can reduce distress, rebuild connections, and enjoy a better quality of life.