Depersonalization Disorder (DD) is a dissociative disorder in which sufferers are affected by persistent feelings of depersonalization. The symptoms include a sense of automation, feeling a disconnection from one's body, and difficulty relating oneself to reality. This article is about the psychological state of dissociation. ... It has been suggested that Depersonalization disorder be merged into this article or section. ... The term symptom (from the Greek syn = con/plus and pipto = fall, together meaning co-exist) has two similar meanings in the context of physical and mental health: Strictly, a symptom is a sensation or change in health function experienced by a patient. ...

Occasional moments of depersonalization are normal, but a persistent feeling is not. Brief periods of depersonalization are notably engendered by stress, a lack of sleep, or a combination. It becomes a disorder when the dissociation interferes with the social and occupational functions necessary to everyday living. Often a victim of DD feels as if he or she is going insane, though this is almost never the case. Anxiety disorders are often linked to depersonalization, because anxiety can sometimes lead to DD. In addition, DD can cause anxiety since the person feels abnormal and uneasy at the loss of their sense of self. In medical terms, stress is a physical or psychological stimulus that can produce mental or physiological reactions that may lead to illness. ... Sleep is the state of natural rest observed in most mammals, birds, fish, as well as invertebrates such as the fruitfly Drosophila. ... Mental Illness is a concept in psychiatry and other mental health professions referring to mental abnormality associated with distress and/or dysfunction. ... Inmates at Bedlam Asylum, as portrayed by William Hogarth Insanity, or madness, is a semi-permanent, severe mental disorder typically stemming from a form of mental illness. ... Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal, pathological anxiety, fears, phobias and nervous conditions that may come on suddenly or gradually over a period of several years, and may impair or prevent the pursuing of normal daily routines. ... Anxiety is an pleasant complex combination of emotions that includes fear, apprehension and worry, and is often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, nausea, chest pain and/or shortness of breath. ...

Reality testing will remain intact during an episode of depersonalization, meaning that a person suffering from the disorder will be able to respond to questions and interact with his or her environment. This fact can be distressing for those with DD; the friends and family of the victim do not realise that anything is wrong, because one with DD will normally not be visibly distraught.

Depersonalization disorder often begins in the late teens or early twenties and usually resolves itself by age 30. While a nuisance, and very distressing to the patient, people with depersonalization disorder represent no risk to society, since their grasp on reality remains intact.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy and behavioral therapy have been used to treat Depersonalization Disorder, but in most cases the disorder will dissipate on its own. While DD is not a psychotic disorder by any means, antipsychotic drugs can often improve or completely alleviate symptoms from severe depersonalization disorder. Combinations of antidepressants and mood stabilizers are also tried. However, not all patients are willing to tolerate the side effects of these drugs. Alprazolam or other potent benzodiazepine derivatives are also used in the treatment. It has been suggested that Psychodynamic psychology be merged into this article or section. ... Behaviorism is an approach to psychology based on the proposition that behaviour can be studied and explained scientifically without recourse to internal mental states. ... The term antipsychotic is applied to a group of drugs used to treat psychosis. ... An antidepressant, in the most common usage, is a medication used to alleviate clinical depression or dysthymia (mild depression), including in the context of bipolar disorder. ... A mood stabilizer is a psychiatric medication used to treat mood disorders characterized by rapid and unstable mood shifts. ... An adverse drug reaction (abbreviated ADR) is a term to describe the unwanted, negative consequences sometimes associated with the use of medications. ... Alprazolam is a short-acting drug in the benzodiazepine class used to treat anxiety disorders and as an adjunctive treatment for depression. ... Alprazolam 2mg tablets The benzodiazepines (pronounced , or benzo for short) are considered minor tranquilizers that are a class of drugs with sedative, hypnotic, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, amnestic and muscle relaxant properties. ...

Diagnostic criteria (DSM-IV-TR)

The diagnostic criteria defined in section 300.6 of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders are as follows: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual published by the American Psychiatric Association The poopDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, is the handbook used most often in diagnosing mental disorders in the United States. ...

1. Persistent, recurring feeling of being detached from one’s mental processes or body; as if an observer
2. During depersonalization, reality testing is intact
3. Depersonalization causes significant distress, and impairment in social, occupational, or other functioning
4. Depersonalization is not related to another disorder, substance use, or general medical condition Yah...that's pretty much it.

Differential diagnosis

Some disorders have similar symptoms. The clinicians, must differentiate between and rule out the following disorders to establish a precise diagnosis.

• Temporal Lobe Seizures
• Atypical forms of migraine and headache
• Schizophrenia
• Panic disorder
• Acute stress disorder
• Transcendental Meditation
• Drug use

Temporal lobe epilepsy is a form of epilepsy, a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures. ... A headache (medically known as cephalalgia, sometimes spelled as cephalgia) is a condition of pain in the head; sometimes neck or upper back pain may also be interpreted as a headache. ... Panic Disorder (also known as cardiac neurosis or neurosis cordis) is a mental condition that causes the sufferer to experience sporadic panic attacks. ... Acute Stress Disorder isnt a cute thing as the name suggests. ... // Transcendental Meditation or TM, a trademarked form of meditation introduced in 1958 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, is a mental technique practiced for twenty minutes twice a day while one sits with the eyes closed. ... Recreational drug use is the use of psychoactive drugs for recreational rather than medical or spiritual purposes, although the distinction is not always clear. ...

Causes

Depersonalization is the third most common psychological experience, after feelings of anxiety and feelings of depression, and often occurs after life threatening experiences, such as accidents, assault, or serious illness or injury. Depersonalization disorder is little studied, and little is known about its causes and epidemiology.

Bibliography

Key Texts – Books

Simeon D. & Abugel J. (2006) Feeling Unreal : Depersonalization Disorder and the Loss of the Self. Oxford University Press, USA ISBN 0-19-517022-9.

Additional material – Books

Key Texts – Papers

Additional material - Papers

External links

• Depersonalization Community – Support site for those suffering from depersonalization and derealization.
• DreamChild – Personal page of experiences and advice by one sufferer of chronic depersonalization disorder.
• Article from shaunoconnor.com: A young man's story of how he developed and dealt with severe Depersonalization.
• DepersonalizationDisorder.net: Educational Support Site and Resource for those who suffer from Depersonalization, Derealization, and Dissociative Disorders. Further information, articles, causes, treatments, and in-depth diagnostic criteria can be found.