In 2005 I developed Depersonalization disorder, an anxiety spectrum condition that causes the sufferer to feel as if they are not real, or living in a dream. It also generates particularly intrusive thoughts about the nature of reality and existence.
For some, depersonalization involves a lack of intrusive thoughts. For others who live with depersonalization as well as anxiety or PTSD, intrusive thoughts can pose a real challenge. Cognitive psychologists point out that a tool called psychological distancing can help quiet intrusive thoughts.
It can be very frightening and confusing, as depersonalization may sometimes become a symptom of severe OCD and related disorders. Depersonalization may also be an involuntary mechanism to cope with the intense anxiety of OCD, as depersonalization can cause people to feel numb or disconnected from their emotions.
Episodes of depersonalization or derealization can be frightening and disabling. They can cause: Difficulty focusing on tasks or remembering things.
Intrusive thoughts are often triggered by stress or anxiety. They may also be a short-term problem brought on by biological factors, such as hormone shifts. For example, a woman might experience an uptick in intrusive thoughts after the birth of a child.
Intrusive thoughts can be a symptom of anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Introduction: The phenomena of depersonalisation/derealisation have classically been associated with the initial phases of psychosis, and it is assumed that they would precede (even by years) the onset of clinical psychosis, being much more common in the prodromal and acute phases of the illness.
Stress, worsening depression or anxiety, new or overstimulating surroundings, and lack of sleep can make symptoms worse. People often have great difficulty describing their symptoms and may fear or believe that they are going crazy.
DPDR is one of four types of dissociative disorders. These disorders are diagnosable conditions in which there's a fragmented sense of identity, memories, and/or consciousness. If left untreated, dissociative disorders can lead to depression and anxiety and are believed to be linked to a history of trauma.
So remember, if you have a thought that feels bad and repeats in a stuck manner, that is all you need to know to determine that it is an Unwanted Intrusive Thought. Forget about the content. Pay attention to how it acts, and how it feels. Anxiety is a real disorder.
When an intrusive thought occupies your brain, it can sometimes feel like it will never go away. But thoughts are always temporary, and there is no such thing as a permanent state of mind.
Your mind is sending you signals that you need to do something, even though there is no real risk. It is yelling at you that you need to take action. This is why OCD feels so real. There is a very real process taking place in your brain.
While depression can make reality seem bleaker than it is and schizophrenia causes people to see and hear things that aren't really there, depersonalization-derealization disorder can cause people to question reality itself.
Complete recovery is possible for many people. In some people, the disorder disappears on its own. Others recover by going to therapy and dealing with the triggers. Therapy helps resolve the underlying issues.
Complete recovery from depersonalization disorder is possible for many patients. The symptoms associated with this disorder often go away on their own or after treatment that help the person deal with the stress or trauma that triggered the symptoms.
So -- Is Depersonalization permanent? The answer is of course: No, Depersonalization is NOT permanent (and neither is Derealization!) In the same way that it's entirely possible to manage and eradicate excess anxiety, it's possible to stop DPDR.
2. Myth: Depersonalization can turn into schizophrenia. Fact: Depersonalization-derealization disorder and schizophrenia are two distinct illnesses, and one does not turn into the other. Not everyone who experiences a depersonalization or derealization episode has depersonalization-derealization disorder.
People with a major psychiatric disorder, including severe anxiety or panic disorder, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia, and people with neurological conditions such as migraine and epilepsy, can experience depersonalization as a symptom.
No, they don't ever completely go away.
The thoughts fade into the background as you heal and grow stronger. What stays, and what is difficult for those of us who have OCD to differentiate, are typical parental fears – the nagging fear something might happen to your child when you're not watching.
It's just another indication of elevated stress and/or fatigue. It's not an indication of serious mental illness. Most people experience stuck thoughts from time to time. It becomes more prevalent when stress and fatigue are factors.
Everyone experiences intrusive thoughts from time to time. But they can cause a lot of distress, especially when they're negative. Allowing intrusive thoughts to pass by without giving them much attention can be helpful. You can label them as “just thoughts” and remember your brain has thousands of thoughts each day.