Episodes of depersonalization-derealization disorder may last hours, days, weeks or even months at a time. In some people, these episodes turn into ongoing feelings of depersonalization or derealization that may periodically get better or worse.
Like other dissociative disorders, depersonalization disorder often is triggered by intense stress or a traumatic event -- such as war, abuse, accidents, disasters, or extreme violence -- that the person has experienced or witnessed.
If you're having an episode of depersonalization, distracting yourself by throwing cold water on your face, doing sudden quick movements like jumping jacks, or engaging in deep breathing can help bring your awareness back to reality, says Dr. Parmar.
However, unlike personality disorders, with derealization, the individual senses something isn't quite right with their perception of the world - they have some awareness that it's inaccurate. For this reason, derealization can be highly distressing.
Stress, worsening depression or anxiety, new or overstimulating surroundings, and lack of sleep can make symptoms worse. Symptoms are often persistent. People may have symptoms all the time, or symptoms may come and go with periods of time with no symptoms.
Severe stress, anxiety, and depression are common triggers for DPDR. A lack of sleep or an overstimulating environment can also make DPDR symptoms worse.
Depersonalization represents a third way of coping that allows a person to escape or alleviate the traumatic situation. The uniqueness of this sort of escape is that it develops in the subjective world of the person's psyche.
Myth: Depersonalization is a permanent condition.
Often, it is only a transient or temporary condition related to stressful periods of life that lasts for different amounts of time for different people. For many, episodes of depersonalization become less severe and less frequent over time.
The outlook for people with this disorder is good. The symptoms associated with depersonalization disorder often go away. They may resolve on their own or after treatment to help deal with symptom triggers. Treatment is important so that the symptoms don't come back.
Psychotherapy, also called counseling or talk therapy, is the main treatment. The goal is to gain control over the symptoms so that they lessen or go away. Two such psychotherapies include cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy.
Depersonalization disorder is not the total mystery it once was. Celebrities like rappers Logic and Elro, vlogger /musician Dodie have openly discussed their experiences of Depersonalization and Derealization. And there are entire YouTube channels dedicated to discussing the condition.
With Depersonalization Disorder, it can certainly become frightening -- but there is never anything remotely close to a split in personality occurring. Because of the anxiety it can sometimes become difficult to concentrate and recall things, but there is never any actual loss of memory.
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.
It's only when you focus on it and start to worry that you're 'going crazy' or 'don't feel real' that it lasts longer than it should. Those worries make the anxiety worse, which makes the DPDR worse. It turns into a feedback loop which makes the Depersonalization symptoms persist for days, weeks, months.
The answer is: Yes! You will 100% get back to being the same person you were before DPDR.
So remember -- you are absolutely safe when driving with Depersonalization! Yes, feelings of dissociation while driving can seem scary initially, but don't let anxiety stop you from doing any of your day-to-day activities, and that 100% includes driving. Get into your car and drive, even if it's for a short distance.
Derealization is an alteration in the perception of the external world, causing those with the condition to perceive it as unreal, distant, distorted or falsified. Other symptoms include feeling as if one's environment is lacking in spontaneity, emotional coloring, and depth.
Derealization can last for as long as the panic attack lasts, which can range in length from a few minutes to 20 or 30 minutes. In some cases, however, these sensations can persist for hours and even days or weeks.
A specific type of dissociation—persistent derealization—may put individuals exposed to trauma at greater risk for mental illnesses and functional impairment. Derealization involves feeling detached from people, places, or objects in one's environment.