These disorders are a form of mental illness involving breakdowns or a disruption in memory, consciousness, and/or perception of identity. When one or more of these functions are disrupted, symptoms typically result involving a distorted perception of the body. The person may feel like he/she is outside their body, as if they were in a dream.

Typical descriptions by those suffering from Depersonalization disorder (DPD) include feeling as though I am: made of cotton wool, a robot, going through the motions, on automatic pilot. Some people have a distorted perception of their body, causing them to feel as if they are invisible. They feel as if they are simply observing rather than participating in their life and actions.

Depersonalization Disorder as a symptom may actually occur in a panic disorder, borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder or another dissociative disorder. The patient is not given the diagnosis of DPD if the episodes of depersonalization happen only during panic attacks or following a traumatic event.

It’s important to note the Depersonalization Disorder is a symptom of an anxiety disorder and not simply a stand-alone condition because of the fact that DPD cannot exist without anxiety however anxiety can exist without depersonalization. Past traumas appear to be the leading cause of DPD. After the tragedy of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, many rescue personnel reported symptoms a day and a half after the event.

Sleep deprivation as well as depression also seems to trigger or exacerbate the symptoms. Experimental conditions performed in laboratories have produced similar symptoms with volunteers participating in sleep deprivation studies. Other triggers include emotional stressful situations like the death of a loved one or taking an important academic examination.

A more commonplace example of DPD can be found in dentist chair by patients using nitrous oxide, or ‘laughing gas’ as an anesthetic during oral surgery. Many patients report similar symptoms of DPD such as a sense of unreality or a feeling of floating above their bodies during oral surgery.

DPD, like dissociative disorders on the whole, are regarded as the result of severe abuse in childhood. Abuse such as physical, emotional as well as sexual can set the stage for DPD symptoms to occur, either immediately or later in life.

DPD can also fostered by trauma occurring in adult life, like the survivors of 9/11 have outlined. These patients have a significant difficulty in focusing their attention as well as with short-term visual and verbal memory. By the same token, they have an intact sense of reality.

As much as the medical profession understands about the causes of DPD, there is much that is still not understood. Recent advances in brain imaging and other neurological testing has begun to shine some light on the subject, confirming that DPD is a distinct diagnostic entity and that no specific genes have been associated with the disorder.

It is hopefully possible in the future, however, that a genetic factor will be identified since clearly not every patient who suffers either childhood or adult trauma exhibit symptoms of DPD.

Statistics show that almost half of all adults in the U.S. have had at least one brief episode of DPD in their lifetimes, usually resulting from severe stress. Of those people exposed to life-threatening dangers, about a third develop brief periods of symptoms. Women appear to be almost twice as susceptible as men, however it is not known if women are at greater risk for Depersonalization Disorder or if they simply are more likely to seek help for it’s symptoms.

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These feelings usually occur during times of great stress, grief, or lack of sleep. However, when these feelings persist for long periods of time and begin to interfere in a person’s daily functioning, the person may be suffering from a severe mental disorder known as depersonalization disorder.

People suffering from depersonalization disorder always feel as though they are detached from the real world. They often feel like they are only going through the motions. In severe cases, the person may feel like they are watching their life from a distance as though in a movie or play. Other symptoms include loss of taste, absence of feeling and emotion, and lack of thoughts. The person may also feel like their voice sounds far away.

Although the exact cause of depersonalization disorder is unknown, the disorder has been linked with childhood abuse, especially abuse that is sexual or emotional in nature. The disorder has also been linked to cases where accidents, extremely stressful situations, and physical trauma have occurred.

In the past, depersonalization treatment has primarily revolved around medication. Naloxene, benzodiazepine, and certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have shown some promising signs in treating this disorder. However, no medication has been proven to control the disorder’s symptoms so that the person functions at a normal level.

Currently, new treatments are being researched that may offer depersonalization help without the use of medications. Increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in the patient’s diet, while decreasing the amount of red meat and high fat dairy products has shown some promising benefits to depersonalization sufferers. Daily exercise also seems to benefit patients. Perhaps, the most promising therapy has been behavioral therapy where the patient learns to associate the feelings of dissociation with negative thought patterns.

For those suffering with this mental disorder, the toll it can have on the patient and their families can be devastating. Since this disorder frequently occurs with other mental disorders like depression and bi-polar disorder, the emotional and mental pain can seem overwhelming and insurmountable. However, with new treatments that do not include medication holding considerable promise, depersonalization patients and their families can look to the future with a new hope.

Symptoms, which typically last from anywhere from five to thirty seconds or more happen to each of us in the course of our lifetime. Depersonalization Disorder is the third most common psychological disorder after feelings of anxiety and depression—usually occurring for many of us after life threatening experiences such as accident, assault, injury, or childhood trauma.

For many, however, the Depersonalization Disorder is chronic, affecting their day-to-day lives, disrupting both their work lives and personal relationships. For these people, symptoms of DPD simply won’t go away on their own therefore medical and psychological therapy is often turned to.

Psychotherapy as well as behavioral therapy has been successful in treating those suffering chronic symptoms of Depersonalization Disorder. There is no single form of psychotherapy that is effective in treating the disorder, rather the therapist treats the symptoms as part of a greater issue involving either past trauma or stress of the patient. Often when a therapist works with the patient in dealing directly with those issues, symptoms of DPD begin to dissipate and eventually vanish forever.

While this author is not a fan of medication for psychological disorders, some people feel that conventional therapy is not enough and/or not a hundred percent effective. Medications have been reported to be helpful in either ridding or masking symptoms of depersonalization, including the use of benzodiazepine tranquilizers, such as Ativan (lorazepam), Tranxene (clorazepate), Xanax (alprazolam) as well as the tricyclic antidepressants like Elavil (amitriptyline), Sinequan (doxepin) and Norpramin (desipramine).

While this author is not a proponent of medication for psychological disorders, it is the belief of mainstream pshychiatry that medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) became readily available and effective in treating symptoms of DPD. These drugs include fluoxetine cells used to send messages to one another. SSRI’s are believed to work by preventing the reuptake of serotonin, a brain chemical that regulates the modulation of anger, aggression, mood levels, sleep, appetite, sexuality as well as metabolism.

Unfortunately, there have been very few regulated studies comparing the different medications for Depersonalization Disorder. Since DPD is usually associated with trauma, effective treatment must include other stress-related symptoms as well, which is why therapy in conjugation with antidepressants and mood stabilizers are reported to be the most effective. For some patients, however, these drugs provide side effects, which are sometimes worse than the disorder itself.

While conventional therapy rule ssupreme, many therapists are recommending various relaxation techniques as a way of combating the symptoms of DPD. Some alternative methods include the practice of come forms of yoga, which seems to provide patients relief by releasing stress through various stretching exercises.

As diverse as the symptoms of Depersonalization, so are the treatments. Where one individual may have success with therapy alone, another may find relief only by use of antidepressants while another will find the symptoms disappear on their own.

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Often triggered by a recent trauma or distant past or with an intense internal conflict that forces the mind to separate incompatible or unacceptable knowledge, information or feelings. This separation is in direct response to trauma and in a way shelters the patient from dealing with unpleasant feelings by numbing themselves completely.

Patients often describe their feelings of being unreal or unfeeling; their emotions dull or even robotic. In some cases, patients suffering from Depersonalization Disorder complain of sensory distortions affecting a single part of the body, typically a finger, limb or part of the face, which may be described as feeling as if made of cotton wool.

Depersonalization disorder can affect each person differently. For some, the feeling is often described as being outside one’s body or floating on the ceiling looking down at one’s self. Other individuals feel as if their body is literally dissolving or changing. The “unreal” sensation for many is like being in a dream; cognizant of the reality around them however completely emotionally detached. For many, it’s like watching themselves on a movie screen.

Not as rare as you might think, Depersonalization Disorder is a common experience in the general population. Often times the symptoms may come and go sporadically, while others experience different levels of severity. However, when the symptoms of DPD become severe enough to cause emotional distress, depression, or interfere with social functioning, the criteria of the DSM-IV-TR for Depersonalization are met.

The causes of DPD are not completely understood by the Medical Association. Recent advances in brain imaging and other forms of neurological testing, however, have confirmed that DPD is a distinct diagnostic entity and should not be considered a subtype of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Several features of Depersonalization Disorder have been traced to differences in brain functioning. A group of British researchers found that the emotional detachment typical of sufferers of this disorder is associated with a lower level of nerve cell responses in regions of the brain that are responsible for emotional feeling, while an increased level of nerve cell responses were found in regions of the brain related to emotional regulation.

A group of American researchers concluded that patients with DPD had different patterns of responses to test of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This is the part of the brain that responds to the ‘fight or flight’ reaction to stress. Other studies involving positron emission tomography, or PET, measurements of the glucose metabolism in different areas of the brain found that patients with Depersonalization disorder appear to have abnormal functioning of the sensory cortex. This part of the brain governs the senses of sight, hearing and perceptions of the location of one’s body in space.

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For many, recreational drugs like marijuana or LSD can create that state. For others, however, this feeling can be chronic and incredibly disconcerting. For the patient, it can cause distress, impair work, social and personal functioning.

Depersonalization Disorder effects ones emotions and behavior. It’s generally characterized by a change in how one perceives experiences or sense of self. It’s as if all reality ceases to exist; the feeling of being detached or being in a dream, only the person affected by this order realizes he/she is not in a dream but and yet has no ability to control the sensation.  Often victims of Depersonalization disorder feel as if they are going insane, though this is rarely the case.

Patients describe their feelings of being unreal and their emotions dull. Actions feels mechanical—sometimes even robotic in nature. Some complain of sensory distortions affecting a single part of the body, which may be described as feeling as if made of cotton wool.

In 2007, Matthew Perry starred in the comedy feature film, “Numb” which deals with this disorder entirely, as his character, a successful screenwriter, who suddenly finds himself without any emotional feelings. Physicians and psychologists do little in alleviating his disorder causing his character even further anxiety.

Depersonalization disorder isn’t as rare as you might think. It’s actually the third most common psychological experience after feelings of anxiety and depression. It often occurs after a person experiences life threatening danger, such as a near-death accident, assault or serious illness or injury. It can also stem from extreme stress during childhood including physical and sexual abuse or neglect.

It isn’t surprising that after the tragedy of 911, many survivors reported symptoms of Depersonalization Disorder. The overwhelming stress leaves the victim with no coping mechanism. For many sufferers, the symptoms may come and go spontaneously and therefore treatment is usually recommended only if the disorder persists, recurs or causes distress to the point where the patient cannot function.

Two thirds of those affected by Depersonalization disorder are women. Symptoms can start as early as adolescence or suddenly crop up in adult life. Usually symptoms occur suddenly, sometimes when the person feels aroused or excited or paradoxically in the course of relaxation after intense physical exercise.

Often times, this disorder can ‘piggyback’ on other mental health issues like depression, anxiety and various panic disorders. Since dissociative disorders seem to be triggered as a response to trauma or abuse, treatment can generally be found through psychotherapy, although drugs like antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications combined with therapy seem to provide the best results. Like treating any disease or disorder, it’s imperative to note that any stresses associated with the beginning of the depersonalization disorder must be addressed for a person to be truly ‘cured’ .

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The simplest way to illustrate this is by imagining you’re in a dream like state—only you’re awake. You’re completely conscious of the reality around you, however you feel detached to your body and emotions.

For instance, while the individual with the disorder undertakes a specific action or task, a part of him/her questions what they are doing. This nagging sensation produces more anxiety and furthers the cycle making the person feeling more and more mentally detached. Of course, these symptoms can vary with intensity and can have different effects on various individuals.

Sufferers of this disorder often describe an array of symptoms that can resemble those of other mental health disorders as well as physical. Headaches and other aches and pains are typical. Some may experience sexual dysfunction and lack of sleep. Other typical descriptions of this disorder include, feeling as though I’m dead… a shell… a zombie. Some feel as if they’re simply “going through the motions”. Often there is an inability to recognize oneself in the mirror and/or a distorted perception of the body.

For those affected, it’s a rather disturbing illness and can quickly cause anxiety since the person feels abnormal and uneasy at the loss of their sense of self. It’s important to note that different groups of symptoms may occur at different times—but the one common thread includes a distorted perception of the body. Many people describe the sensation as if he or she is a robot. Many feel if they’re going crazy, while others become depressed, anxious or panicky.

Some complain of sensory distortions affecting a single part of the body, most commonly the head, nose, ears or limb, which may be described as feeling as if made of cotton wool.
Others describe themselves as feeling like they’re two-dimensional or like a cardboard figure. Another common symptom is feeling as if you’re watching yourself in a film or TV program, while others describe the sensation as if they’re floating over their body. This ‘spectator’ sensation, often called ‘unreality’ is also very common.

These episodes can last anywhere from a few minutes to many years. Often times the symptoms can vanish for periods of time, then return during stressful occasions.

Depersonalization also might be considered a symptom of other disorders including brain disease and seizure disorders. More commonly, however, they are a dissociative disorder stemming from trauma or depression. These symptoms can often interfere with a person’s day-to-day functioning, including social and work activities as well as personal relationships.

The diagnosis of depersonalization disorder typically is a diagnosis of exclusion. After a detailed medical history, a patient receives an intense physical examination including blood and urine tests to rule out epilepsy, substance abuse, medication side effects or recent periods of sleep deprivation.

Beyond the medical exam, a six-item Depersonalization Severity Scale has been developed to determine and classify the level of depersonalization disorder and other possible dissociative or post-traumatic disorders, and to measure the effects of treatment in patients.

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