depersonalisation and derealisation
Depersonalisation and Derealisation ( DP / DR ) is a form of detachment and dissociation. It can be experienced in random short periods, for extended periods, or continuously. It is different for everyone, but usually it is feeling detached from your body and/or environment, often accompanied by emotional detachment.
Derealisation can be described as seeing the world through a pane of glass, or as though it is made of wax or feeling as though it is fake like a movie set. Things around you just don't feel real. There is almost a non solid, 2D feeling to things. It is feeling very separate and detached from your physical environment.
Depersonalisation has more to do with your physical self. It makes you feel detached from your own body, sometimes specific parts of your body, for example your hand may feel as though it is not your own. Your reflection is also something alot of people struggle with, because although you are aware that the person in the mirror is you, you feel entirely detached from your reflection, almost as though you are staring at a stranger.
DP / DR can be described as feeling as though you are living in a dream, having out of/ inner body experiences, and losing your sense of self. Sufferers may feel as though they are going 'crazy', and may feel a need to remind themselves that they exist and that 'this is reality'.
In short, it is very complex and mainly consists of major detachment , mentally, physically and emotionally.
It can be a result of : trauma, both major and repeated low level. Mental health issues such as anxiety ( its really common to have detachment in anxiety), and it can also be a result of drug use.
Sufferers are not detached from reality, as more often than not, the most disturbing part of this experience is the utter awareness of these feelings, and the knowledge that they arent exactly normal feelings.
It is very hard to explain, it is a feeling unlike any other.
I encourage people to research Depersonalisation and Derealisation to gain further knowledge and understanding on it. It is hard to describe and im aware that my description probably isnt very good. I know it doesnt cover the mulitude of minor symptoms and details that make up this issue / disorder, nor is it entirely accurate to the individuals experience.
This is just a glimpse of what it feels like.
Please, if any of this resonates with you do not hesitate to talk about it and get help.
Some people experience it for longer than others, but no matter how long you have been experiencing this or how intense it is, recovery is always possible.
You are not alone, you are not insane. You are human, and this is one of your many experiences, even if it is a shitty one.
Please join in the discussion, and share your thoughts and experiences.
Comments
[N] I think I got something like derealisation about a month ago. For a while I've been worried about many different philosophical concepts and their uncertainty (and I partially still am now). I was getting really worried at the time about solipsism, so I think that's what caused it. Everything just felt like it was fake somehow. I don't remember how long it was for, I think somewhere around 10-15 minutes. I never mentioned it to anyone because I thought it was just a one-off, and it's never happened again. A, D, J, S and T were all inactive at the time.
@SomeoneNADJS I could imagine seriously considering solipsism would be particularly distressing 😞 How have you been feeling lately?
[N] @dncinginthedirt In the last few days (and this does happen every so often), I worry that I'm delusional somehow and that A, D, J, S and T aren't really sentient and that they're basically philosophical zombies. Although, at the moment I highly doubt that's the case for several reasons (including that A sometimes has the same worries about her being delusional).
Another scary thought is that material existence can't be proven either. I don't think it's likely that the six of us are a brain in a jar and everything is just a simulation by a mad scientist or anything, but considering solipsism is not fun at all.
We're going well at the moment though. Thanks for asking 🙂
I hope everyone can feel comfortable posting on here, and if you dont have an account i encourage you to make one. RO is a really supportive place.
Does anyone else get the thing where objects seem to separate into shapes, like in a cubist artwork? Like, everything loses it's meaning, and it's just colors and shapes?
It's hard to explain.. but I'll see this:
And it will feel more like this:
Like, just a group of shapes and colors instead of an actual object.
dp/dr also effects my ability to connect with nature, which i hate.
@indieinsanus same... sometimes I'll walk outside and everything seems to have lost its meaning. And I can't feel the soil or the breeze and the stars just look like dots and every sound merges into white noise. It's like my last comfort's been taken away sometimes..
@Tiny_leaf yeah i really hate it. I looove nature, and now i struggle to feel immersed in it and really appreciate its beauty. I struggle to feel present.
Anyway, lately things have been somewhat better overall, but just recently DP has been acting up but i think its because of stress.
@indieinsanus same.. between that and my chronic pain, I don't get to be in nature as much as I want to. Sometimes I don't even try going outside, because it breaks my heart a bit when I'm there but it doesn't make me feel anything.
One thing that helps me feel present in nature is to just focus as much as I can on something small. Like, I might pick up a leaf or pebble, and let myself explore how it feels.
Because I mostly go out at night, I'll often pick up more detail using my hands than I will with my eyes. Often I'll get "sucked in", and I'll run my hand over the grass or along the bark of a tree. I might slowly start to feel present again, and notice my surroundings more.
It's a way to.. sort coax myself out of that feeling, and find a small way to connect.
@Tiny_leaf Sorry it took me so long to reply! I have been MIA in major works and stuff.
I love to do 'earthing' as a grounding technique. Its walking barefoot on the earth and absorbing its energies in a way.
Tonight has been the first time in a while that i have felt a continuous feeling of dissociation, its kind of making me anxious which in effect is making my DP/DR worse. Fun, hahaha. Anyway, i have my candles lit and im listening to lana del ray in my room, and trying to chill tf out. Overall im doing okay, i hope everyone else is doing okay 😃
@indieinsanus I love doing that as well!
Plus my horse riding lessons seem to help; it's kinda hard to get dissociation, DP and DR while having to be aware of everything that my and the horse's body is doing to avoid falling off.
@Tiny_leaf I think nature and animals have a way of reaching us on a deeper level, and i think that connection holds some type of healing.
@wanderingwasp Hi, this is the thread I made a while ago if you want to have a look 😃
Just wanted to say great thread @indieinsanus! I think it will help a lot of people. I have experienced derealisation and depersonalisation too and it brings me comfort to see that I'm not alone. In addition to the factors you mentioned, I have also heard of people experiencing depersonalisation due to experiencing chronic pain, such as feeling that the affected body part does not belong to them.
I'm sorry that you've been struggling with DP recently. 
Are there any things that you find help you with it? My psychologist taught me mindfulness and grounding techniques.
@Tiny_leaf I totally get what you mean! About a year ago I had this experience where I would look in the mirror and I found my reflection really frightening. It looked strange and weird to me for some reason, and I couldn't put my finger on why. I thought it might be some kind of body dysmorphia, but this makes so much more sense. It was a really horrible experience. I remember feeling like my teeth looked incredibly sharp and it was just awful to look at myself. Things have returned to normal now thank goodness.
@indieinsanus My reflection often looks strange to me, I'd always assumed it was some kind of gender dysphoria or something, but it being related to DP makes a lot more sense.
I've also learnt that my hallucinations and DP/ DR feelings can be linked, and will sometimes happen one after the other for some reason.
@Tiny_leaf It is really strange, the affect that it has on people in their everyday lives, even little things like looking in the mirror. It sucks.
But there is always hope
