Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder (DPDR)

Do you feel as if the world around you is fake? Do you have trouble recognizing yourself in the mirror? Do loved ones look weird or unrecognizable to you? Lets dive deeper into DPDR.

What is DPDR?

Depersonalization-Derealization disorder is a mental health condition that affects an individual’s sense of self and surroundings. People with DPDR may feel detached from their thoughts, feelings, and body and may also experience a sense of unreality or detachment from their surroundings. The exact causes of DPDR are not fully understood, but several factors may contribute to its development. Some of these factors include stress, trauma, severe anxiety disorders, and substance use. Depersonalization and Derealization are slightly different but are still considered to be one condition. Let’s see what the differences are.

Depersonalization is when you feel detached or disconnected from your thoughts, feelings, emotions, senses, and body. You may feel as if you are observing yourself from a distance or as if your body is not your own.

Derealization is when you feel detached or disconnected from your environment. The world might look weird, 2D-shaped, and distorted. It may feel like the world around you is fake and that people around you are also not real.

Although the two have some differences, we will treat both as one disorder. It does not matter if you might have derealization over depersonalization or vice versa. It does not matter if you have both since recovery is the same.

Do I have DPDR?

Have you felt or possibly asked yourself these things?

• "I can’t recognize myself in the mirror or in pictures".
• "I feel like I am going insane; I think I might be going crazy".
• "Time feels distorted; I feel like time is never moving forward or is moving too fast".
• "I can barely remember anything; it feels like I have dementia".
• "Everything looks so weird and 2D, like I am in a video game".
• "I am plagued with random existential thoughts about the universe and my existence".

Should I Worry?

NO! DPDR might have some of the scariest symptoms out of other anxiety disorders, but you can make a full 100% recovery! It does not matter if your DPDR was caused by stress, trauma, severe anxiety disorder, or drugs; recovery is generally the same for all of these causes, as long as we address any underlying factors.

DPDR is a response caused by your fight or flight system. You have not messed up your brain or nervous system. Your brain and nervous system believe they are protecting you, but instead, they are causing more harm than good.

Research has shown that psychotherapy, self-help therapy, and lifestyle changes, such as stress management techniques and exercise, are critical for someone to make a full DPDR recovery.

Here at FreeMind, we use a combination of great self-help therapy, which uses crucial CBT/ACT techniques and methods, stress management techniques, personalized online support, and much more to ensure our members are on track to make a full recovery.