Depersonalization Definition - What Is It?

Depersonalization is a feeling of being disconnected from your body and thoughts. It can feel like you're looking at yourself from outside your body or living in a dream. It can make you feel like you're a robot, that people around you are robots. The world may feel like it's flat and in 2D. It's also very common to feel like you're going crazy.

Feelings of Depersonalization usually last for just a few minutes before fading away. Sometimes they can persist for longer, which is known as Depersonalization Disorder (DPD).

Depersonalization Disorder is one of a group of conditions called Dissociative Disorders. However it's important to note that Depersonalization is very different from other Dissociative Disorders like Fugue States, Dissociative Identity Disorder etc. Those are considered to be much more serious.

What Causes Depersonalization?

The exact triggers for the feelings of Depersonalization aren't known, but in the vast majority of cases it's caused by stress and trauma.

This can be something like a car accident, abuse, violence, a panic attack, or as is becoming more common, a bad experience on drugs like weed and LSD. The brain 'withdraws' and 'numbs' itself to protect itself from the traumatic situation.

This is the reason why people often don't react properly to trauma until some time after the event. For most people these feelings are very brief and fade away. For some, especially when they interpret the feelings as 'going crazy', it causes intense anxiety, which makes the feeling of Depersonalization worse.

It's also the reason why people often confuse feelings of Depersonalization and Derealization with so-called 'weed hangovers' that feel like they last for days or weeks.

Regardless of what triggered it, this feedback loop can turn into the persistent condition known as Depersonalization Disorder (DPD).

How Common Is Depersonalization?

Depersonalization is extremely common. It's estimated that 2%  (1 in every 50 people) of the population of the US and UK have Depersonalization disorder.  And 50% of all adults in the US will experience a Depersonalization 'attack' over the course of their lifetime.

When Does Depersonalization Become Depersonalization Disorder?

Brief episodes of Depersonalization and Derealization are extremely common, caused by anxiety or trauma and usually fade away in a few minutes. Sometimes, the person focuses on the feelings of unreality and worries that they're a separate issue (going crazy, living in a dream).

This can be quite frightening and generates more anxiety, which prevents the DP from fading away as it normally does. (This is particularly common with bad drug experiences, since it can already be tied in with the fear that you're 'going crazy'.)

Instead it turns into a cycle of anxiety and Depersonalization that can last for days, weeks, months. This is when the definition changes from Depersonalization to Depersonalization Disorder (DPD).

This can be an incredibly difficult experience not just for the sufferer, but also for their family members who are struggling to understand what it is that their loved one is going through.

How Long Does Depersonalization Last?

For most people, Depersonalization lasts a few seconds or minutes. It can last for the duration of a panic attack, which can be up to 30 minutes or more. Typically it fades away as the anxiety or panic attack subsides and your attention is moved away from the feelings of unreality.

However, when the 'unreal' feelings of DP are focused on and misconstrued as a feeling of 'going crazy', this  can cause an anxiety / Depersonalization feedback loop. This can last for months and years, or as long as it's allowed to. Typically when the feedback loop is stopped, the DP subsides in a few weeks.

This question is explored in depth in this article.

What Are The Symptoms?

The symptoms of Depersonalization include: