A 34-year-old member asked:
what is the depersonalization disorder? how can you deal with it?
1 doctor answer • 5 doctors weighed in
Dr. Seth Kunen answered
Clinical Psychology 45 years experience
Disconnected feeling: Often caused by stress, trauma, and/or anxiety. Some consider it an anxiety disorder and some a dissociative disorder. Symptoms include a feeling of surrealism, distortions of body sense, and disconnection from familiar people and objects. Episodes can last from minutes to weeks. Cbt may be helpful. There are some promising medication combinations such as modafinal and ssri's.
5704 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
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Similar questions
A 32-year-old member asked:
What are the tell tale symptoms of depersonalization disorder?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Peter Forster answered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Disconnection: The key symptom of depersonalization disorder is a sense of disconnection between your self aware self and other parts of your self (your body, your actions, your thoughts). People with it may feel that they are watching themselves from afar, or that they are "in a dream" even though they are awake.
5702 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
How can you recover from depersonalization disorder?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Pamela Pappas answered
Psychiatry 42 years experience
Deliberate work: As a symptom alone, depersonalization can occur in many psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, ptsd, and depression. It can also happen in the context of intense stress like war, rape, accidents, etc. As a separate disorder it's more rare -- and requires intensive psychotherapy for recovery (which is possible). If depression & anxiety are strong, medications can help the psychotherapy along too.
5690 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Is depersonalization disorder a hereditary condition?
1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Pamela Pappas answered
Psychiatry 42 years experience
No: No, depersonalization disorder is not hereditary.
5664 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Is it possible to have depersonalization disorder without having been abused sexually or physically previously?
1 doctor answer • 7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Pamela Pappas answered
Psychiatry 42 years experience
Yes: Depersonalization can be triggered by any stress or trauma -- not only personal sexual or physical abuse. Being in an accident, etc. Drug/alcohol abuse can be a trigger. Also, it can occur with other mental health conditions like panic disorder, depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) or dissociative identity disorder (did). Abuse can also be with any of these, though.
5624 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old male asked:
What can I do about depersonalization disorder? I have absolutely no one to talk to about this, because no one understands it. I need a doctor who actually knows about depersonalization. I really need help with it, is there anything i can do?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Mary Engrav answered
Emergency Medicine 31 years experience
The : The most important thing is to find a cognitive behavioral therapist for evaluation. Please seek one out in your area. There are some medications that can be tried, such as ssri agents and anticonvulsant medications. Cognitive behavioral therapy has helped people with this condition.
5332 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
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Last updated May 12, 2016
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