Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder

In depersonalization-derealization disorder, you feel detached from yourself (depersonalization) and disconnected from your environment (derealization). While feelings like this may come and go for many people, in people with depersonalization-derealization disorder, they tend to last a long time (persist) or go away and come back (recur).

Depersonalization affects your ability to recognize your thoughts, feelings and body as your own. It might feel like you’re watching yourself play a role in a movie rather than living your life. For example, if you’re grocery shopping, you might feel like you’re watching someone else push your cart, select food from the shelves and go through the check-out line. Or you might not recognize your reflection in the glass doors of the frozen section.

Derealization affects your ability to see your surroundings accurately. Things might not seem real. Or you might feel like you’re looking through a clouded window or in black-and-white rather than full color. Objects might look distorted in shape or size, or you may feel like they change while you look at them.

In depersonalization-derealization disorder, you may experience depersonalization, derealization or both. But you haven’t lost touch with reality. You understand that your perceptions aren’t real, which can be frustrating and cause anxiety.

Psychiatrists classify depersonalization-derealization disorder as a dissociative disorder in the DSM-V. Dissociative identity disorder and dissociative amnesia are also in this category.

How common is depersonalization-derealization disorder?

Most people know what it’s like to be disconnected from time to time. This is called transient depersonalization. But depersonalization-derealization disorder is long-lasting. It generally happens to 1% to 2% of people, though it’s more common in adolescents and young adults.