Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder

Your mental healthcare provider will ask a series of questions about your symptoms. They’ll look for other mental health conditions (comorbidities) like:

• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Personality disorders.

If you don’t have another diagnosis that more clearly fits, you’re not coming off medication and your experiences aren’t related to mood-altering substances like drugs or alcohol, they may diagnose you with depersonalization-derealization disorder.

What tests will be done to diagnose it?

If your provider suspects depersonalization-derealization disorder, they may ask a series of questions that help identify your symptoms, how often they occur and how much they interfere with your well-being. They may also ask you to complete some assessments on paper or online. Although finding the right words to describe your feelings may be hard, try to be as specific as possible about what life is like for you so that your provider can help you.