Combatting Depersonalisation

Have you ever felt completely detached from your surroundings, your family and friends, or even yourself? Sounds strange right? But it happens more often than you think.

Depersonalization sounds like a very a cold and distant concept, but it can actually be a terrifying and confusing experience. It can also be a very confusing topic to research, especially when depersonalization and derealisation are often used interchangeably when they are two very different concepts.

According to the DSM-5, depersonalization is characterised as experiences of unreality, detachment, or being an outside observer with respect to one’s thoughts, feelings, sensations, body, or actions (e.g., perceptual alterations, distorted sense of time, unreal or absent self, emotional and/or physical numbing).

While depersonalization is more involved with your perception of yourself and your own body, derealisation is more to do with your perception of the world around you. In easier terms, depersonalization sometimes feel like you are watching yourself from a distance, whereas derealisation is when the world around you seem almost unreal.

People who experience depersonalization often are aware that their perception is off and most describes it as an out of body experience. This can be quite scary as they feel like they have no control of themselves and like they're disconnected from their body and their emotions.

Causes of depersonalisation

The causes of depersonalization isn't entirely clear due to the complexity of the experience. Some say that that it's a form of the body's coping mechanism toward overwhelming reactions and others say that at the root of depersonalization is anxiety. Depersonalisation is also often a comorbidity of depression, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). What is known is that depersonalization is a sign of coping with trauma.

There are a few ways you can cope with feelings of depersonalisation.

Seek Counselling

Seeking help from a professional is always highly recommended and beneficial for you as therapy can help you get to the root of where your depersonalization comes from and find ways to help you cope from a different perspective.

Ground Yourself (not the grounding your parents provide if you've done something wrong)

In times where you feel completely disconnected from yourself, the world and everyone around you. it's important to try and stay connected to the current environment around. Get back to what you know is real and constant. For example, your breathing. In an everchanging world, your breathing remains constant. Focus on taking deep breaths in. and out.

Other examples of grounding include:

• Focus all your senses on an object

• Listening to sounds around you.

• Listening to music.

• Smelling something pleasant.

• Something tactile like wrapping yourself in a blanket.

• Meditate

• Practice mindfullness

Know when to get help

Depersonalization episodes can last from a few minutes to a few hours before going away. However, more severe episodes can last for a day, weeks or even months. When depersonalization is this severe and it negatively impacts relationships, it is then important to get help. They may also struggle to get close to others or detach from their body when touched. Seek support from friends and family you feel comfortable talking to. Talking through what you’re experiencing and having that strong support system can also help you feel more grounded and aid your mental health.

There are many counselling services in South Africa and worldwide that can help you cope with your struggles, but if you cannot afford a counsellor, try and rely on your support systems like your friends and family.

References:

Farrelly, S., Peters, E., Azis, M., David, A., & Hunter, E. C.(2016). A brief CBT intervention for depersonalisation/derealisation in psychosis: study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 2.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-016-0086-7

Somer, E., Amos-Williams, T., & Stein, D. J.(2013). Evidence-based treatment for Depersonalisation-derealisation Disorder (DPRD). BMC Psychology, 1(1).https://doi.org/10.1186/2050-7283-1-20

Ciaunica, A., Seth, A., Limanowski, J., Hesp, C., & Friston, K. J.(2022). I overthink—Therefore I am not: An active inference account of altered sense of self and agency in depersonalisation disorder. Consciousness and Cognition, 101, 103320.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2022.103320