Dissociation (depersonalisation And Derealization)

[Me Myself and I]

I have been explained by my therapist that I suffer from what is a (partial dissociation).

I have been googling today and found out what is the title of this thread (depersonalisation and derealization). It just got me more confused!!

Can anyone of you please help me understand these two disorders better. Perhaps in a less scientific language? :shy:

Thanks alot.

 

[Justmehere]

It's my understanding that depersonalization is when my own self, my own body seems numb and/or very surreal, or disconnected, and derealization is when the world around me, external to me, feels numb and/or surreal or disconnected.

 

[WillyKat]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depersonalization
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derealization

My advice is to talk it over with your therapist and find out about your experiences rather than terminology in the abstract. In other words, there's a danger in applying a term to one's condition instead of letting one's condition guide how you feel about yourself.

In other words, my PTSD may be a lot different from your PTSD. But the PTSD definition on Wikipedia doesn't tell me about me nor you.

Does that help or did I just make matters worse?

 

[anthony]

[DLMURL]https://www.myptsd.com/c/articles/posttraumatic-stress-disorder.7/[/DLMURL]

Specifiy whether:

With dissociative symptoms: The individual's symptoms meet the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder, and in addition, in response to the stressor, the individual experiences persistent or recurrent symptoms of either of the following:

1. Depersonalization: Persistent or recurrent experiences of unreality of surroundings (e.g., feeling as though one werre in a dream; feeling a sense of unreality of self or body or of time moving slowly).
2. Derealization: Persistent or recurent experiences of unreality of surroundings (e.g., the world around the individual is experienced as unreal, dreamlike, distant, or distorted).

Note: To use this subtype, the dissociative symptoms must not be attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., blackouts, behavior during alcohol intoxication) or another medical condition (e.g., complex partial seizures).

This is called PTSD-DS.

 

[bekbek]

I experience both. When it was at its worse I felt like there was a veil over my eyes and I wasn't part of the real world. Things didn't feel real and I felt like I could have been in a movie. Objects look strange to me and I feel disconnected from everything and everyone. People I have known for years feel like strangers and I find myself thinking I don't know who these people are. From what I understand it's like a defence mechanism that my mind and body put in place when I am under too much stress. My mind removes itself from the situation

 

[Me Myself and I]

Thanks everyone!!! Very helpful. :)