Hi Confused.......I experienced depersonalization after going through a trauma. I'm guessing that you went through something that has caused you to experience derealization/depersonalization now when you didn't experience it before.

My DBT group leader explained that depersonalization is a normal reaction to stress....all people experience it a little when stress hits....it becomes bad when the stress comes from a trauma or long term stress. It becomes our coping mechanism for stress. I realized the more I experienced it the more it would hit.

For me, it's been 11 years since the trauma & I am hardly ever experiencing it any longer though when I get highly stressed it usually hits when I'm at home now.

First I would say...worth with a therapist (T) to help you process what cause you to experience this in the first place. Understanding is like knowledge is power & it helps lessen the minds need to depersonalize.

It was the strangest feeling the first time I experienced it after the trauma...I was in a place that had nothing to do with it. I was at the ranch with my horses climbing on the hay to get feed for the horses...all of a sudden it was like I was watching myself & when someone said something to me I answered but had no idea how I knew heat to answer. Scared me so bad I just wanted to hide.

The mind works in complicated ways it thinks it's protecting us.

The best thing like I said is to process what was the cause if it starting to happen in your life....whatever stressful event that might have been.

Welcome to PC hope you find it helpful