[hippieandy]

Depersonalization disorder? My friend told me he has it. I have depression but I just don't understand Depersonalization disorder. I tried reading about it but I just don't understand. and now he doesn't want to talk about it uughhhh

[anderson]

((((Hippieandy))))
sorry dont know what to tell you, We have it but live it, and we still do not know how to put that into words. The only thing that WE can say it is the ability to detach from the emotions or events that are to loud to handle at the moment. We can talk about past events and not feel the emotions yet if we switch to the alter that exsperanced it we are bundle of loud emotions. So to us it is the ability to state the facts with out the emotional drama. Does that make sence? Hope that helped and that we are not wrong but this is what it means to those within us.

Originally Posted by hippieandy

Depersonalization disorder? My friend told me he has it. I have depression but I just don't understand Depersonalization disorder. I tried reading about it but I just don't understand. and now he doesn't want to talk about it uughhhh

[Elysium]

Hi Hippieandy...

I'm sorry to hear that your friend has this disorder. It's such a scary and un-nerving thing to cope with....especially when you don't understand it. And it's hard to understand it if you have never experienced it.

I live with Depersonalization as a symptom of another disorder, so I will try to explain it as best I can in a way that may help you understand a little better.

Depersonalization Disorder is a disorder in how one perceives themselves in relation to their physical body and the world. Have you ever had a moment, when you're just waking up, and you're really relaxed, and for a brief moment you don't know who you are or where you are? Or you wonder if you're dreaming because everything is still so cloudy because you're still half asleep? This is similar to the perception that people with this disorder have, only it's without the sleepiness. We tend to feel disconnected from our bodies....like we are not real or our bodies are not really real. These perceptions can make us question reality, although we do not lose touch with reality. We are able to know that these perceptions are not real, but the fact that we FEEL them, and experience them so strongly makes us very anxious, scared, and confused because usually when a person FEELS something that their body senses, or we get a message from our sensory nervous system (i.e. the water is hot, the sky is blue, the sandpaper is rough) we can usually trust that these sensory perceptions are accurate.

With this disorder.....our bodies and our perceptions of what we sense and feel seem distant....not real....dreamy....like we are lost under a blanket of fog and we can't make out the light from the lighthouse. I hope this makes some sense.

There is also something called Derealization, which is something folks who experience Depersonalization can experience as well. It is a very similar detachment only it is a detachment from our environment and what is around us. An example....sometimes I will be driving, and I will get the perception that the windshield is just a screen and the things through the window are merely a movie playing on the screen....I will start to think that, if I just ripped a hole through the screen, that behind it would be just blackness. Or, sometimes when I look at my house, or any other building, my mind perceives that it is not real. I have to challenge that perception by actually going up to the building and touching the building to "ground" myself back in reality. Again....we are aware that the perception is screwy and unrealistic, but it is so strong that it can overpower reality.

It's NOT a psychosis or anything like that. In fact, everybody experiences perceptions like this from time to time; for example, de ja vue. What makes it a disorder is how much distress it causes in a person's life, and to what degree, or extreme, they experience these skewed perceptions.

Sometimes it can be a nice thing though, believe it or not. Sometimes, when I am experiencing derealization symptoms, colors will become very intense and just pop out at you and everything looks a bit prettier for a while.

So, Depersonalization is a disorder of perception and how a person views themselves in relation to their body/person. In an extreme case, a person can feel completely disconnected from their physical body, as if it where merely an article of clothing that they could just take off.

The best way to be there for your friend is to support him/her if they discuss it with you. Even though it may scare you, it's okay to let them know that. And it's okay to say that they can tell you if they feel funny, and you don't have to do anything except help them realize that they are safe and encourage them to challenge their perceptions. Sometimes holding on to an ice cube can help me feel more connected because the sensation of the cold can overpower the faulty perceptual noise.

Hope this helps and doesn't confuse you more.

Thanks for asking!!

[hippieandy]

Elysium thank you sooo much!!! I was wondering if there was a way I could talk to you like PM?? I'm pretty new to the site lol

But you helped a ton!!!

I get worried about my friend cause sometimes totally disconnects. Like you'll be talking to him and its almost like he spaces out completely to the point where he's unresponsive and then he'll forget we even had a conversation.

[hippieandy]

Originally Posted by Elysium

Hi Hippieandy...

Hope this helps and doesn't confuse you more.

Thanks for asking!!

Thankkksss soooo much.

I really appreciate that you responded to me. I feel like I really get it being that I think and dream in movies all the time but I believe thats a result of my dyslexia.

My friend sometimes gets unresponsive. Its almost like he spaces out but really bad to the point where there is no reaction and he doesn't even remember the conversation we had. Is that normal???

[hippieandy]

Sorry. I thought my computer went crazy and decided not to post one.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by hippieandy

Depersonalization disorder? My friend told me he has it. I have depression but I just don't understand Depersonalization disorder. I tried reading about it but I just don't understand. and now he doesn't want to talk about it uughhhh

depending on your location, what standards ie terms used in the mental health career in your location depersonalization is explained in many different ways. example people explain it one way where Im from, they explain it another way in this state where Im living with my partner. I have found in the state where she is from they explain it another way. I have also noticed from being here on line people from other countries also explain it in another completely different way. you also have to take into consideration what date the material that someone is telling you what something is. I have found sometimes when I dont understand something sometimes its because someone has used the outdated way of explaining things from what my mental health professionals used, as demonstrated in the thread on dissociative disorders that is stuck on the first page of this board. Someone callled something ADD and it turned out to be what we In the USA in the menal health Career call Dissociative disorders Not Otherwise Specified here and is new updated term for it here.

That said how its explained here - depersonalization can happen with many mental disorders, and it doesn't always have to happen as a "disorder" it can also be a completely normal response to things like stress, medications, doing new things like moving, getting married, having a baby, just about anything can make you have depersonalization like feelings. mountain climbers get it at times, runners, people in all kinds of sports and activities get it sometimes.

have you ever climbed stairs really fast or gone on a mountain hike. then you look back at where you came from. all of a sudden you feel like you are in slow motion, the world around you looks so far away? Thats feeling depersonalization.

have you ever taken some medication and it made you feel all foggy headed, slow and like the world around you doesn't quite feel normal to you? thats depersonalization.

Have you ever been so excited you feel short of breath, feel like you are talking but it seems muffled and you feel like everything has slowed down? thats depersonalization.

Have you ever done something new that you have never done before, and then suddenly it seems like your ears arent hearing right, you feel like everything is so far away from you? thats depersonalization

Have you ever been reading a book and suddenly the words don't seem to make any sense because your head feels like cotton or foggy and slow. Thats depersonalization

Depersonalization is a group of symptoms that are considered within another group called dissociation. when you pick up a book the book is titled one thing (dissociation) but when you open the book there are many different chapters (groups of symptoms) and each chapter of the book has a chapter (depersonalization, and other names)

having depersonalization can be completely normal or it can be abnormal (not normal) which it is depends on why its happening and how often and how it affects each persons life.

my friend Sandy has it in a completely normal way, I have it in a slightly abnormal way because of why it happens, how often it happens and how it affects my life, and Miguel has it to most abnormal because of why it happens, how often it happens and how it affects his life.

Sandy is not in treatment for it because her depersonalization is completely normal. Im in treatment for mine and my treatment plan is taylored to work directly related to why it happens,how often it happens and how it affects my life. Miguel is on another treatment plan that is different than mine because his treatment plan is directly related to why it happens for him, how often it happens for him and how it affects his life.

in other words depersonalization is in every bodys life in different ways, some normal some slightly not normal all the way up to completely abnormal. The treatment for it also changes from person to person.

your friend could have it in a completely normal way or he could be anywhere between normal to abnormal. only your friend can explain why it happens, how often it happens and how it affects his life and whether hes in treatment for it or not and what he needs from you in the way of support and help. Talk to your friend.

[hippieandy]

thanksss

[Elysium]

Originally Posted by amandalouise

depending on your location, etc, etc......

Whoa!!

I experience depersonalization and derealization quite frequently. I have a good understanding of it, but still, your explanation managed to confuse me? LOL!!!

I guess everyone has their own way of explaining things. I'm glad you made the attempt though.