Is this depersonalization?

Sorry if this is not an appropriate topic for this forum! If not please let me know.

I have always thought I had depression and anxiety but today my T mentioned depersonalization. Now she hasn't diagnosed me at all but just mentioned it.

I am curious if what I experience sounds like depersonalization to any of you?

Here is what I experience: I feel lightheaded but it's not a normal I'm going to faint lightheaded, it's more like my head is light and could float away. It's also like I am not myself... I feel very strange. When this happens (which is nearly a constant state for me now) I can't eat because I feel somehow detached from my body like it won't work right or something... Like if I eat I'm going to choke. I also become consumed with this feeling and it makes me cry because it's scary and I don't want to feel that way.

Another thing that happens but not often at all (it's been years since I had this) is when I look around in my house it seems weird, I know it's my house but it seems different. It really is not different or unfamiliar but it kind of feels that way.

Finally, my mood can be altered from a simple glance oat an object... As if the object changes my entire sense of well being... It doesn't have to be an object it can be a smell or a tv show or something like that but the environment can change how I feel without my thoughts involved. Sorry if that doesn't make much sense it's hard to explain.

So what do you think?

Note: I am not looking to be diagnosed and I know everybody is different but I am just curious what your thoughts are based on your own experience.

Thanks for reading!

Wow must be in the wrong place

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Hi ChangingMyMind, my experience of depersonalization/derealization is quite similar to what you've described. Feeling detached from my body, having no sense of where my limbs are physically even though I can see them where they are supposed to be, feeling like I'm floating up and backwards from my body, not recognizing myself in the mirror, etc. For derealization I can relate to your feeling of unfamiliarity in a place that is usually familiar. Often it's like my surroundings become like I'm watching a movie, and it can look distorted. Definitely can relate to lots of what you said!

changing my mind...dissociative problems like depersonalization is one of those things that can be caused by many different things and there are many mental/physical/normal things that share the same symptoms. example....

in me what you posted was called the flu, a virus, psychosis, hallucinations delusions, anxiety, depression, vertigo stress, sleep deprived.......gosh the list goes on about what my treatment providers called being light headed and feeling floaty....

basically those combinations of symptoms you posted about can be anything in this world and then some depending upon other accompanying symptoms/issues/events/ ...heck even a persons age and location is considered when diagnosing dissociative problems example in a 30-65 year old woman this could turn out to be peri menopause/menopause/post menopause. if someone lives in a high altitude location it could be normal thin air...

my point theres a reason why we cant tell each other whether what they are going through is depersonalization or not here on psych central....because its a very dangerous thing to do to someone else if we happened to tell them it is or isnt depersonalization we could be doing the person wrong or going against their treatment providers...

my suggestion continue going according to what your own treatment providers are telling you. if they are hesitant to label you a diagnosis theres probably a good reason, one of those reasons may or may not be because dissociative disorders dont get labled just by a therapist saying /mentioning it. there is a testing process that needs to be done, some are oral question some are computerized some are meeting with a psychiatrist and talking with that psychiatrist so that what is supposed to be ruled out is and the accurate diagnosis ruled in....

here is what america goes by for what depersonalization is...

Depersonalization/derealization Disorder 300.6 (F48.1)

A the presence of persistant or recurrent experiences of depersonalization, derealization or both:

1. Depersonalization: Experiences of unreality, detachment or being outside observer with respect to ones thoughts, feelings, sensations, body or actions (e.g perceptual alterations, distorted sense of time, unreal or absent self, emotional or physical numbing)

2. Derealization: experiences of unreality or detachment with respect to surroundings (e.g. individuals or objects are experienced as unreal dreamlike, foggy, lifeless or visually distorted)

B. During the depersonalization or derealization experiences, reality testing remains intact.

C. the symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

D. the disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g. a drug of abuse, medication) or other medical condition. (e.g. Seizures)

E. The disturbance is not better explained by another mental disorder such as schizophrenia, panic disorder, major depressive disorder, acute stress disorder, post traumatic stress disorder or other dissociative disorder.

the DSM 5 also goes through the categories of diagnostic features, associated features supporting diagnosis, prevalence, development and course, Risk and Prognosis Factors, Cultural Related Diagnostic issues, Functional consequences of depersonalization/derealization disorder, differential diagnosis, and comorbidity.

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Another suggestion...it is ok to ask your treatment provider for the diagnostic psychiatric evaluation that will answer whether or not what you are going through is depersonalization. if this continues to bother you maybe you can ask for that.

Thanks I guess I should have worded it differently. I'm not looking for somebody to tell me if what I have is depersonalization... If they did that would be like them diagnosing me but that's not what I'm looking for as I know it's inappropriate for this board. What I was really after was to see if my symptoms sounded familiar to anybody with depersonalization.

I appreciate the info to provided. I do plan to talk to my provider about it, I was just curious to know if others experience what I do.

Either way I don't think I explained myself well enough in the first post. Reading it again I see where it comes across differently and I can also see how I described my symptoms incorrectly.

Thanks to those who replied.

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