Depersonalization
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Depersonalization
Out of body experience
Feeling detached from self
Feeling detached from reality
Distorted perception of reality
I feel detached from myself
Feeling disconnected from self
I feel like an observer of my own life
Derealization
Depersonalization derealization
Feel like living in a movie or a dream
About the Symptom
Feeling detached from oneself such as they are observing their own life from outside their body. It can be caused by many different medical or psychiatric conditions.
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Do you feel detached from your body or mind, like an outside observer?
Reviewed By:
Charles Carlson, DO, MS (Psychiatry)
Dr. Carlson graduated from Touro University in Nevada with a degree in osteopathic medicine. He then trained as a resident in Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals where he was also a chief resident and completed a fellowship in Public and Community Psychiatry. After training, he started practicing in | Addiction Psychiatry at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs where he also teaches Psychiatry residents.
Yu Shirai, MD (Psychiatry)
Dr. Shirai works at the Yotsuya Yui Clinic for mental health treatment for English and Portuguese-speaking patients. He treats a wide range of patients from neurodevelopmental disorders to dementia in children and participates in knowledge sharing through the Diversity Clinic.
Content updated on Jan 29, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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- Feeling detached/separated from your body or mind, like an outside observer
- I feel detached/separated from your body or mind, like an outside observer
- Feeling like an outside observer of your life (depersonalization)
- Feeling like I am observing my own life
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FAQs
Q.
What Is the Definition of Depersonalization?
A.
Depersonalization is when a person feels like they are watching themselves from the outside, as if they are not really in their own body.
References:
Sierra M, Berrios GE. Depersonalization: neurobiological perspectives. Biol Psychiatry. 1998 Nov 1;44(9):898-908. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3223(98)00015-8. PMID: 9807645.
Hunter EC, Sierra M, David AS. The epidemiology of depersonalisation and derealisation. A systematic review. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2004 Jan;39(1):9-18. doi: 10.1007/s00127-004-0701-4. PMID: 15022041.
Murphy RJ. Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder and Neural Correlates of Trauma-related Pathology: A Critical Review. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2023 Jan-Mar;20(1-3):53-59. PMID: 37122581; PMCID: PMC10132272.
Q.
What Does Depersonalization Feel Like?
A.
Depersonalization feels like you are watching yourself from the outside, as if you are not really part of your own body.
References:
Mula M, Pini S, Preve M, Masini M, Giovannini I, Cassano GB. Clinical correlates of depersonalization symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder. J Affect Disord. 2009 May;115(1-2):252-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2008.08.001. Epub 2008 Sep 11. PMID: 18786726.
Michal M, Beutel ME. Depersonalisation/Derealisation- Krankheitsbild, Diagnostik und Therapie [Depersonalisation/derealization - clinical picture, diagnostics and therapy]. Z Psychosom Med Psychother. 2009;55(2):113-40. German. doi: 10.13109/zptm.2009.55.2.113. PMID: 19402018.
Sutar R, Chaturvedi SK. Symptom profile and diagnostic utility of depersonalization-derealization disorder: A retrospective critical review from India. Indian J Psychiatry. 2020 Jan-Feb;62(1):91-94. doi: 10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_347_19. Epub 2020 Jan 3. PMID: 32001937; PMCID: PMC6964445.
Murphy RJ. Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder and Neural Correlates of Trauma-related Pathology: A Critical Review. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2023 Jan-Mar;20(1-3):53-59. PMID: 37122581; PMCID: PMC10132272.
Q.
Is It Common to Get Depersonalization From Weed?
A.
Some people do feel detached or "numb" after using marijuana because it can change the way your brain works, and these feelings are a type of depersonalization.
References:
Mathew RJ, Wilson WH, Tant SR. Acute changes in cerebral blood flow associated with marijuana smoking. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1989 Feb;79(2):118-28. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1989.tb08579.x. PMID: 2923005.
Mathew RJ, Wilson WH, Humphreys D, Lowe JV, Weithe KE. Depersonalization after marijuana smoking. Biol Psychiatry. 1993 Mar 15;33(6):431-41. doi: 10.1016/0006-3223(93)90171-9. PMID: 8490070.
Hürlimann F, Kupferschmid S, Simon AE. Cannabis-induced depersonalization disorder in adolescence. Neuropsychobiology. 2012;65(3):141-6. doi: 10.1159/000334605. Epub 2012 Feb 25. PMID: 22378193.
Q.
How Can I Stop or Get Rid of Depersonalization?
A.
Treatment for depersonalization usually involves working with a mental health professional through approaches like cognitive-behavioral therapy and sometimes medications, to help you feel more connected to yourself.
References:
Hunter EC, Phillips ML, Chalder T, Sierra M, David AS. Depersonalisation disorder: a cognitive-behavioural conceptualisation. Behav Res Ther. 2003 Dec;41(12):1451-67. doi: 10.1016/s0005-7967(03)00066-4. PMID: 14583413.
Abbas S, Chandra PS, Srivastava M. The use of fluoxetine and buspirone for treatment-refractory depersonalization disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 1995 Oct;56(10):484. PMID: 7559376.
Aliyev NA, Aliyev ZN. Lamotrigine in the immediate treatment of outpatients with depersonalization disorder without psychiatric comorbidity: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2011 Feb;31(1):61-5. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0b013e31820428e1. Retraction in: J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2014 Dec;34(6):671. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0000000000000243. PMID: 21192145.
Somer E, Amos-Williams T, Stein DJ. Evidence-based treatment for Depersonalisation-derealisation Disorder (DPRD). BMC Psychol. 2013 Oct 28;1(1):20. doi: 10.1186/2050-7283-1-20. PMID: 25566370; PMCID: PMC4269982.
Q.
Can Anxiety Cause Depersonalization?
A.
Yes, anxiety can make you feel detached from yourself or the world, a feeling known as depersonalization.
References:
10.1176/ajp.125.8.1048
https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.125.8.1048
Kolev OI, Georgieva-Zhostova SO, Berthoz A. Anxiety changes depersonalization and derealization symptoms in vestibular patients. Behav Neurol. 2014;2014:847054. doi: 10.1155/2014/847054. Epub 2014 Jan 28. PMID: 24803735; PMCID: PMC4006595.
Q.
How Should I Deal with Depersonalization?
A.
Dealing with depersonalization usually means working with a mental health professional to learn coping skills, use therapy like cognitive-behavioral therapy, and sometimes take medications such as SSRIs to help you feel more connected.
References:
Hollander E, Liebowitz MR, DeCaria C, Fairbanks J, Fallon B, Klein DF. Treatment of depersonalization with serotonin reuptake blockers. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 1990 Jun;10(3):200-3. PMID: 2115893.
Simeon D, Guralnik O, Schmeidler J, Knutelska M. Fluoxetine therapy in depersonalisation disorder: randomised controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2004 Jul;185:31-6. doi: 10.1192/bjp.185.1.31. PMID: 15231553.
Sierra M. Depersonalization disorder: pharmacological approaches. Expert Rev Neurother. 2008 Jan;8(1):19-26. doi: 10.1586/14737175.8.1.19. PMID: 18088198.
Gentile JP, Snyder M, Marie Gillig P. STRESS AND TRAUMA: Psychotherapy and Pharmacotherapy for Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2014 Jul;11(7-8):37-41. PMID: 25337444; PMCID: PMC4204471.
Q.
What Are the 4 Stages of Depersonalization?
A.
Some experts describe depersonalization as progressing in four stages—from brief, odd feelings to more lasting disconnect from yourself—but not everyone goes through all these stages in the same way.
References:
Bezzubova EB. Klinicheskie osobennosti étapov formirovaniia depersonalizatsii v podrsotkovo-iunosheskom vozraste [Clinical features of stages in the development of depersonalization in adolescence and young adulthood]. Zh Nevropatol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 1985;85(11):1680-4. Russian. PMID: 4082838.
Baker D, Hunter E, Lawrence E, Medford N, Patel M, Senior C, Sierra M, Lambert MV, Phillips ML, David AS. Depersonalisation disorder: clinical features of 204 cases. Br J Psychiatry. 2003 May;182:428-33. PMID: 12724246.
Mula M, Pini S, Calugi S, Preve M, Masini M, Giovannini I, Conversano C, Rucci P, Cassano GB. Validity and reliability of the Structured Clinical Interview for Depersonalization-Derealization Spectrum (SCI-DER). Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2008 Oct;4(5):977-86. doi: 10.2147/ndt.s3622. PMID: 19183789; PMCID: PMC2626926.
Q.
How Long Does Depersonalization Last?
A.
Depersonalization can last for a few minutes or hours, and for some people, it may go on for days, weeks, or even longer if it becomes a disorder.
References:
Sierra M, Berrios GE. The phenomenological stability of depersonalization: comparing the old with the new. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2001 Sep;189(9):629-36. doi: 10.1097/00005053-200109000-00010. PMID: 11580008.
Simeon D. Depersonalisation disorder: a contemporary overview. CNS Drugs. 2004;18(6):343-54. doi: 10.2165/00023210-200418060-00002. PMID: 15089102.
Medford, N., Sierra, M., Baker, D., & David, A. S. (2005). Understanding and treating depersonalisation disorder. _Advances in psychiatric Treatment_, _11_(2), 92-100.
Murphy RJ. Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder and Neural Correlates of Trauma-related Pathology: A Critical Review. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2023 Jan-Mar;20(1-3):53-59. PMID: 37122581; PMCID: PMC10132272.
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