You feel that your body is not yours, that you see it from the outside. You know that what is happening to you is real, but it is not what you feel. It feels like you’ve had 10 beers and your body and mind are floating without any control on your part. All these terrifying situations are classics among the testimonies of people with depersonalization disorder. Essentially, it is a mental disorder that makes the patient feel that what is happening to him is unreal. They see themselves from the outside, as if they were a different person.
The origin of this disorder was and ultimately remains a mystery. However, as explained in the article for Talk psychologist Emma Sernisfrom the University of Birmingham, the origins may actually be much simpler than we thought. And in fact, the psychologist explains, depersonalization disorder is more likely the result of a pronounced hypervigilance.
The characteristic symptoms of depersonalization are quite common in all people, especially when we experience stress or anxiety. In a sense this is natural mechanism human being. If we don’t pay attention to it, symptoms sometimes go unnoticed by us. However, people with depersonalization disorder are so frightened by these experiences that they experience extreme stress, which in turn causes even more unpleasant experiences. This appears to be the cause of a disorder that can actually be solved, or at least cured, by improving communication skills.
We don’t have words for depersonalization
In her article, Chernis explains that one of the big problems with depersonalization is that we don’t have words to define it. When people suffering from this disease come for consultation, they often do not know how to clearly explain what is happening to them. They only manage to say that they see themselves from the outside and feel that what is happening to them is unreal. In fact, if we think about it, it is a feeling that we may have experienced at one time or another. But we couldn’t describe it.
Its origin may be similar to that of deja vu. Our brain generates for us a memory of something happening, as if we had already experienced it. But this is not a real memory. In this case, the experience itself seems unreal. deja vu They have been studied so deeply that we all know what they are and we have no problem describing them when we experience them. On the other hand, with depersonalization the same does not happen. It is not well studied and therefore the population does not know how to detect it when it happens to them.
In fact, Chernis recalls that the only time in our recent history that we all spoke openly about this feeling of unreality was COVID pandemic. We all felt like we were living in a sci-fi movie as we went shopping, avoiding other people and clinging to masks. Then we talked about it on our first Zoom call with friends or family. It’s happened to all of us and we’ve had the words to express it, but it’s not always that easy.
What can be done?
A psychologist from the University of Birmingham insists it is important to spread awareness of depersonalization both within and outside the community. medical workers. He explains that there are often patients who go through multiple specialists without any real explanation of what is happening to them. Others even stop telling what is happening to them because they think that anyway they won’t find a solution. This is why disclosure is so important. Because, firstly, the feeling that they are not alone and that what is happening to them is much more common than they think, can be the first step to feeling better.
We’ve all felt this experience at some point. If we don’t hold on to emotions, they may not harm us. On the other hand, if we cling to it, it can become increasingly repetitive, affecting our work, our family relationships, and even our memory and ability to concentrate.
In any case, disclosing information to the public is not everything. It is also important to continue research into the brain origins of depersonalization. This should be known at least as well as deja vu. Once we have an idea of its origin and, above all, words to define it, everything will become much easier for those who suffer from it. And you? Have you ever felt that what is happening to you is unreal?
Source: Hiper Textual
