Derealization is a dissociative symptom associated with mental illness and neurological disorders. Patients feel detached from their surroundings, which can be disturbing. Techniques such as stress management, psychotherapy, and medical treatment can help address the underlying condition. It is common and expected with many conditions and does not mean a patient is losing control of reality.
Derealization is a dissociative symptom associated with some forms of mental illness and neurological disorders. When a patient experiences this symptom, he feels removed from his surroundings. This isn’t dangerous or harmful, but it can be disturbing. A number of techniques can be used to address this symptom, ranging from stress management techniques used while it is occurring to help a patient stay calm to psychotherapy or medical treatment to address the underlying disorder that is leading to the sense of distance .
This symptom is closely related to depersonalization, where people feel alienated from themselves. Someone experiencing derealization may feel as if their surroundings are fake or staged, or experience deja vu in a place they have never been. People can also experience jamais vu, where a familiar place feels totally weird. Objects may seem distant, flattened, or confusing, and the patient often has difficulty articulating the experience, which can make it difficult to identify when a patient is trying to communicate with a doctor or therapist.
A number of psychological conditions, including anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and simple sleep deprivation, have been linked to derealization. People with certain types of brain injuries and progressive neurological diseases can also have this symptom. They may also feel dizzy, confused, or nauseous, or they may experience it alone.
As patients begin to feel a sense of detachment, they can use stress management techniques to combat feelings of stress and discomfort. Some patients find it helps to breathe deeply, close their eyes, lie down, or talk to another person in the room, and individual techniques can be developed by a patient and a therapist together to manage the problem as it arises. Psychotherapy or treatment for neurological disorders can help patients address the underlying condition leading to derealization, which will reduce the incidence of this symptom.
Patients should be aware that this symptom is very common and indeed expected with many conditions. Having this experience does not mean that a patient is losing control of reality, or that their condition is getting worse. Some find it helpful to talk to other patients who are experiencing this symptom so they can compare management techniques and get used to the idea that it is very common and normal for them to experience temporary perceptual disturbances.
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