What Is Depersonalization-Derealization And How To Control It

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JAKARTA - “This doesn't feel real anymore.” Maybe that statement echoes an experience you've had recently that feels surreal? For many, these "unreal" experiences have become even more productive during 2020 with the sudden changes the pandemic has brought.

When experiencing stress, a person may feel their perception of reality suddenly turning into something foreign. They may also feel disconnected from their sense of "self." Life sometimes brings with events that have an impact on reality, such as the sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one, dealing with a particularly frightening situation, or being confronted by an inappropriate event that is stressful.

These are all emotional responses to situations that can have a destabilizing effect on one's self and perception, resulting in depersonalization and derealization experiences. Depersonalization and derealization are complex reactions that were once considered distinct disorders until 2013 when the American Psychiatric Association consolidated them as depersonalization-derealization disorder or DP/DR.

Launching Psychology Today, Tuesday, January 25, here are the symptoms of depersonalization.

Feel like an outside observer to your experience, away from the body, as if "floating above yourself." Feeling as if your body is being distorted excessively. Physical or emotional numbness in response to your surroundings.

While the symptoms of derealization, can be felt if;

Unlike the "out of the body" experience of depersonalization, derealization may feel more like "alienated" or unfamiliar with one's own environment. The environment becomes distorted, blurry, artificial, or has a "dream-like" effect. Distortions in time, distance, and sound are common.

According to researchers Schlax et al. (2020), many of the symptoms of DP/DR are caused by a disturbance in the ability to regulate one's own emotions. Most often, passing feelings of depersonalization and derealization are common. About 50% of people have had at least one such experience in their life. However, when these feelings persist, this is a good time to seek help from a healthcare professional.

DP/DR Treatment

In the field of mental health, psychotherapy is considered as one of the main options in treating DP/DR. Psychotherapy offers clients the opportunity to unburden themselves by sharing experiences. This method can be useful for someone experiencing DP/DR by helping them understand their experience and understand things.

Modifying Feelings

When the symptoms of DP/DR begin, immediately use some basic principles to stay aware, calm, and reorient yourself.

Try singing

You may know the Om chant used by Monks in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Vocal singing exercises can be used to stimulate the vagus nerve. The sound of gliding vocals can be felt throughout the body and is a good distraction for both mind and body.

Listening to music

Music can be a suitable underlying mechanism because music has been shown to reduce stress-inducing cortisol levels.

Read a book

In a study at the University of Sussex, participants who read for six minutes showed a lower heart rate and reduced stress. Reading fiction involves

Journal writing

Once you've set the intensity of the moment, find time to record your experience as another powerful symbolic way to process your feelings.