Persistent and recurrent episodes of depersonalization or derealization or both cause distress and problems functioning at work or school or in other important areas of your life. During these episodes, you are aware that your sense of detachment is only a feeling and not reality. The experience and feelings of the disorder can be difficult to describe. Worry about "going crazy" can cause you to become preoccupied with checking that you exist and determining what's actually real. Symptoms usually begin in the mid- to late teens or early adulthood. Depersonalization-derealization disorder is rare in children and older adults. Depersonalization symptoms Symptoms of depersonalization include: Feelings that you're an outside observer of your thoughts, feelings, your body or parts of your body — for example, as if you were floating in air above yourself Feeling like a robot or that you're not in control of your speech or movements The sense that your body, legs or arms appear distorted, enlarged or shrunken, or that your head is wrapped in cotton Emotional or physical numbness of your senses or responses to the world around you A sense that your memories lack emotion, and that they may or may not be your own memories  Derealization symptoms Symptoms of derealization include: Feelings of being alienated from or unfamiliar with your surroundings — for example, like you're living in a movie or a dream Feeling emotionally disconnected from people you care about, as if you were separated by a glass wall Surroundings that appear distorted, blurry, colorless, two-dimensional or artificial, or a heightened awareness and clarity of your surroundings Distortions in perception of time, such as recent events feeling like distant past Distortions of distance and the size and shape of objects  Episodes of depersonalization-derealization disorder may last hours, days, weeks or even months at a time. In some people, these episodes turn into ongoing feelings of depersonalization or derealization that may periodically get better or worse.
persistent recurrent episodes depersonalization derealization cause distress problems functioning work school important areas life  episodes  aware sense detachment only feeling reality  experience feelings disorder can difficult describe  worry "going crazy" can cause preoccupied checking exist determining what's actually real  symptoms begin mid- late teens early adulthood  depersonalization-derealization disorder rare children older adults  depersonalization symptoms symptoms depersonalization include: feelings you're observer thoughts  feelings  body parts body — example  floating air feeling like robot you're control speech movements sense body  legs arms distorted  enlarged shrunken  head wrapped cotton emotional physical numbness senses responses world sense memories lack emotion  may may memories  derealization symptoms symptoms derealization include: feelings being alienated unfamiliar surroundings — example  like you're living movie dream feeling emotionally disconnected people care about  separated glass wall surroundings distorted  blurry  colorless  two-dimensional artificial  heightened awareness clarity surroundings distortions perception time  recent events feeling like distant past distortions distance size shape objects  episodes depersonalization-derealization disorder may last hours  days  weeks months time  people  episodes turn ongoing feelings depersonalization derealization may periodically worse
depersonalization derealization disorder