Depersonalization - what is it? Causes, symptoms, treatment of depersonalization

Depersonalization - this is one of the mental diseases, which is characterized by a violation of an adequate perception of yourself, your body and the whole surrounding space.

Depersonalization - what is it? This question has been asked for many years by experts in the field of mental health. Patients with this syndrome are not violent and do not cause special hassle to others. To reveal such person in crowd will be able unless the skilled psychiatrist. As a rule, the depersonalization of a person does not manifest itself too violently and, with its minimal symptoms, allows the patient to exist more or less tolerably in the surrounding world.

Depersonalization is a symptom or an individual disease?

Scientists around the world still can not come to an unambiguous conclusion about how this pathology should be treated. In the International Classification of Diseases depersonalization has long occupied a separate line, but not all psychiatrists agree with this. The fact is that this condition is very often found in other mental illnesses - for example, in schizophrenia or in the development of some anxiety disorders. Does this mean that depersonalization should not be considered an independent disease? The specialists could not find an answer to this difficult question to this day.

Who is in danger?

Most often, depersonalization syndrome occurs in young people. According to statistics, women suffer from this disease more often than men. It is proved that in different moments of his life perfectly healthy people can experience this condition. At the same time, only a small part of all potential patients seek help. That is why it is not possible to obtain reliable statistical data on this syndrome.

Psychiatrists note that more than 80% of all patients ever hospitalized have, to varying degrees, signs of depersonalization. However, in a severe form, this condition, fortunately, is extremely rare.

How does depersonalization develop? What it is?

At the moment, experts can not identify the factors that are guaranteed to lead to a problem. It is believed that a change in one's own perceptions may be due to the following reasons:

• Severe shock, severe stress;
• Long-term depression;
• Physical trauma leading to changes in mental status;
• Some psychiatric diseases (schizophrenia, manic syndrome and others).

Psychologists note that depersonalization can be caused by some complicated situation that requires immediate resolution and the strain of all forces. In a simple way, the body tries to protect itself and builds a protective wall in the form of a modified perception of reality. Typically, such violations are of a short-term nature and do not require special treatment.

Excessive use of alcohol or taking drugs can also lead to the development of a state such as the depersonalization-derealization syndrome. Especially this development is characteristic of the use of marijuana. In this case, the process can be reversed only with the timely access to specialists and the refusal of intoxicating substances.

Symptoms of depersonalization

How does this insidious disease manifest itself? What can you expect if the doctor showed up in the card "depersonalization"? Symptoms of this pathology are very diverse. The most important thing that is worth remembering - in the state of derealization, a person is not able to adequately perceive himself and the space around. It seems that everything has remained the same, and all the same thoughts are rotating in my head as before. That only changes the feelings associated with the world. For a person it does not matter what is going on around him - he is sure that the outside world has nothing to do with him.

The habitual behavior of the patient changes. There is anxiety associated with a misunderstanding of what is happening. A person feels himself crushed, insignificant and unable to control the surrounding reality. Many people tell how they see themselves as if from outside, what inconceivable feelings they experience at the same time. His own body ceases to seem so, and everything that happens to him, the patient is no longer concerned.

A lot of amazing discoveries are preparing a person for depersonalization. Symptoms include also refusal to eat or satisfy physiological needs. Why, if the body is still someone else's? For the same reason, the patient does not feel a feeling of hunger, or the joy of delicious food. The memory is broken, the reality is perceived as if through a thick glass, without loud sounds and bright colors. The course of time slows down, the ability to navigate in the surrounding space is impaired. Habitual objects cease to be so, acquiring unknown features.

With the further development of the pathological process, a person completely loses touch with reality. Disappear old hobbies and interests, friends are forgotten, the desire to create something constructive, to create and develop disappears. This state is called depersonalization of activities. Close people are surprised to notice how their well-known friend and relative becomes a completely different person. With his indifference, such a patient completely discourages the desire to establish contact with him.

It is worth noting the fact that even in the state of derealization, a person completely preserves the criticality of thinking. Perhaps, this is the most amazing symptom that provides depersonalization. What it is? Why is this happening to me? Similar questions are asked by each patient, and this is what ultimately pushes him to see a specialist.

Options for the development of the disease

The syndrome of depersonalization occurs in three forms. Each of the options has its own characteristics.

The first case is autopsychic depersonalization. What it is? In this state there is an alienation of the whole body entirely or of some of its individual parts. Violated motor activity, changes gestures and facial expressions, new patterns of behavior appear. It seems to the patient that he is dreaming to himself, and everything that is happening now does not depend on him.

The second option is somatopsychic depersonalization or a change in the body scheme. Thus the person can feel itself outside of the organism or simultaneously in two different places.

In the case of allopsychic depersonalization, the perception of the surrounding reality changes. All things, according to the patient, are not in their places, people seem not to be cyborgs, or aliens from another galaxy. As a rule, the sense of time is disturbed in this state, a person can not orient himself even with the help of a clock and a calendar.

Diagnostics

First of all, a patient with a changed consciousness should get to see a psychiatrist. It is this expert who will be able to evaluate all the symptoms in a complex and draw the right conclusions. In clinical practice, it is customary to make a diagnosis based on a certain set of symptoms.

• Preservation of criticality of thinking - a person's realization that things are not right with him;
• Complaints about the alienation of one's own body or its individual parts;
• A sense of the unreality of the surrounding world, the inability to know the terrain and navigate through time;
• Absence of twilight episodes during illness.

Depersonalization and derealization are characterized by a combination of all these symptoms. If any manifestations of the disease are not found in the patient, an additional examination is required to clarify the diagnosis. As a rule, communication with the doctor in this case continues in a hospital.

Differential diagnosis

Considering the fact that the complaints of the patient in the state of derealization are rather fuzzy and not too specific, cases of incorrect diagnosis are not excluded. Most often this condition is confused with schizophrenia. In fact, these two pathologies have significant differences. In schizophrenia, the symptoms are the same, repeated from day to day without much change. In the case of depersonalization, complaints will be numerous and very diverse, varying from case to case.

Treatment

The best for the patient will be the option, when it is possible to clearly identify the factor that caused depersonalization. Treatment in this case will be directed primarily at eliminating the cause. With the combination of derealization with other mental disorders it makes sense first of all to take care of the remission of the underlying disease. In the event that the perceptions of the surrounding world are caused by depression, the doctor will prescribe special medications, and also recommend a session of psychotherapy.

When poisoning with alcohol or other narcotic substances, it will be expedient to use powerful antidotes and carry out detoxification therapy in a hospital. If endocrine pathology is revealed, psychiatrists send the patient to a consultation with the right specialist for the selection of adequate hormonal treatment. In mild cases, you can limit yourself to hypnosis and psychotherapy sessions, as well as other rehabilitation activities.

It is important to know that depersonalization, whose treatment has not been performed on time, can significantly worsen the quality of life of the patient. That is why it is so important, at the appearance of the slightest symptoms, to contact an experienced doctor for qualified help.

Prevention

No special methods for preventing the disease have been developed so far. Psychiatrists recommend that you exclude any disturbances and stresses, take care of yourself and do not bring your body to utmost fatigue. Healthy sleep, proper nutrition and minimal physical activity will also help to cope with the symptoms of the approaching illness.