Depersonalization is one of the mental illnesses, which is characterized by a violation of the adequate perception of oneself, one's body and the entire surrounding space.
Depersonalization - what is it? This question has been asked by mental he alth professionals for many years. Patients with this syndrome are not violent and do not cause much trouble to others. Only an experienced psychiatrist will be able to identify such a person in the crowd. As a rule, personality depersonalization does not manifest itself too violently and, with its minimal symptoms, allows the patient to more or less tolerably exist in the outside world.
Depersonalization - a symptom or a separate disease?
Scientists around the world still cannot come to an unambiguous conclusion on how this pathology should be regarded. 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 as part of other mental illnesses - for example, with schizophrenia or with the development of certain anxiety disorders. Does this mean that depersonalization should not be consideredindependent disease? To this day, experts have not been able to find an answer to this difficult question.
Who is at risk?
Most often, depersonalization syndrome occurs in young people. According to statistics, women suffer from this disease more often than men. It has been proven that perfectly he althy people can experience this condition at different points in their lives. At the same time, only a small part of all potential patients seek help. That is why it is not possible to obtain reliable statistics on this syndrome.
Psychiatrists note that more than 80% of all patients ever hospitalized in a hospital, to one degree or another, have signs of depersonalization. However, in severe form, this condition, fortunately, is extremely rare.
How does depersonalization develop? What is it?
At the moment, experts cannot identify factors that are guaranteed to lead to a problem. It is believed that a change in one's own perception may be due to the following reasons:
- heavy shock, severe stress;
- protracted depression;
- physical trauma leading to changes in mental status;
- certain psychiatric illnesses (schizophrenia, manic syndrome and others).
Psychologists note that depersonalization can be caused by some difficult situation that requires an immediate solution and tension of allforces. In such a simple way, the body tries to protect itself and builds a protective wall in the form of an altered perception of reality. Usually, these disorders are short-lived and do not require special treatment.
Excessive drinking of alcohol or taking drugs can also lead to the development of a condition such as depersonalization-derealization syndrome. This development is especially characteristic of the use of marijuana. In this case, the process can be reversed only with timely access to specialists and the rejection of intoxicants.
Depersonalization symptoms
How does this insidious disease manifest itself? What to expect if the doctor displayed "depersonalization" in the card? The symptoms of this pathology are very diverse. The most important thing to remember is that in a state of derealization, a person is not able to adequately perceive himself and the space around him. It seems that everything has remained the same, and all the same thoughts are spinning in my head as before. That's just changing the sensations associated with the outside world. For a person, it no longer matters what is happening around him - he is sure that the outside world has nothing to do with him.
Patient habitual behavior changes. There is anxiety associated with a misunderstanding of what is happening. A person feels crushed, insignificant and unable to control the surrounding reality. Many people tell how they see themselves as if from the outside, what inexpressible sensations they experience at the same time. own body stopsseem like that, and whatever happens to him is no longer his concern.
Many amazing discoveries are being prepared for a person by depersonalization. Its symptoms also include refusal to eat or satisfy physiological needs. Why, if the body is still someone else's? For the same reason, the patient experiences neither the feeling of hunger nor the joy of delicious food. Memory is disturbed, reality is perceived as if through thick glass, without loud sounds and bright colors. The passage of time slows down, the ability to navigate in the surrounding space is disturbed. Familiar objects cease to be such, acquiring previously unknown features.
With the further development of the pathological process, a person completely loses touch with reality. Former hobbies and interests disappear, friends are forgotten, the desire to create something constructive, to create and develop disappears. This state is called depersonalization of activity. Close people are surprised to notice how their well-known friend and relative becomes a complete stranger. With his indifference, such a patient completely discourages the desire to establish any contact with him.
It is worth noting the fact that even in a state of derealization, a person completely retains critical thinking. Perhaps this is the most surprising symptom that depersonalization provides. What it is? Why is this happening to me? Every patient asks similar questions, and this is what ultimately pushes him to see a specialist.
Development Optionsdiseases
Depersonalization syndrome 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 or some of its individual parts. Motor activity is disturbed, gestures and facial expressions change, new models of behavior appear. It seems to the patient that he is dreaming of himself, and everything that is happening now does not depend on him.
The second option is somatopsychic depersonalization or a change in body schema. In this case, a person can feel himself outside his body or at the same time in two different places.
In the case of allopsychic depersonalization, the perception of the surrounding reality changes. All things, according to the patient, are out of place, people seem to be either cyborgs or aliens from another galaxy. As a rule, in this state, the sense of time is disturbed, a person cannot navigate even with the help of a clock and a calendar.
Diagnosis
First of all, a patient with an altered consciousness must get an appointment with a psychiatrist. It is this specialist 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 signs.
- maintaining critical thinking - a person's awareness that not everything is in order with him;
- complaints about the alienation of one's own body or its individual parts;
- feeling the unreality of the environmentworld, the inability to recognize the area and navigate in time;
- no 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 setting.
Differential diagnosis
Given the fact that the complaints of a patient in a state of derealization are rather vague and not too specific, cases of incorrect diagnosis cannot be ruled out. This condition is often confused with schizophrenia. In fact, these two pathologies have significant differences. With schizophrenia, the symptoms are the same type, repeated from day to day without much change. In the case of depersonalization, the complaints will be numerous and very diverse, changing from case to case.
Treatment
The best option for the patient will be when you can clearly identify the factor that resulted in depersonalization. Treatment in this case will be aimed primarily at eliminating the cause. When derealization is combined with other mental disorders, it makes sense, first of all, to take care of the remission of the underlying disease. If the disturbance in the perception of the surrounding world is caused by depression, the doctor will prescribe special medications, as well as recommend a psychotherapy session.
Whenpoisoning with alcohol or other narcotic substances, it would be advisable to use powerful antidotes and conduct detoxification therapy in a hospital setting. If an endocrine pathology is detected, psychiatrists send the patient for a consultation with the right specialist to select an 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, which is not treated on time, can significantly impair the patient's quality of life. That is why it is so important to contact an experienced doctor for qualified help when the slightest symptoms appear.
Prevention
No special methods to prevent the disease have yet been developed. Psychiatrists recommend to exclude any unrest and stress, take care of yourself and not bring your body to the limit of fatigue. He althy sleep, proper nutrition and minimal physical activity will also help to cope with the symptoms of an oncoming illness.
