If you’re feeling lost and alone as a result of depersonalization-derealization disorder (DPDR), Dr. Taji Huang offers evidence-based treatment in Glendale, CA. Although this debilitating condition can make your perception of yourself and the world seem disturbing, confusing, or hellish, help is out there.
What Is DPDR?
Depersonalization-derealization disorder is a type of dissociative disorder that can cause you to feel detached from yourself or the world around you. DPDR often occurs in response to trauma, although severe anxiety, a head injury, or substance use can also trigger it.
Symptoms Of Depersonalization
- You feel like a “passenger” in—rather than the “driver” of—your own body.
- Your thoughts, memories, emotions, or physical sensations seem unreal, are hard to identify, or feel like they don’t really belong to you.
- Sometimes, it feels like you’ve left your body or are floating above it.
- You feel like a robot who is “going through the motions” in life.
- Your head feels fuzzy as if it’s wrapped in cotton.
- It feels like you are not in control of your words and actions.
- You experience strange bodily sensations (or even a loss of sensation).
- It’s hard to recognize yourself in the mirror.
- You’ve lost your sense of identity.
Signs Of Derealization
- You feel as if you’re looking at the world through a glass panel, a veil of fog, or some other barrier.
- It feels like you’re living in a dream or movie.
- Reality doesn’t seem real.
- Your sense of time is distorted.
- The world around you looks dull, colorless, distorted, two-dimensional, or cartoonish.
- In contrast, perhaps everything seems brighter, clearer, and more colorful than usual—as if it’s “too vivid to be real.”
- Your size or depth perception is distorted.
You Are Not Alone
Although DPDR can feel extremely isolating since it robs you of your sense of self and reality, it is actually a common mental health condition. Many people experience short episodes of depersonalization or derealization during periods of extreme stress or panic—even if they have not been diagnosed with a dissociative disorder.
Getting Help For DPDR
Whether this is your first time dissociating or you’ve suffered from depersonalization and derealization for years, DPDR can make it feel impossible to live your life. However, help is available for you. With the right treatment, you can learn to manage your symptoms, minimize your distress, and reclaim your life.
Depersonalization & Derealization Therapist In California
With years of experience as a clinical psychologist and trauma-informed therapist, Dr. Taji Huang can help. She can help you piece together a cohesive personal narrative, as well as teach you new skills to cope with the feelings of dissociation or unreality. Contact her Glendale office today to schedule your first appointment.