{"id":2711,"date":"2026-10-28T14:46:50","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T13:46:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/?p=2711"},"modified":"2026-10-28T15:40:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T14:40:21","slug":"despersonalization-and-derealization-symptoms-and-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/despersonalizacion-y-desrealizacion-sintomas-y-tratamiento\/","title":{"rendered":"Despersonalization and derealization: when you don't feel like you're part of your own life anymore"},"content":{"rendered":"

In short:<\/strong> the de-personalization<\/strong> (feeling that you are being watched from outside) and the de-realization<\/strong> (feeling the environment strange or unreal) are dissociative experiences that are frightening, but they do not mean that you have lost contact with reality. Fear and constant vigilance often keep them in check. With proper evaluation and therapy, you can understand what is happening, reduce anxiety, and feel more present.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u00abI know that I am here, that this is my home and I recognize the people around me. But sometimes I feel as if I am watching my life from outside. It\u2019s as if something separates me from everything, even myself, as if I see what is happening from outside as an observer.\u00bb.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

There are people who come to the consultation trying to explain a feeling that is difficult to describe. They don't always know how to put a name to it. They say they feel strange, that the world seems different, that they act automatically, or that they have stopped feeling connected to their emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some say they look in the mirror and, although they recognize their own face, they feel it strange. Others describe the feeling of being inside a film, of walking down a familiar street and perceiving it as if they had never been there, or of conversing with a loved one without feeling the usual emotional closeness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often, what scares them the most isn\u2019t just the sensation itself, but not understanding what\u2019s happening to them: \u00abWhat if I\u2019m going crazy?\u00bb \u00abWhat if I stay like this forever?\u00bb \u00abWhy do I know that everything is real, but I can\u2019t feel it like before?\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To understand these experiences, it is important to explore not only the symptoms but also the circumstances in which they appear, the meaning that the person attributes to them, and the way in which they try to cope with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The case: \u00abIt's like I'm living in automatic mode\u00bb<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Imagine Daniel, a 32-year-old man who comes to see a doctor because he has been feeling disconnected from himself and his surroundings for several months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a period of accumulated stress, he began to experience episodes in which the streets, people, and familiar places seemed strange to him. Sometimes he felt as if he were observing his own life from outside, although he knew where he was and recognized perfectly the people around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, these sensations appeared sporadically. However, he began to worry about them and constantly check to see if he had regained normal consciousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she noticed that she was still feeling strange, her anxiety increased. She had stopped enjoying some activities and was paying more and more attention to her internal sensations, fearing that they were a sign that something serious was happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel not only wanted to stop experiencing those sensations. He wanted to understand what was happening to him and regain the confidence to live his day-to-day life without constantly being on guard for himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This case is fictional and is used for informational purposes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. What are depersonalization and depersonalization?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despersonalization and de-realization are dissociative experiences<\/a> which can appear temporarily or recurrently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The de-personalization<\/strong> It consists of experiencing a sense of distance from one\u2019s own body, thoughts, emotions, or actions. The person may say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n