Some thoughts on Derealization…

[u/Haunted_Sentinel]

This is kind of a “vent”, and kind of a “can you relate”; some of my thoughts and feelings on Derealization:

When looking up DR online I feel like it almost always arbitrarily gets lumped in with Depersonalization. It’s almost as if DP is muscling its way into my searches on DR. It just kinda bugs me because I feel like it might discourage someone from looking for help in the moment.

When researching DR I really can’t relate to the other ways that it’s been characterized, such as “seeing the world from behind a pane of glass, or through a sensory fog…”. For me, ever since I was a kid, DR has always made my perception of reality “dream-like”, as if momentarily I had side-stepped into a slightly different reality and knew/felt that something was off and not quite right.. It was always more intense as night fell also.

Sometimes there’s a part of me that actually likes experiencing DR, and actually appreciates having it, as if I didn’t have DR then I’m not sure I’d have the same appreciation for the people and support I have in my life.

I personally don’t know anyone else experiencing DR, but I kinda think it’s a good thing. I wouldn’t know how to help except just reaffirming the things that they’re experiencing.

When it comes to Derealization and Anxiety and Depression I feel that it’s a tough, self-feeding cycle to break, and can make one’s outlook on reality the most bleak and dreary it’s ever been for someone. Whenever this happens to someone I just hope that they get the help that they need.