Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Coping and support
While depersonalization can be frightening, it isn't necessarily harmful. Realizing that you don't have some major neurological problem or serious mental illness can be very reassuring, and may help you cope with depersonalization.
- Read about the condition. A number of books are available that discuss why depersonalization occurs and how to cope with it.
- Join a support group. Websites and local support groups can help you recognize you aren't alone and learn what helps others.
- Practice specific therapy techniques. Counseling for depersonalization may involve practicing certain techniques to help resolve feelings of depersonalization on a daily basis. Two such techniques include cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy.
References
- Depersonalization disorder. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed May 2, 2011.
- Simeon D. Depersonalization disorder: A contemporary overview. CNS Drugs. 2004;18:343.
- Hunter ECM, et al. The epidemiology of depersonalization and derealisation. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 2004;39:9.
- Kihlstrom J, et al. Dissociative disorders. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. 2005;1:227.
Find Mayo Clinic on