We explore the various causes and triggers of depersonalization and derealization in this article.
There are two kinds of people with depersonalization (DP): those who know how they became depersonalized and those who don’t have a clear idea of why.
Even someone who knows how they became depersonalized cannot know the exact cause. For example, if you became depersonalized after consuming marijuana and having a panic attack, you might be confused about whether it was the weed that caused the DP or if that was just a trigger and there were some underlying issues you might have had that the weed brought out.
Let’s delve in and see what could be the various causes and triggers that may invoke depersonalization and derealization. Knowing how your DP/DR came about might help you tackle it in the present and even be able to prevent it in the future.
1) DP/DR from a Panic Attack After Smoking Weed/Marijuana
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Developing depersonalization from an adverse reaction to weed seems to be a common trigger for a lot of people, especially young adults.
I’d like to say that it’s probably not the weed itself that causes the depersonalization. If that were the case, then anyone smoking pot should experience DP. What’s more of a possibility is that the weed might have acted as a trigger for some underlying anxiety or worries to bubble up.
When people try to fight or repress whatever emotions that might come up after smoking or consuming marijuana, then it’s going to create a sense of panic. This is because you can’t really control the effects of weed once you consume it. These emotions and feelings are going to bubble up whether you like it or not.
The best approach in such cases is to just surrender to the experience and have a friend or a family member be there for support until the effects have dissipated. But many young people who consume weed are not aware of how to handle a distressing drug experience. Parents and communities need to be properly aware of how to navigate adverse reactions after smoking or consuming pot.
2) From an Extended Period of Stress & Anxiety
Stress plays a crucial role in the development of anxiety and depersonalization. For those that are not familiar with this connection, stress brings about a change in the levels of two hormones in your bloodstream: adrenaline and cortisol.
The alteration in levels of these two hormones can result in us feeling anxious, dreadful, and sometimes even overwhelmed. Our bodies and minds might erect a barrier to prevent us from breaking down. This barrier is what is experienced as depersonalization.
When we get depersonalized, we are cut off from emotions that can overwhelm us. But on the other hand, the effect of depersonalization itself can be scary and unpleasant. Hence, once you become depersonalized, the fear of depersonalization itself creates more stress and sustains the DP.
3) Moving to a New City or Country
Any change in the external environment can trigger our built-in stress response. Depersonalization is part of that stress response that our bodies and minds employ to be able to function in this world.
When we move to a new city or country, this can present us with a big challenge. We may have to adapt to a new culture or local customs, learn a new language, try to find friends, and form new relationships.
All of this can be exciting, but also taxing to a person.
Sometimes, we may not even be aware of how such a change is affecting us. We can be unconscious of our distress until it starts showing up as anxiety and various other symptoms. Such unconscious distress can also show up in our dreams. For example, we may long to go back home in our dreams or wake up from frightening nightmares. It’s not uncommon for such drastic change to trigger depersonalization and derealization.
4) Trauma in Childhood or Formative Years
Psychological trauma is a kind of damage that happens to one’s mind and sense of self. This kind of damage is especially common in childhood when we are the most vulnerable, but it is also possible to develop trauma in adulthood from a severely distressing event.
Common causes for developing trauma in childhood are physical and sexual abuse. When our caregivers are emotionally callous with us, then it’s possible to develop trauma from that as well.
The body and mind dissociate so that a person can function in such high-stress environments. Depersonalization and derealization may happen as a way of preventing such a breakdown. We may feel cut off from our negative emotions, so we don’t get overwhelmed. But as a result, we get cut off from positive emotions, like love and happiness, as well. We may become emotionless and numb and the world might feel unreal. We lose our sense of self and may feel like a lost soul wandering the planet.
5) Genetic or Biological Causes
At the moment, it is not clear whether certain people are genetically predisposed to developing depersonalization in life. So, without any concrete evidence, we can only speculate.
It may be possible that there exists a gene (or lack of one) that can bring about effects of depersonalization as a person develops. Also, it could be that the effect of one’s environment can trigger the expression of a certain gene to produce the effects of depersonalization. Had this person never been in such an environment, the gene would not have been able to express itself at all.
I have to remind you that all of this is just hypotheses and the jury is still out regarding genetic or biological causes for depersonalization.
6) Extreme Dieting or Fasting Procedures That Can Affect One’s Mental Health
Anything done on an extreme scale can put our internal system under a lot of duress. Practices such as fasting or trying a radical new diet can create stress that the body and mind may not be able to cope with.
This is especially true when the body relies on nourishment to combat stress. When that nourishment is withheld, then the body may not be able to put up its normal defense against stress.
7) Overworking and Exhaustion
If you are a chronic workaholic, then your stress levels may have been steadily going up without you even realizing it. We all know of the case where a frog is placed in a bowl of water that’s being heated. The frog does not even realize that the water is getting hotter by the moment until it’s too late.
The body needs rest and rejuvenation to function properly. This includes taking occasional breaks from work and having healthy routines to decompress.
It may be fine to load up on extra work for about a week or more. We all are totally capable of handling that kind of short-lived stress. But it becomes a problem when working to the point of exhaustion is the norm every day.
8) Not Getting Enough Sleep
Something that goes with overworking and exhaustion is lack of enough sleep. According to the latest research, we require about 7.5 – 8 hours of sleep. Some people may be able to get away with a few minutes less than that.
Chronically depriving yourself of much-needed rest can alter the levels of adrenaline and cortisol in your system. This results in you feeling exhausted and tired all the time, which is an indication that the body is requiring sleep and rest.
Sleep deprivation has become an epidemic in our society these days, especially with the invention of smartphones and endless entertainment that is readily available. It’s not uncommon to find people glued to watching videos or binging on entire seasons of TV shows until the wee hours of the morning.
It’s best to sync up your sleep according to the rhythms of the day and night. Try going to sleep early in the night and wake up with the rising sun.
9) Encounters with Death, Such as a Close Call, Accident, or Death of a Loved One
We do not really like to talk or think about our impending death. But ours is the only species that is keenly aware of the limited time we have on this planet. Such deep fears about death are usually relegated to our unconscious, but they can sometimes surface if one has recently lost a close friend or relative, or has a close call or brush with death.
The mind becomes so preoccupied with thinking about death that it then starts to fear for its survival. In survival mode, we start to worry about all the things that could go wrong at any given moment. We may keep checking our heartbeat and our breathing. We get caught up in a lot of scary fear thoughts.
We are not used to this kind of obsessive focus on ourselves. When we are healthy, our focus shifts between our self and the outside world. But in survival mode, we become mired in excessive negative rumination about ourselves.
It’s no wonder we can feel detached from everything when this happens.
10) Spiritual Emergencies or Spontaneous DP/DR
A spiritual emergency, also called a spiritual crisis, is a phenomenon where a person experiences a breakdown in their identity and meaning-making mechanism because of a spiritual experience.
The human experience is vast and not completely understood. We do not really know why we are here or where it all came from. We also don’t really know if human experience is dictated only by what we can see and measure or whether there may be forces beyond the known universe that may play a part in our development.
When someone experiences a spiritual crisis, they may feel cut off from the rest of the world. This could manifest as a form of DP/DR, where people experience life as if there’s a thin veil between themselves and the rest of the world. They may start to lose interest in mundane activities, like going to work or engaging in water cooler conversations (small-talk).
Spiritual emergencies can be especially distressing to people who have never had any interest in spirituality or philosophy. Suddenly, they may find themselves thinking about the nature of reality, God, time, space, death, the concept of evil, and existence itself. This may start to interfere with their everyday life.
One may enter into what is known in theological circles as the “dark night of the soul.” This experience can bring about profound change to one’s thoughts and personality.
Usually, a spiritual crisis resolves itself over time as the person grows into their newly emerging self. But they can benefit from consulting a trained psychotherapist or working with a legitimate guru who may be able to help them by providing support and guidance during this time of their life.
See also Kundalini Syndrome.
11) Experience with Powerful Psychedelics, Such as LSD, Ketamine, Mdma, Magic Mushrooms
Psychedelics also have the power to trigger spiritual emergencies. Such chemicals are powerful and proper care and caution must be taken before indulging in them. If you experience DP/DR after consuming such compounds, it’s best to work with a counselor or find an integration circle or group to achieve balance and grounding that you will need.
12) Long Hours of Meditation
Meditation is a practice of intense concentration and stillness. It teaches us to go inward. While there’s a growing body of evidence that suggests the benefits of meditation for laypeople, these practices also have the potential to trigger a spiritual crisis and accompanying depersonalization and derealization, especially if the practice is long and consistent.
People who come out of a week-long meditation retreat have reported feeling depersonalized and derealized.
I hope this article provides you with an idea of the various triggers and causes for depersonalization and derealization disorder. I’ve tried to accommodate the most common causes and triggers that I’ve come across, but this is by no means an exhaustive list.
If you are experiencing DP/DR currently, then rest assured that your body is just having a normal reaction to stress or trauma. The cure starts with accepting these feelings and sensations.
Recovery from DP/DR is not a complicated process. In fact, as outlined in my DP/DR recovery course, anyone can recover from DP/DR. It just requires some effort and willingness to experience temporary discomfort to achieve permanent recovery.
Please leave a comment below letting me know about the underlying cause or trigger of your depersonalization or derealization, whether it’s listed here or not. I’m curious to know about it. You may also be helping someone else out who is reading this article by adding your input.
Image Credits:
All images from Pixabay and Unsplash.
I currently feel like nothing is real and it’s really scary. I was just really sick and I’m wondering if that could play a part in it? I’m also wondering how long it’s supposed to last? I’ve never done drugs either.
This article was really good. I started to have DP/DR when I was 16. I am now 52 and still have it 24/7. It only left for 5 min once when I was having the time of my life just a few months after it started.
Many things were going on in my life when it started. I was stressed out as a teenager first learning about all the awful things that happen in the world. I was also getting these strange dizzy spells with tingles go up my neck and head. Had lots of headaches. Then my first true love broke up with me. I was devastated and no one understood. I was definitely clinically depressed.
Then on top of all of that I smoked some pot by myself at home. I never did this. I had a terrifying psychedelic experience. Heart racing and hallucinating. I had to go to my mom. The next day I felt a little off but managed ok.
I am not sure of the timing, if it was days or weeks later, but I had one of my dizzy spells and the DP/DR overcame me all at once. I thought someone had drugged me. I drove home and looked in the mirror and there was a strange detachment from the image. Unreal, like watching a TV show. Tinnitus began with this as well as the grainy vision. And a feeling of my head feeling huge. I was terrified.
A few days later at school I had my first panic attack. My mom came and took me to the hospital. Back in the 80’s no one knew about panic attacks. They shot me up with a tranquilizer and told me I was hyperventilating. I did not return to school for over a month. Panic attacks were often, and I developed agrophobia. Dr’s could not figure out what it was. A psychiatrist said I had dissasociation.
Slowly with the support of Librium and the psychiatrist and my parents I worked up to a full day of school. Gradually adapting to the DP/DR but always with the threat of anxiety and panic attacks over my shoulder.
Over the decades I have looked at all the theories of what it was. Been to multiple doctors, therapists, and spiritual teachers, and it still persists. I even lived in India at an ashram on and off for 5 years. My teacher said people meditate for lifetimes to achieve this!
I have noticed that at times I am more prone to anxiety and overwhelm of it. Other times I am steady and very accepting.
Right now is extremely hard, going towards menopause, I just moved, my cat died, my father died, and my brother died. All in the last 9 months.
Coping with the DP/DR is hard enough… but add in all of this!
One thing to note, my brother also had DP/DR after doing drugs. His lasted his whole life too. So maybe there is a genetic component.
I really don’t know the ultimate cause of the DP/DR. I know that I really miss feeling real and normal, and miss feeling anxiety and fear free. But at 30+ years of this…I had to just adapt.
Thanks!
CM
I started feeling like I was watching everything in life unfold before me. Like i was just watching life from behind my own eyes. Of course, I don’t truly feel like these are my eyes. That I look how I look and sound how I sound. This is terrifying and it doesn’t help that people say they’ve had it all of their life. I 100% relate to everything in this article. It started last year when I had just started smoking and I haven’t felt the same since. I keep doing it because it takes my mind off of the fact that I can’t seem to wrap my head around my own life. It’s probably not healthy because i’m just using it as a loophole, but then again, what else am I supposed to do? Looking at my backyard and seeing the fields seems so fake. It feels like the fields are just a grainy picture and i can’t make myself believe it’s real or that i live here. I’m terrified that i won’t be able to get anything out of life from now on.
I started with DP/DR when I was 16 I am now 74 I have sometimes had really good spells but this one is the most frightening I only have to think of it and the feelings come on.My worst feeling is looking in the mirror also when I look at my husband it panics me the panic is so intense I seem to be afraid of myself .
I have never spoke to anybody only my husband about these feelings because I think I am going mad or the fear will never stop ,never really told a dr I feel so lucky to find your sight because I have never heard of anyone having this type of experience thought had some kind of bad illness
I would really like to get a good psychotherapist so I could maybe talk through it now I know I am not on my own ,but really don’t know who to look for were I live seems only councillors I am really trying at the moment but hope I haven’t had this to long and afraid it won’t go 🙏 thank you for your time Eve 😢
Hi there, try this website. Enter your zipcode and it will show you nearby therapists in dissociative disorders: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/dissociative-disorders
The first time I had derealization was last year when I was 11 I’m now 12 in 2020 it happens when I’m excited or when I was sometimes outside everything felt unrealistic but I know it was all real the cause of it may be dehydration or or flurescent lighting, it starts to go down slowly so I suggest that you have a rest and stay of a device.
I don’t know if this apply to everyone or not but my case were positive enough, especially when reading novels. I didn’t feel panicked because of prior episodes during cannabis use got me familiarized to the experience. Last time that i had derealization for a whole week, it was caused by overworking one week in prior. The silver lining i found is that reading book in this state helps me immerse myself into it more than the usual, which is great!
I hope this can help some of you guys to turn a scary experience into a quite relaxing and productive one.
For my case, it settles down after a week or so.
Hi ,i’m from germany and i have dr/dp from smoking Cannabis. I was getting out of this with Sport and Magnesium.
In that time I realised that I’m unhappy with my relationship. So I left my boyfriend after 10 years of relationship and moved in a New City.
And now the derealization is the hell .
I’m sitting here like ,shit what have i done ?? What are you doing??
But i have the hope ,that it will go away with time and lot of selfcare. But it’s Hard. Sometimes i loose my self and get panic.
My doctor says, that is the stress. I think that too.
I have the feeling ,that the derealization is stopping me from realising the New Situation. And that’s sucks.
I just want feel home again.
Thank you. Thank you for this.
I’d like to say that it’s probably not the weed itself that causes the depersonalization. If that were the case, then anyone smoking pot should experience DP. What’s more of a possibility is that the weed might have acted as a trigger for some underlying anxiety or worries to bubble up.
This Statement is inaccurate ( just stated that pot is a common trigger). That type of thinking would surmise that anyone eating nuts, shellfish, eggs, wheat would have an allergic reaction so it can not be from the food. We all have different systems, genes, metabolisms so what research are you using to say its not the pot? Dr Henry Emmons states that college students often have a psychiatric response to drugs/pot that is permanent. This is based on study and experience with students. Your faulty thinking is a turn off.
Hi Swamy 👋
Good info, thank you!
I think now (June 2023) it has become clear that viruses of various kinds but, overwhelmingly Covid, has been an obvious trigger or cause of sudden onset of DP/DR…!
I am 22 with cptsd and I never experienced depersonalization until yesterday. I had no idea what was going on with me. Throughout the day I was just having 1-2 hour waves of emotional and physical numbness. During these times I felt really unfamiliar with myself. I felt like a completely different person occupying the body of an acquaintance. I had no idea why this could possibly be happening to me so suddenly, but now that I’ve read this I realized my diet, my anxiety, and my existential crisis in the past week were probably triggers of dp that was bound to happen at some point because of childhood trauma. I would like to add though, I feel like my menstrual cycle has something to do with it. It would make a lot of sense
1) Okay so IM 16 RIGHT NOW AND I JUST STARTED HAVING HORRIBLE DEREALIZATION + debilitating anxiety (that’s how i got to this website) and I ALSO used to have dizzy spells. Also a heart condition called SVT, i had Dysautonamia, vasovagal presyncope, high hashimotos antibodies, iron + vitamin B deficiencies, and Adrenal fatigue. I’ve also been stressed out a lot lately. This all started one day at night. It was hours after going in the sauna to the point of heart palpitations, nausea, and nearly fainting. i probably gave myself heat exhaustion. i was lying in bed later that night when my heart beating strange turned into a panic attack. After that, i could barely recognize my surroundings and nothing felt real. I had a few more panic attacks later that night. it felt like i was dying, i can’t event describe it. I think it was associated with my heart.
This has lasted for a few weeks since. I started drinking to deal with it. I got checked into a mental hospital. It went away for four days and then came back.
But you older adults who still have it are scaring the absolute sh*t out of me jesus christ. Is this it? Am i really just stuck like this for the rest of my life. Im also having horrible stomach issues and OCD. However many people with the same symptoms turned out to have underlying thyroid issues or hashimotos and the doctors were never able to figure it out for years and years until they finally saw a holistic doctor. i’m seeing one soon, so i’ll update.
Okay so it was from serotonin syndrome from a mishap with my medication. Now i’m off it and i still feel like this. I’ve been obsessing over the two posts that say they got it at 16 because i still feel this way and the serotonin syndromes subsided. But luckily my doctor told me this could last for 30-60 days because it’s just the neurological after effects of an intense experience for the neurotransmitters in my brain. Basically just your body needs time to reset after brain chemicals go crazy and it does this. This can ansi be caused by the dizziness and disorientation from it. I think that might’ve been what happened for the person in these comments who did pot. Sometimes it just takes longer than other times because i’ve heard of other people who had the same exact experience with drugs and some were able to recover. Apparently if your really scared of it, or think about it all the time you stay in it for longer.