depersonalization

depersonalization /de·per·son·al·iza·tion/ (de-per″sun-al-ĭ-za´shun) alteration in the perception of self so that the usual sense of one's own reality is temporarily lost or changed; it may be a manifestation of a neurosis or another mental disorder or can occur in mild form in normal persons.

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de·per·son·al·i·za·tion (d-pûrs-n-l-zshn)

n.

A state in which the normal sense of personal identity and reality is lost, characterized by feelings that one's actions and speech cannot be controlled.

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Depersonalization

A dissociative symptom in which the patient feels that his or her body is unreal, is changing, or is dissolving.

Mentioned in: Acute Stress Disorder, Dissociative Disorders, Multiple Personality Disorder

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depersonalization

[dēpur′sənəlīzā′shən]

Etymology: L, de + persona, mask

a feeling of strangeness or unreality concerning oneself or the environment, often resulting from anxiety, stress, or fatigue. Also called self- alienation. See also alienation, depersonalization disorder.

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depersonalization [de-per″sun-al-ĭ-za´shun]

alteration in the perception of the self so that the usual sense of one's own reality is lost, manifested in a sense of unreality or self-estrangement, in changes of body image, or in a feeling that one does not control one's own actions and speech; seen in disorders such as depersonalization disorder (see also dissociative disorders), depression, hypochondriasis, temporal lobe epilepsy, schizophrenia, and schizotypal personality disorder. Some authorities do not draw a distinction between this concept and derealization, and use the term depersonalization to include both.

depersonalization disorder a dissociative disorder in which there are feelings of unreality and strangeness in one's perception of self or of one's body image. Individuals with this disorder may feel as though they are in a dream or are not totally in control of their actions. Episodes of depersonalization are usually accompanied by dizziness, anxiety, fears of going insane, and derealization.

Depersonalization as an isolated event occurs in many people without significantly affecting their functioning; it is considered a disorder only when it impairs the patient's daily activities, when it is not associated with some other mental disorder, and when the patient's perception of reality remains intact.

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depersonalization

Psychiatry A sense of unreality or strangeness vis-á-vis the environment and/or self; a personality disorder in which the Pt thinks that either he or those in his environment have been changed into other people or life-forms; depersonalization classically occurs in schizophrenia, but may also occur in hysteria, depression, drug-induced states, temporal lobe epilepsy, and fatigue. See Derealization, Neurosis. Cf Dehumanization.

Depersonalization disorder–

A  Persistent or recurrent sensation of detachment from one's own body, as if in a dream

B  During the depersonalization experience, the subject's reality testing remains intact

C  The depersonalization results in significant distress or impairment of social, occupational, other function

D  The experience does not occur exclusively during the course of another mental disorder

DSM-IV™, American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC, 1994