{"id":539,"date":"2020-11-29T12:37:13","date_gmt":"2020-11-29T12:37:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ftd.cognihealth.in\/?page_id=539"},"modified":"2024-11-01T03:35:22","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T03:35:22","slug":"dissociative-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/neurosymptoms.org\/en\/symptoms\/common-associated-symptoms\/dissociative-symptoms\/","title":{"rendered":"Dissociative Symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What are Dissociative Symptoms – ‘feeling spaced out’?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dissociative symptoms are commonly experienced along with the other FND symptoms described in this website. It can be very useful to identify them and understand them both in terms of understanding the nature of your own symptoms and learning how to regain control of your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dissociative symptoms include :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depersonalisation <\/strong>\u2013 a feeling that your body doesn\u2019t quite belong to you or is disconnected from you<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Derealisation <\/strong>\u2013 a feeling that you are disconnected from the world around you or \u201cspaced out\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a detailed description of dissociative symptoms you can download the article on the right which describes them for a neurology journal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the ways in which people describe depersonalisation and derealisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depersonalisation<\/strong><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Common – ‘I felt…’<\/strong><\/td>Less Common – ‘I felt…’<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
\u2018strange \/ weird\u2019<\/td>\u2018puppet-like\u2019<\/td><\/tr>
\u2018as if I was floating away\u2019<\/td>\u2018robot-like\u2019<\/td><\/tr>
\u2018 disembodied \/ disconnected \/ detached \u2019<\/td>\u2018acting a part\u2019<\/td><\/tr>
\u2018far away from myself\u2019<\/td>\u2018I couldn\u2019t feel any pain\u2019<\/td><\/tr>
\u2018apart from everything\u2019<\/td>\u2018like I was made of cardboard’<\/td><\/tr>
‘in a place of my own\/ alone’<\/td>\u2018 like I was just a head stuck on a body\u2019<\/td><\/tr>
‘like I was there but not there’<\/td>\u2018like a spectator looking at myself on TV\u2019<\/td><\/tr>
‘I could see and hear everything but couldn\u2019t respond’<\/td>\u2018an out of body experience\u2019,<\/td><\/tr>
<\/td>\u2018my hands or feet felt smaller \/ bigger\u2019<\/td><\/tr>
<\/td>\u2018when I touched things it didn\u2019t feel like me touching them\u2019<\/td><\/tr>
Derealisation<\/strong><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
\u2018My surroundings seemed unreal \/ far away\u2019<\/td>\u2018It was like looking at the world through a veil or glass\u2019<\/td><\/tr>
\u2018I felt spaced out\u2019<\/td>\u2018objects appeared diminished in size \/ flat \/ dream-like \/ cartoon like \/ artificial \/ unsolid\u2019<\/td><\/tr>
‘I felt cut off or distant from the immediate surroundings\u2019<\/td>‘Things seemed really close up and far away all at the same time’<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why it’s helpful to find out about dissociative symptoms?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These symptoms occur in all kinds of situations. Most people have experienced them to some degree when they have the flu or are very sleep deprived<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding what dissociative symptoms are, that there is a name for them and that they don\u2019t mean you are \u201cgoing mad\u201d, can often be helpful to people with functional symptoms who may experience these symptoms as part of their illness<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fear and anxiety can intensify dissociative symptoms so if you know more about them then the symptoms themselves can be less intense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experience of being somewhat disconnected from your body may also explain to you why at other times your body feels disconnected or weak down one side. This is why functional limb weakness<\/a>  is sometimes called \u2018dissociative motor disorder\u2019 and why we have the name \u2018dissociative seizures\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More Information<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There are lots of resources, videos and links at unreal – the UK charity for depersonalisation\/derealisation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For a detailed description of dissociative symptoms you can download an article on the right which describes them for a neurology journal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This 2017 article<\/a> from the British Medical Journal written by a psychologist (Elaine Hunter), patient with the problem (Jane Charlton) and a professor of cognitive neuropsychiatry (Prof David)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a really superb summary of depersonalisation and derealisation. There is also a podcast<\/a> where the editor of the BMJ (Fiona Godlee) discusses her own experiences of depersonalisation and a youtube\n video<\/a> – both are thoroughly recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is also more information about depersonalisation available from the following: @unrealcharity<\/a>. Below is a video from Unreal made to help portray these symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Delighted to share this video with you which shows the full #unrealities<\/a> illustrations series by @Jodie_art<\/a> including music from @doddleoddle<\/a> and animation by @michaeljohndown<\/a> #depersonalisation<\/a> #derealisation<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/E6sN2sA8ks<\/a><\/p>— Unreal Charity (@unrealcharity) April 11, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote>