Question 2 of 21

People with depersonalizaton disorder commonly describe themselves as feeling like they are _______.

... The disorder causes people to feel all of these things. They feel separate from themselves, as if they were watching a play or acting as an automaton. Feelings of being separate from oneself and being different from others are also common.

Question 3 of 21

In depersonalization disorder, body sensations (e.g., hunger, thirst) are often ________.

... People with the disorder often report "desomatization": decreased sensations of hunger, thirst and pain. Sometimes these feelings are completely absent.

Question 4 of 21

People with depersonalization disorder often feel especially _________ friends and family.

... The disorder can lead people to feel disconnected and removed from their loved ones. These feelings may lead to behaviors (e.g., isolating one's self) that cause relationship problems.

Question 5 of 21

How long can episodes of depersonalization disorder last?

... The length of episodes varies greatly, from several hours to months at a time. It can even be an ongoing sensation that fluctuates but never completely goes away.

Question 6 of 21

Who is most likely to develop depersonalization disorder?

... Young adults and teens are far more likely to suffer from the disorder. In one large study published in the "British Journal of Psychiatry," the average age when symptoms started developing was about 23. Thirty percent of the patients reported the onset of the disorder when they were 15 or younger.

Question 7 of 21

People with depersonalization disorder can feel like they have no control over their actions or movements; this is similar to descriptions of _________.

... Within the context of dissociative disorders, depersonalization can be easiest for non-sufferers to relate to; many circumstances, such as drunkenness, can induce similar symptoms.

Question 8 of 21

Which mental illness is NOT often associated with depersonalization disorder?

... Depression, multiple personality disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia do not cause depersonalization disorder but are often linked to it. Body dysmorphic disorder is not.

Question 9 of 21

Approximately ________ percent of people have had feelings of depersonalization at some point.

... Half of the population has faced some level of depersonalization, but for people with the disorder, the feelings are longer-lived and more extreme.

Question 10 of 21

During an episode, are people aware that the experience is not genuine?

... People with depersonalization disorder know that their feelings of detachment are not real, but they cannot control them.

Question 11 of 21

What typically does NOT trigger a depersonalization episode?

... Physical and emotional traumas can instigate episodes. Even dreading a reoccurrence can trigger one. In some cases, there is no identifiable trigger. There is no evidence yet that drugs induce depersonalization disorder.

Question 12 of 21

Who is more likely to have depersonalization disorder?

... There appears to be no correlation between the disorder and sex, ethnicity or socio-economic status.

Question 13 of 21

About what percentage of the American population suffers from depersonalization disorder?

... It is estimated that about 3 million Americans (about 1 percent of the population) experience the disorder.

Question 14 of 21

Many people with depersonalization disorder report that their environment seems _________.

... For many sufferers, their environment feels unnatural, as if it's been painted. Some also experience it as two-dimensional and less interesting.

Question 15 of 21

Some people with depersonalization disorder feel that their limbs are ________.

... People with the disorder often have the perception that there is something seriously wrong with their arms or legs, such as that they are enlarged, shrunken or distorted.

Question 16 of 21

When viewed by others, people with depersonalization disorder seem to have _________.

... One indicator that helps diagnosticians distinguish depersonalization disorder from other mental illnesses (e.g., severe depression or schizophrenia) is that sufferers usually have normal emotional expressions.

Question 17 of 21

For many people with the disorder, what tends to make symptoms worse?

... The presence of crowds or artificial lighting often aggravates the condition, while alcohol and exercise can improve symptoms temporarily.

Question 18 of 21

Which disease can have symptoms very similar to depersonalization disorder?

... Epilepsy can manifest with periods of depersonalization linked to cognitive and behavioral changes.

Question 19 of 21

In a large study reported in the British Journal of Psychiatry, how long had the average person experienced symptoms before starting work with a specialist in depersonalization disorder?

... The average sufferer did not see a specialist until 12 years after the onset of symptoms. This is considered an indication of how difficult the disorder is to recognize and diagnose.

Question 20 of 21

The fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is scheduled to be published in May 2013. It proposes that the term "Depersonalization Disorder" be changed to __________.

... Although "depersonalization" and "derealization" were listed separately in the DSM-4, members of the APA now believe that they are not separate conditions and should be combined into one diagnosis.

Question 21 of 21

Which one of these famous men once wrote about his own episode of depersonalization?

... In a letter to French psychoanalyst Romain Rolland almost 30 years after the episode, Freud recounted a 1904 incident he experienced in Athens, Greece.

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