Depersonalization Disorder/Derealization Disorder

Abstract Depersonalization is marked by persistent or recurring symptoms, including perceptual alterations, distorted sense of time, feeling as though one is an outside observer of one's body, or feeling like an automaton or like one is living in a dream or a movie. These symptoms are often accompanied by derealization, the feeling that the world, oneself, or other people seem strange or unreal. This entry summarizes the literature on depersonalization and derealization, including (a) the newDSM‐5diagnosis of depersonalization disorder/derealization disorder, which combines symptoms of derealization and depersonalization into a single diagnostic entity; (b) prevalence data; (c) precipitants of symptoms; (d) course of the disorder; and (e) theoretical and treatment approaches for depersonalization/derealization.