Am I Me? Depersonalization Disorder by Alan Owens

Author:Alan Owens
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Mental Health, 90 Minutes (44-64 Pages), Fitness & Dieting, Mood Disorders, Health, Self-Help, Counseling & Psychology
Published: 2015-05-23T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6 – Causes

I want, for a minute, to discuss the causes of this disorder. For the most part these are unknown. There is some evidence that it can often be traced to early childhood trauma but, as I have already stated, I experienced no trauma during my childhood.

Certain forms of epilepsy may be responsible. I have had several seizures but, as I understand it, epilepsy is diagnosed only when there are multiple seizures and I don’t know if I qualify. Aside from this my first DP episode occurred some 30 years before my first seizure.

Stress may cause depersonalization – especially stress from life-threatening situations. The only life-threatening situations that I experienced were in Vietnam and these were relatively minor. Also I didn’t have my first episode of real depersonalization until months after being exposed to a situation that I would regard as life-threatening. On second thought I suppose that I did at least have a very brief episode of depersonalization in Vietnam when I thought I might no longer be able to drive a truck or how to get back to my company area. There is a difference though – in Vietnam I was more of less bounced into the DP attack or whatever it was. Since then I have normally drifted into these states but under no particular circumstances that I can detect. My current psychiatrists have diagnosed PTSD so it is very possible that stress from a life-threatening situation – or at least perceived stress could be the culprit in my case.

Some authorities attribute the whole matter to stress and state that episodes cease once the stress is removed. This is also not the case for me as I have had episodes while under stress as well as times when no stress existed.

The condition is often linked with depression and anxiety but there are many people who feel depersonalized but not depressed and not anxious – unless the DP causes them to be so. My episodes, for the most part, seem to come “out of the blue” without regard to any particular situation or frame of mind.

Migraine headaches are present in many DPs and the possibility exists that these may also be a cause. Since I rarely have any type of headache this certainly has no bearing on DP. Along with many illnesses signs of depersonalization can occur. It also occurs with many other psychiatric disorders. As I mentioned I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder some 12 years ago. However this was 30 years after my first depersonalization episode.

One site states unequivocally that substance abuse is not responsible. However most other sites indicate that many people develop the disorder through the use of marijuana, hashish and Ecstacy. LSD can cause it was well but to a lesser degree. This is ironic as one psychiatrist suggested that I try marijuana for my disorder. I have never used any drugs so substance abuse can not be responsible.

DP is being experienced by many people with no history of abuse or any of the traditional causes.

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