Expert: Jeanne Rust, PhD - 11/7/2011

Question
Hi Dr,

This is quite weird to be honest, and I'm gonna do my best to explain it. I have been going through an anxiety disorder for the last couple of months. Things have definitely gotten much better, but the depersonalization still hits me a lot, which sucks! Now the thing is, a lot of the times when I'm standing, all of a sudden I feel as if my legs aren't there!! I keep thinking I'm gonna fall down on my knees and on my face! :/. It's really really weird. Also, sometimes when I'm sitting it feels as if my legs are not there, I can move them, flex the muscles, when I touch, scratch or pinch them I can feel them, but when I'm just sitting they feel weightless. Not always, but that tends to be happening a lot lately. I'm not very anxious when I feel this way. Maybe I am, but I just don't know it? It's weird. I also sometimes feel as if I'm gonna fall to the side. Before my anxiety, this used to happen rarely, maybe because naturally I am an anxious person, but now? It has gotten much more frequent. What is this? And why does it happen? I read the ins and outs anxiety, and I do have a basic understanding. But I can not quite understand this, and it really bothers me. This also happens with my arms and hands sometimes, I'd be talking on the phone, and I honestly think my arms is just gonna drop down, like they have know weight to them, but that has never happened. I have done an MRI scan for the brain around two months ago which came back fine.

-Thank You

Answer
Hello!

You definitely have depersonalization disorder and some form of an anxiety disorder -- and you hit the nail on the head when you used the term depersonalization.  The best thing for you to do right now would be to see a doctor or psychiatrist and get some medication that you'd take for a short while until you get stabilized.  You don't' have to live with what feels almost like a disability.

Here's some information on depersonalization disorder:

Depersonalization disorder (DPD) is a dissociative disorder in which the sufferer is affected by persistent or recurrent feelings of depersonalization and/or derealization. Diagnostic criteria include persistent or recurrent experiences of feeling detached from one's mental processes or body.[1] The symptoms include a sense of automation, going through the motions of life but not experiencing it, feeling as though one is in a movie, loss of conviction with one's identity, feeling as though one is in a dream, feeling a disconnection from one's body; out-of-body experience, a detachment from one's body, environment and difficulty relating oneself to reality.
Occasional moments of mild depersonalization are normal;[2] strong, severe, persistent, or recurrent feelings are not. A diagnosis of a disorder is made when the dissociation is persistent and interferes with the social and occupational functions necessary for everyday living. Depersonalization disorder is thought to be largely caused by severe traumatic lifetime events including childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse; accidents, war, torture, panic attacks and bad drug experiences. It is unclear whether genetics play a role; however, there are many neurochemical and hormonal changes in individuals suffering with depersonalization disorder. [3]
As the core symptoms of the disorder are thought to protect the victim from negative stimuli, depersonalization disorder can be conceptualized as a defense mechanism. Depersonalization disorder is often comorbid with anxiety disorders, panic disorders, clinical depression and bipolar disorder.
Although depersonalization disorder is an alteration in the subjective experience of reality, it is not related to psychosis, as sufferers maintain the ability to distinguish between their own internal experiences and the objective reality of the outside world. During episodic and continuous depersonalization, sufferers are able to distinguish between reality and fantasy, and their grasp on reality remains stable at all times.[4]

I hope this helps you!

Jeanne Rust, PhD
CEO/Founder
Mirasol
www.mirasol.net
www.edrecovery.com