Realizing Derealization

Derealization is a dissociative disorder with the primary symptom of experiencing one’s surroundings as unreal, as if one were living in an elaborate dream. The disorder is usually associated with depersonalization, although according to Philip M. Coons (1996), it should not be considered a subset of depersonalization. Little research has been conducted on derealization unaccompanied by depersonalization. The following highlights a personal case study in which the characteristics of derealization are presented in an attempt to distinguish it from depersonalization and other dissociative disorders. In addition, examples of derealization from a broader perspective help distinguish it from a purely diagnostic mental symptom, thereby suggesting that it could be more of a philosophical view of life rather than a mental disorder.