Feeling Unreal: Depersonalization Disorder and the Loss of the Self (Hardcover)

by Daphne Simeon M.D. (Author), Jeffrey Abugel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In short, the authors are to be congratulated for a timely and highly relevant contribution that fills an unjustified gap in the psychiatric literature. As such, it is destined to become a classic in the field."--Psychological Medicine


Product Description
"Everything feels unreal to me, like a dream...I feel detached, like a stranger to myself." These are quotes from actual people, experiencing something they don't understand. What they are saying is being heard by friends, families, and physicians today more than ever before. They do not simply suffer from anxiety, or depression, and they are not schizophrenic. They have found themselves trapped in a very real and singular disorder, yet few even know its name. Their enigmatic state of mind has been studied for more than 100 years, but only recently has it become clear how prevalent and how distinctive it really is. The condition is called Depersonalization Disorder, and Feeling Unreal is the first book to reveal what it's all about.
This important volume explores not only Depersonalization, but the philosophical and literary implications of selflessness as well, while providing the latest research, possible treatments, and ways to live and thrive when life seems "unreal." For those who still believe that such experiences are merely part of something else, that depersonalization is just a symptom and not a disorder in its own right, Feeling Unreal presents compelling evidence to the contrary. This book provides long-awaited answers for people suffering from Depersonalization Disorder and their loved ones, for mental health professionals, and for all students of the condition, while serving as a wake up call to the medical community at large.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1 edition (April 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195170229
• ISBN-13: 978-0195170221
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #540,250 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've been waiting for this book my entire life!, June 2, 2006

By	Dreamer (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

I first experienced depersonalization and derealization around age 4 or 5. It wasn't frightening then; it was simply a "game of existential thinking" I had control of. But as the years progressed it became a debilitating altered state of consciousness that took over my life. I have had both symptoms "DP" and "DR" -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even in my dreams -- for over thirty years. This altered state has stolen my goals and dreams; it has severely affected my social and occupational pursuits.

I was certain I was in a tiny minority with this until I found a support forum on the internet in 1999. No doctor bothered to mention this is a common symptom or disorder. There are untold numbers like me who have done their own research, and many more who know nothing of what's happening to them -- and they cannot get help or even understanding from the medical community.

I have been infuriated by the lack of knowledge in the mental health profession about the disabling severity of these symptoms be they primary or co morbid with other mental and neurological illnesses. I have likewise been astounded by the number of mental health professionals (even M.D. psychiatrists) who aren't even aware of these symptoms or dismiss them as "not of much concern" even when they are the reason an individual seeks help -- specifically for these odd feelings; I am not alone in battling with doctors and therapists with no clue about Depersonalization Disorder.

Thank you Dr. Simeon for your efforts to understand "DP" and for getting the word out in this first English language book devoted exclusively to Depersonalization Disorder (and none of the other dissociative disorders.)

This book is for laypersons and mental health workers alike. It offers comfort to those with DP -- a greater understanding of the illness -- and will hopefully reach the medical community which must be educated. Knowledge is power for the sufferer and imperative for the therapist.

It is about time.

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a book about depersonalization, May 2, 2006

By	M. Pettit (prairie du chien, wi) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Depersonalization is the condition that seems very rarely to be talked about (esp. in comparison to depression and anxiety). Finally a book about depersonalization -- I am so glad. This book is concise, clear, and offers a spectrum of interpretations of depersonalization -- from the clinical, medical, physical -- to the spiritual. Probably most importantly of all there are 1st-person accounts from people who experienced or are experiencing long-term depersonalization in their lives. And this is the greatest gift, because now others can read that someone else somewhere has felt as they have -- that they are unreal, that they don't really exist, that everything looks strange/foreign to them, that they don't recognize their own lives and feel like they live in a dream. It is hard to explain to someone who doesn't know what this is like -- that it can be terrifying or enlightening. How can you share this perspective with others who can't perceive of what you mean when you say this? For whatever reason people experience depersonalization -- I am glad this book finally shares information. Is it a curse or a blessing, an insight or a disorder -- to see the world this way? I am glad the discussion is open now. when i first experienced depersonalization I only found small bits of information to understand what I was experiencing. I still feel I live in a dream, but now the terror of it has changed to a different way of being. Thank you for publishing this book -- there are people who have waited a long time to know they are not alone in how they experience the world. This seems to just be the beginning of a new understanding of depersonalization...and of life itself.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What We've Been Waiting For, May 13, 2006

By	Dominik D. Larsen (Southwestern Desert, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Feeling Unreal is the first definitive book that covers the disorder we know very little about. The information contained within is presented in close scrutiny that does not lack detail on any point. The myriad of questions people with depersonalization disorder ask can be found here. Questions of all nature about DPD is answered with accurate, comprehensive information. This book is a godsend to sufferers of DPD. As a sufferer of DPD, the information is very accurate to what I have described as depersonalization. This is an eye opener to the medical field that may incite pharmaceutical research to produce effective medication.

Not only does Feeling Unreal explain the disorder itself, it also mentions in which DPD may have been present in early literature or history, such as the great Shakespeare.

Take it from someone that suffers from this enigmatic disorder. This book has answered all of my questions on the disorder and goes beyond. I give it a 5 out of 5.