One of the dissociative disorders, characterized by persistent or recurrent feelings of being detached from one’s body or mental processes. The affected person often describes a sense of being an automaton or an outside observer of him- or herself.
DSM-III-R term for depersonalization neurosis.
A dissociative disorder in which the person feels unreal and estranged from the self and surroundings enough to disrupt functioning. The person may feel that the extremities have changed in size or that he/she watches the self from a distance.
The belief that one’s own reality is temporarily lost or altered. Affected patients experience estrangement or a sense of unreality and may feel that their body parts have changed size or been otherwise altered. A feeling of being automated or as if in a dream may be present. The disorder is usually rapid in onset and usually occurs in adolescence or under extreme stress, fatigue, or anxiety.