In the show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, there are the characters Kimmy and Jacqueline. Kimmy is a young woman and is somewhat whimsical. Jacqueline is slightly older than Kimmy and is exceptionally self-centered. Jacqueline is having a hard time dealing with her divorce, so Kimmy suggests to Jacqueline that she pretend like she’s not actually in the room. She tells her to go to her happy place and jump up-and-down saying “I’m not really here.” Jaqueline does just that. It is quite a funny episode of the show; however, people that are experiencing derealization genuinely feel like they’re not “really here.”
What is derealization?
Derealization is when you disassociate from your body. You feel as if you are hovering over yourself looking down and seeing the world from an outside point of view. Several things cause this to happen. It’s a phenomenon usually caused by trauma. If you encounter a trigger, something that reminds you of an awful experience in your life, you will be experiencing an episode of derealization or disassociation. Things don’t seem real. So for you to cope with the bad feelings, you tell yourself that you’re not here; this is the mind and the body‘s response to trauma.
Trauma takes a toll on a person‘s mental state and physical body.
When people are triggered, their body goes into a fight or flight status. Another thing that can happen is the body freezes. Let’s say that a person was assaulted on the road near their home in a local park. Imagine that once they approach the path they are reminded of the incident, and their body begins to shake and tingle. They are in a state of panic. When the body starts having an unpleasant experience, and a person might want to check out to deal with it. That’s when derealization happens one begins to feel like there are things around that aren’t real. The person might be trying to cope with something horrible that happened to, and that’s their way of defending themselves against the pain.
It is scary
Derealization is frightening at times for people, especially if they don’t know what’s happening to them. The person might think that they are going insane. Maybe they start to believe they are undergoing psychosis. To be fair, there are mental illnesses that can cause a person to believe that unrealistic things are real. The difference between derealization and being psychotic is that a person who is experiencing disassociation knows that their feelings aren’t what’s happening in reality. A person who is psychotic believes that things are real, even if they are not. Let’s go back to somebody who is experiencing derealization. Although they know that things aren’t real, the anxiety associated with this problem makes them feel unsure of what to do next.
Online therapy
Many people disassociate, but if you continue to feel that things aren’t real, it’s crucial to see a mental health professional. A therapist can help you cope with these feelings and get to the source of what started those feelings. Many mental health conditions have derealization as a symptom. The sooner you get help, the better, start developing long-lasting relationships and living a great life. There are many options for therapy that you can choose from to deal with your derealization feelings. Online counseling can be a great option to help you deal with issues of derealization and disassociation. You don’t have to suffer alone. There are mental health professionals that can help you figure out what to do. Your mental health matters, and with help, your symptoms will become less scary and easier to manage.
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