Cynthia Campos
May 21, 2026.webp)
Dissociation, derealization anxiety, and depersonalization are three overlapping mental health conditions that people may experience at some point in their lives. Dissociation is a temporary mental health condition in which a person disconnects from their thoughts, feelings, or surroundings. Derealization anxiety is when a person dissociates in a way that makes their surroundings feel foggy or unreal often associated with anxiety or panic attacks. Depersonalization is when a person feels disconnected from their body as if they are on the outside.
These three conditions can range from very mild episodes lasting only a few minutes to severe episodes that last months. At its severe end, dissociation, derealization anxiety, and depersonalization make up dissociative disorders. All three of these can be associated with other mental health conditions. Since these mental health conditions are so similar, it is important to understand their differences in order to properly diagnose them.
What are the key differences between depersonalization, derealization and dissociation?
Derealization, dissociation, and depersonalization anxiety are not the same thing. All three mental health conditions share similarities. Each can make you feel as though you are disconnected from your immediate experience or identity in some way. Dissociation can be a part of both depersonalization and derealization anxiety. In each of those subcategories a person experiencing an episode may dissociate.
What distinguishes derealization from other dissociative states or disorders?
Derealization is one of the subcategories of dissociation. It can be mistaken for intense anxiety or “zoning out” but is distinct. During derealization, you will feel disconnected from your surroundings. It can feel like the world around you is unreal. Derealization can make everything feel “foggy”, “lifeless”, or “dream-like”. Derealization may occur during a panic or anxiety attack. The difference between dissociation and derealization: derealization is a more specific type of disassociation.
Some find the experience of derealization to be scary. During a dissociative episode, people and objects may seem unreal. When you're dissociating, you'll struggle to hear people, and understand your surroundings. Being able to identify symptoms is the first step to learning how to manage dissociation.
What triggers depersonalization?
Dissociation is the mind’s way of dealing with stress. When your mind cannot cope with stress, it might dissociate to protect itself. Although it can have harmful effects, dissociation is a protective mechanism. For example, when you’re experiencing trauma, your brain may dissociate to protect yourself from the emotional turmoil.
While dissociation can work as a short-term safety measure, it can have long-term effects if left untreated. Depersonalization is caused by:
Present-day trauma
Overstimulation
Depression, anxiety, or any other intense emotional experience
Being very focused and absorbed in a task, like reading a book or watching a movie
Doing something very familiar, like driving the same route to work or doing a chore.
Not all causes of dissociation are negative. However, it’s still important to be aware of when you are in a dissociative state. Dissociating while you’re driving, for example, can decrease your reaction speed and increase the risk of an accident.
Can online therapy platforms help with symptoms of derealization or dissociation?
Dissociation can be hard to break out of. Because the cause of dissociation is deeply personal, you may benefit from in person or online therapy. Meeting with a licensed therapist in person or online would allow you to gain the skills to stop dissociating.
Symptoms of derealization versus depersonalization
The best way to understand depersonalization vs. derealization is internal vs. external. Depersonalization is detaching from your body and is an internal experience. Derealization is detaching from your surroundings (an external experience).
What are signs you are dissociating?
Knowing what a dissociative state looks like is the first step. Breaking a dissociation episode may require medication, therapy, or a combination of both. However, in mild cases you would develop coping skills to help reconnect yourself. Cases like these usually have ties to ADHD, Depression, or trauma.
Signs you might be dissociating:
Feel disconnected from yourself and/or the world around you
Forgetting events, personal information, or recent events (more so than usual)
Not knowing how you got from point A to point B (like not remembering how you got dressed or the drive to work)
Feeling little to no physical pain, even when you know you should be feeling pain (like in the case of an injury)
Feeling emotionally numb
Feeling zoned out or struggling to understand what people are saying or what you are doing
Feeling like you’re watching yourself from the outside. You may feel like your thoughts, emotions, and actions aren’t your own
Feeling “spacy” or like time is slippery
Being unable to account for blocks of time
Zoning out frequently, for many minutes at a time
Everyone experiences dissociation differently. Also, if a mental health disorder is the cause of your dissociation, your symptoms may vary. For example, a dissociative episode caused by ADHD will be different than one caused by trauma.
How to snap out of Derealization
Staying calm and consistent can help you pull yourself out of dissociation. Practice these techniques when you’re zoning out or dissociating.
Some techniques to stop dissociation include:
Color Scanning is a popular grounding technique. It prompts you to scan your surroundings from left to right, call out things that are green. Then, scan your surroundings again for orange, then blue, etc.
Taking a cold shower or splashing your face with cold ice water can help your body snap out of dissociation.
Exercising can be a good way to reconnect with your body and break out of depersonalization. Focus on the way your body feels as you move. Feel the air coming into your lungs, and your heart beating steadily.
Walk barefoot to reconnect with yourself and your surroundings. Choose a safe place where you know you won’t step on anything sharp. Focus on the sensations your feet are experiencing.
Sing loudly to your favorite music. Get loud! Dance in your kitchen. Use your voice. This can be very helpful for a person who dissociates.
Breathing exercises are also good for grounding. Try the 3-3-3 method or box breathing.
Do something relaxing. Sometimes you need to remind your mind and body that you are not in immediate physical danger. Dim the lights, grab a blanket and watch a relaxing TV show. Take a bath with gentle music, or sit with a safe person.
Reconnect with your hobbies. Doing something you used to enjoy (even if you don’t feel like it) can help. Reconnecting with yourself can help end a dissociation episode.
Somatic exercises are specific movements that help you ground and release negative energy. In a “fight, flight, or freeze” trauma response, your nervous system may trap negative energy. Release negative energy by shaking yourself, practicing somatic breathing, or dancing.
Most of these techniques are grounding and mindful exercises that help you stop dissociation.
These tools are designed to snap your nervous system out of a fight or flight mode and return to a state of rest. If these simple exercises don’t work for you, more extensive therapy may be required to improve your mental health. Therapy and medication can help you break out of dissociation, depersonalization, and derealization.
How to find a specialist for dissociative identity concerns
You’ll want to look for a licensed therapist (LCSW, LPC, or Ph.D) who specializes in trauma and dissociation.
Lifebulb offers affordable, online therapy for dissociative disorders. We have virtual therapists available who are ready to help and accept most major insurance plans. Don’t wait to seek support; you can reach out to our team today to find a therapist who can help you break out of a dissociative episode.
