Sounds like a description of depersonalization, which is, indeed, classified as a dissociative disorder. I suffer from chronic depersonalization. It is highly misunderstood, no matter how one tries to describe it (and the term is constantly misused). I even heard a story about a psychotherapist, who experienced derpersonalization herself after many years listening to patients talk about it. Her reaction was, “This is nothing like what I thought my patients were experiencing.” So I applaud Duritz for attempting to describe it. It’s as if normal consciousness involves a Virtual Reality created in the brain, and everyone takes it for granted because it works so well. Then, in a state of depersonalization, the Virtual Reality is gone.

I also wonder if this could be associated with the so-called “Impostor Syndrome” - i.e. you feel like you are posing, unqualified, somehow deficient, etc. just while doing your job, which you are clearly well-qualified for.

It’s a very “unreal” feeling - once at a meeting I was called upon by the company’s President to speak up and give advice on some subject to the company, and felt very weird while doing it - until I realized that yes indeed, I was by far the person in the room MOST qualified by age, credentials, and experience to give such guidance and opinions to help my employer - which was exactly what I was hired to do.

I was diagnosed with a dissociative disorder. I “disconnect” to a high degree.

It is sometimes shunned as not being a real disorder. I was initially diagnosed Bipolar. When the doctors were diagnosing me they discussed the issue of dissociation, but then refuted it’s validity, labelled me bipolar, and tried to blame my “black outs” on drugs and alcohol which was not an issue, and was not the cause.

Everyone dissociates to a degree. Being road hypnotized is a form of dissociation. I get this to a high degree in social settings, and stressful events.

I have a q ………..been here and can not figure out how to do a new post thingie so be patient with me lol.

please no offence to my wording here I really need help!
My sister is claiming that she has multipal personalities, she claims 15 of them, she is working with a good dr, now.
heres my question…..first off I need to explaine that I havent talked to my sister in years (about 11) so this why I am confused, she is claiming that there are years of her life gone! is this possible for one to miss years? I am kinda not believing because the years she is claiming is lost she woed people in my familt alot of money.

She did suffer abuse as a child, as did I. I am just trying to understand what is possible and what is not if anyone can help I would really appreciate it.

Anna,

Great name. I hope your a fan of Mr Duritz and his band otherwise I run the very real risk of sounding like a sleaze bag!!

It seems to me that your sister suffers from what we call a Personality Disorder here in the UK. The symptoms you describe sound to me like the symptoms someone would assume a person suffering from schizophrenia would experience. This is comon of personality disordered people. They often have malformed ways of gaining attention to themselves. More often than not this will manifest itself in the form of self-harming behaviour, carrying out dangerous acts or presenting to psychiatric services describing symptoms of anxiety, depression, psychosis or mania in order to medicalise their psychological distress. Personality disorders are formed from a young age. Often the result of abuse, poor parenting and maladaptive learning during formative years. The idea of having multiple personalities is an urban legend. It is not possible for somone to have more than one personailty. The terms split personality or multiple personality were first given to people experiencing schizophrenia or other forms of psychosis very early on in the development of modern day psychiatric medicine. These terms have ceased to be used within the profession for many many years due to their incorrect intonation. I hope this is of some help. Should you want to know how I am qualified to offer this advice I should tell you I am a psychiatric nurse. I have over 5 years post-grad experience of psychiatric nursing in the UK.

Charlie you may be very well educated but I think it unwise to attempt to diagnose a person, second hand, via secondhand information, over the internet. The paragraph of information doesn’t give us nearly enough information. Perhaps she does have a personality disorder, but schizophrenia is not marked by self association with multiple personalities. It is distinguished by the auditory hallucinations of different personalities and voices, sometimes many. In rare cases, or when a person is experiencing a psychotic episode they may have delusions that they are someone else, usually an authority figure, celebrity, or religious figure.

It’s nice that you are concerned with your sister Anna. I hope she gets to a place where she can function on a high level again and live a happy life.