How is depersonalization disorder treated?
How is depersonalization disorder treated?
The goal of treatment is to address the stressors that trigger the symptoms. Your healthcare provider plans your treatment based on your:
- General health.
- Triggers.
- Symptom severity.
Treatment often includes a combination of:
Psychotherapy: Talk therapy is the main treatment for dissociative disorders. Your provider may opt for one or more of these methods:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: CBT focuses on changing thinking patterns, feelings and behaviors that aren’t serving you.
- Dialectic-behavior therapy: DBT may help with severe personality disturbances. It may help you tolerate difficult emotions, including dissociative symptoms. DBT is useful if you’ve experienced abuse or trauma.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: EMDR can help you cope with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can reduce persistent nightmares, flashbacks and other symptoms.
- Family therapy: Working together, your family learns about the disorder. The group learns how to recognize signs of a recurrence.
- Creative therapies: Art or music therapy can help you explore and express your thoughts and feelings in a safe, creative environment.
Other treatments:
- Meditation and relaxation techniques: Mindfulness may help you tolerate symptoms. You can learn to tune in to your thoughts and feelings. It also can help settle your body’s responses.
- Clinical hypnosis (hypnotherapy): This treatment uses intense relaxation, concentration and focused attention. The goal is to achieve an intense state of awareness. A provider can help you explore deep thoughts, feelings and memories. It can help find the root of a problem.
- Medication: There isn’t a medicine for depersonalization disorder. But treating depression or anxiety can help. Your provider may prescribe antidepressant or anti-anxiety medications such as desipramine (Norpramin®).