Depersonalization
RisksA dissociative symptom involving feeling detached from one's own body, thoughts, or sense of self, as if observing oneself from outside — distinct from derealization (see entry below), which is the same detachment applied to the outside world instead.
Example: Because ketamine reliably produces transient depersonalization in healthy volunteers, researchers use it as a working model to study depersonalization/derealization disorder itself, measuring it with tools like the Cambridge Depersonalisation Scale.
What is depersonalization?
A dissociative symptom involving feeling detached from one's own body, thoughts, or sense of self, as if observing oneself from outside — distinct from derealization, which is the same detachment applied to the outside world instead.
How do researchers study depersonalization?
Because ketamine reliably produces transient depersonalization in healthy volunteers, researchers use it as a working model to study depersonalization/derealization disorder itself, measuring it with tools like the Cambridge Depersonalisation Scale.