Dissociative Anxiety Disorder

Dissociation is sometimes referred to as an altered state of consciousness. Some cultures seek the feeling of dissociation for religious purposes. If dissociation occurs frequently and without reason, then one may be suffering from dissociative anxiety disorder.

Dissociative Anxiety Disorder

• Dissociative anxiety disorder causes a person to spiral into an anxiety attack after unexpectedly feeling the onset of dissociation. It is only when the feelings of dissociation come out of the blue that one begins to panic and react with fear and confusion.

Depersonalization

• Depersonalization is one of the symptoms of dissociation. It causes a person to feel like they are experiencing life outside of their own body, which can lead one to thinking that they are going insane.

Derealization.

• Derealization is another symptom of dissociative anxiety order. This leaves a person feeling as if their surroundings are not real. People suffering from derealization feel as if the ground is moving under them and that they are looking at life through a dense fog.

Significance

• When someone unexpectedly feels the effects of depersonalization or derealization they may begin to think they are going insane which leads to an anxiety attack.

Considerations

• Treatment for dissociative anxiety disorder is usually cognitive and a patient needs to learn to deal with these feelings on their own. Some patients claim that they learn to feel for when the symptoms may be coming on, which is a big step in getting to the bottom of the problem.