normal vs disordered: derealisation edition
normal: feeling like the world is foggy or unreal after stepping out of a cinema, or getting off a plane
not normal: feeling like the world is foggy frequently (sometimes without cause)
normal: feeling like nothing is real after you’ve just heard some big news (positive or negative), or while grieving
not normal: feeling like nothing is real frequently (sometimes without cause or in a broad range of situations)
normal: feeling like the people around you aren’t real when in a crowd or on a busy street
not normal: feeling like the people around you aren’t real frequently — even your friends and family
normal: feeling like the whole world is in 2D when you’re sick or experiencing a fever
not normal: feeling like the whole world is in 2D when there’s nothing else going on in your body
normal: losing touch with reality after reading an amazing book or watching a long film or experiencing some other immersive media
not normal: losing touch with reality frequently, to the point that you can’t keep up with your own life
just like other parts of dissociation, derealisation is on a spectrum. everyone experiences it from time to time. when it becomes a problem is when it gets in the way of your life and completing your daily tasks
