Metaphor use in depersonalization/derealization
Jane Dilkes
Language and Cognition June 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1017/langcog.2023.39 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Naturally occurring text from two prominent English-language depersonalization/derealization support forums |
| Key findings | Argues that the metaphors described in formal diagnostic criteria for depersonalization/derealization do not completely represent how people actually use metaphor to communicate the experience in online support forums, and provides a summary of metaphors for depersonalization, derealization, and the combined experience that may support wider understanding and diagnosis. |
Abstract
AbstractThis study investigates the use of metaphor in the dissociative disorder depersonalization/derealization – the feeling of unreality or detachment from the senses or surrounding events. While the debilitating experience of depersonalization/derealization is prevalent, it is also under-acknowledged, such that it is often expressed through metaphor, with more typical metaphor described in diagnostic criteria. Using naturally occurring text from two prominent English language depersonalization/derealization support fora, in the current study a systematic survey is made of metaphor to communicate the experience of depersonalization/derealization in context. It is concluded that metaphor described in the formal diagnostic criteria for depersonalization/derealization does not completely represent metaphor use in the contexts investigated. A summary is made of metaphor for the experiences of depersonalization, and derealization, and depersonalization/derealization more generally, across both the contexts investigated, that may support vital understanding and diagnosis of this debilitating, under-recognized experience, across a wider demographic.