What is derealization?

Derealization is when the world around you feels not real, like it’s behind a glass wall or wrapped in cotton candy.

Imagine you’re sitting at the kitchen table eating cereal, and suddenly everything looks fuzzy, like it's been painted with watercolors. The walls might seem far away, or your mom might look like she’s made of wax. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong; it just feels different for a little while.

Think about when you look in the funhouse mirror at the fair, it stretches your body or squishes it into a tiny square. Derealization feels kind of like that, but instead of just your face, everything can seem stretched out, blurry, or not quite right.

Sometimes, when you’re really tired, stressed, or excited, your brain takes a little break and says, “Whoa, I need to slow down.” That’s when the world might feel fuzzy or dreamy, like you're floating in a bubble.

Derealization doesn’t last forever, it usually goes away after a few minutes or hours. It's just your brain saying, “I need a moment to reset!”