Does not fully portray depersonalization

Nobody would want to watch that movie. I think if I watched such a thing, it would bring on an episode. I tend to have episodes when I think about DP. You are right though, it did not capture the terror that results from an attack. The pot scene was very weak. I had my first attack after my first experience with a psychedelic. My second experience was just like Hudson's, some stupid attempt to cure myself, ala a hit on the head causes amnesia and a hit on the head cures it cartoon style. The film was very true to the condition otherwise, but the terror was not portrayed as well as it could have been. The scene where he hyperventilates came close and reminded me of the first time I hyperventilated.

I don't think it was so much about the acting or direction that failed to portray it as much as a clear choice not to dive so deeply into it that it's too unsettling to watch and could fall into the darkness of a movie like "Requiem For A Dream".

My doctor believes I have depersonalization disorder, as do I, but I have yet to be diagnosed with it, other issues seem more prominent and important right now.
At the moment the depersonalization is a big issue (understatement) but we've tried so much to help it that right now the time we have to spend working on my mental health is probably better aimed at other issues.
I too have thought about suicide though I have also gone further then that with a couple of serious attempts and one long-term period in which I would and was risking everything with no fear of death. Luckily I'm ok, and even better I'm feeling better then I have for most of my life at the moment.


I agree completely that the film does not convey the true "feeling" of depersonalization to it's fullest extent but again, I think this was on purpose to keep the film on the lighter side. I think I appreciate this decision.

One should also note that it is nearly impossible to portray such strong "feelings" in any media form accurately and even when accomplished it is only 100% accurate for the person trying to portray them, it was their feelings. Not to mention that Matthew Perry doesn't have depersonalization (AFAIK) and still manage to pull off a great representation of it, even if it was on the softer side.

You cannot really know what it's like unless you've experienced it.
Though if I had to try to express it in words I would say this:
Imagine you wake up in the morning and you shower and get dressed feeling still half-asleep thinking it's just because you recently woke up and you should probably have a nice coffee.
Though as you get to your kitchen you feel a surge of "weird". You think, "What the hell? Am I still dreaming?"
You hazily look around the kitchen and quite quickly you feel "your kitchen" become more and more "Just kitchen" until it slips all the way to "A place with things in it".
You're now in full panic mode (If you've ever had a panic attack where medication (Benzos, etc.) was necessary, try to bring those feelings into mind while reading this) and you're freaking the hell out, you realize that you can't even tell if you're dreaming or not, you want to break down and cry, you want to run... but have nowhere to run. Your insides are rapidly flipping from being frozen to burned to numbed to stabbed.
"You" no longer exist, there is a sense of "me" but only logically, not emotionally or by any other means. "You" are dead, never to wake up from this waking life dream world. Never will you look at the world the same.

Now I doubt 100% that those words could possibly get you to understand what this truly feels like, but hopefully it helped a bit. Obviously this is similar to how I experienced it my first time, more with the feelings then the actual events, and will differ from others but I believe hearing many peoples descriptions will help bring a better understanding of things.

SO anyways, if the movie focused more on the depersonalization it would be filled with screaming inner dialog and chaos making the movie one of the most unpleasant things to view.

(Side note: If you have depersonalization I HIGHLY, STRONGLY, SERIOUSLY advise you NOT to take Lithium, as I was prescribed it for bi-polar disorder and it triggered my depersonalization to increase to a whole new level. Obviously listen to your doctor but remember what I said here, talk to them about it.)

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The movie is a comedy and was probably always intended to be. If it delved that deeply and realistically into portraying the disorder then it'd couldn't be remotely so lighthearted.

i thought the movie portrayed the disorder well, and as somebody here pointed out the disorder is on a spectrum from very severe to mild. i thought his panic attack (at his parents) was realistic and i just wanted to punch his mother.

but.. on a bit of a different topic, i have mixed feelings related to the way they portrayed the therapists. on one hand i really liked it because there are a lot of bad therapists out there, i loved even more how negative they portrayed the pharmacological industry, but... therapy actually can be helpful and i hope this movie doesn't send message to viewers who have depersonalization disorder not to seek out therapy. a good therapy can make a huge difference.