Overview

First published in 2011, Stranger to My Self has become a popular cult classic in the literature of consciousness and the study of the individual self. Written by the co-author of Feeling Unreal, Depersonalization and the Loss of the Self, (Oxford University Press, 2005, 2023), ""Stranger"" offers numerous personal stories, and investigative dives into the biology, psychology and spirituality of a rarely studied and highly misunderstood condition-Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder.

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Reviews

Depersonalization, a feeling of ""I am not myself,"" puzzles medicine and philosophy. It is a disorder difficult to diagnose, painful to bear and hard to treat. It relates to the philosophical cornerstones of consciousness and reality and reveals questions every person struggles with. Jeffrey Abugel's book arrives, not only as a long-awaited companion on depersonalization for patients, families, and mental practitioners, but also a companion to the part of life that involves discovering oneself and shaping one's identity. Depersonalization was first described not by a physician or a scientist. It took a poet and writer, Henri-Frederick Amiel, who agonized with feelings of a lost self, to grasp the phenomenon. And now, more than century later, it took another poet and writer, Jeff Abugel, who himself suffered with full-blown depersonalization, to express the personalization-depersonalization journey for modern times. Poignant and elegant autobiographical prose, reflections of the author's own experiences of self-inquiry, provide a powerful and revealing understanding of depersonalization. This book proves that this hurtful condition can open ways to realize important aspects of the self and grow towards a deeper, more fulfilling life. -Elena Bezzubova M.D., Ph.D., College of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, and New Center for Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles. Jeff Abugel has taken a mental shovel and dug deep into his brave and personal account of the mysterious, frightening, bizarre condition of Depersonalization. An absolute must read for anyone who has a brain skating on the thin ice of depression, anxiety, depersonalization and just being alive. For long term sufferers, Stranger To My Self will prove illuminating and a better friend than your dog. For new sufferers, you will save years of wondering, ""What %#@* is wrong with me,"" and thousands of dollars seeing doctors who haven't a clue what you're talking about. This book provides all the state-of-the-art info you'll need to understand, learn, get better and not kill yourself before your time. -Harris Goldberg, writer/director, Numb Stranger To My Self is one of the utmost comprehensive, refreshing enlightening, relieving, and unprecedented pieces of literature on Depersonalization Disorder. A wake-up call for one of the most overlooked plights of the human condition. A must read for people who suffer and do not suffer from this. -Jonathan Caouette, filmmaker, Tarnation

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