When Nothing Feels Real (1859)

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An enthralling quest to solve the mystery of depersonalisation, one of the least understood but increasingly diagnosed mental illnesses. Journalist Nathan Dunne was living the life of his dreams in London until, one evening, he jumped into a lake for a swim. When he emerged, his identity was simply gone. He felt completely lost and in acute, inexplicable pain. He knew who he was supposed to be but had no connection to the person named Nathan. His memories were distant and separate, not his. Everything was unfamiliar. All he felt was terror. This was the beginning of his experience with depersonalisation, a little-understood and on-the-rise mystery mental illness that causes a person to dissociate from their body and thoughts. It can be chronic and severe but it can also be more everyday and relatable: symptoms include feeling overwhelmed, withdrawing from family and friends, experiencing negative thoughts, being unable to concentrate or perform routine tasks, or