An 18 year-old female reports to your office reporting that she feels like a robot, floating in the air above herself and has no control of what she says or how she moves. She feels like a ‘brain in a vat’, like in the Matrix movie. She feels unreal and detached with respect to her thoughts, feelings, sensations and actions. She feels emotionally numb. She reports cravings to cut herself to feel real. She is afraid that she is going crazy. Four weeks ago, she was assaulted on the college campus during a sorority party. She regularly uses alcohol and marijuana. Which of the following statements is true concerning her condition?
