Is there any science behind derealization?

[UCFguy]

     My derealization (I'm guessing that that's what I am feeling) has taken very strong control of me today. Besides having terrible anxiety and being very dizzy, I don't feel like I am even here or that I exist. It is almost as if everything I look at I notice, but I don't take in as part of my environment... as if I am in a constant dream. I want out of this state so bad and I feel like I am going crazy. Is there any science behind these feelings and are there any specific ways to counteract them besides the 90mg of Cymbalta I am on?

[MrGreen]

There is no sciece behind it at all. It comes and it goes. Simple as that. When it does hit it can be frightening. I remember coming downstairs and asking my mother ' when where we going to the shops '? I was gobsmacked to hear her say we were already over to the shops and back. I never remembered ever been out. It can do those sort of things to you. Crossing roads used to be a nightmare. The cars seemed further away than they really were. Once one skidded up to miss me. That snapped me out of it. It is like you are on the verge of fainting. But you never pass out. You just stay in that state. A surreal state of mind. There is no medication for it at all. It is just another symptom. You could try distraction methods. MP3 player when out. I haven't had a bout of it in years. Be like I out grew it. To me it seems to come on at the start of an anxiety condition. Like it is one of the earliest stages. It just stopped over time. As simple as that.

[RubyWitch]

While I'm not sure what you mean by, "is there any science behind derealization," there is most definitely a condition called "Depersonalization Disorder." It is listed in the Merck Manual and your symptoms are described perfectly. You may wish to Google this disorder on the Mayo or Cleavland Clinic websites.
Most of us with anxiety or panic disorders have quite a bit of experience with this frightening feeling as these symptoms often appear at the same time as an anxiety or panic attack.
If by "science" you mean WHY do we feel these symptoms, I will simply copy what the MERCK MANUAL says:
"As a seperate disorder, depersonalization disorder has not been studied widely, and it's incidence and causes aren't known."
But perhaps that is not what you were asking................hopefully someone with a bit more "science" under their belts will respond or the websites at Mayo and Cleavland will give you the answer you're looking for.
Under "Treatment," the MERCK MANUAL says:
"Treatment is warranted only if the condition persists, recurs or causes distress. Psychodynamic psychotherapy, behavior therapy,  and hypnosis have been effective, but no single type of treatment has proved effective for all people with depersonaliztion disorder. Tranquilizers and antidepressents help some people. Depersonalization is often associated with or precipitated by other mental disorders which will need to be treated. Any stresses associated with the beginning (onset) of the depersonalization disorder must also be addressed."  
You didn't say how long you'd been on the Cymbalta, but it CAN take as long as four weeks for therapeutic levels to be reached. My humble and totally non-medical opinion is to give the Cymbalta time to work, but if, after that time, you aren't feeling a noticeable reduction in the DD, then I would definitely get back with my doctor.
Please rest assured that you are NOT going crazy and that this "nightmare" will pass.
Post anytime you need to talk.
Peace
Greenlydia