Reality Disassociation Disorder

Real life doesn't have enough features. Where the auto-save, for one?
— RDD Sufferer

With the explosion of virtual and augmented reality, there have been a range of new and exciting ways for the human body and mind to malfunction. Chief among them has been the Reality Disassociation Disorder (or RDD; as corporations are very fond of acronyms). Those who suffer from RDD begin to mix realities together and become confused when real life doesn't respond to the functions of their VR rig. Though it isn't immediately fatal, the afflicted do have a track record of wandering into traffic, believing their collision to be turned off.

Cause

People suck, my job sucks, my family sucks. Why wouldn't I want to be somewhere else?

Reality Disassociation is still relatively uncommon, caused by a mixture of personality type and obsession. It is at heart an addiction disorder and strikes those prone to addiction already. When some minds become hooked on VR and overindulge, they are at risk of contracting RDD. The personality type in question is typically misanthropic or anti-social, though some are merely shy and socially awkward. In addition, they usually possess an obsessive trait in whatever it is they latch on to and sometimes have previous brushes with drug, alcohol or other addictions.

by Johny Mnemonic (with slight alterations)

Once the subject spends more time in virtual or augmented reality than real life, they are usually on their way. With VR and AR being one of the most popular types of entertainment, corporate doctors usually loathe diagnosing customers with something that cuts into that bottom line.

Symptoms

Early symptoms of RDD are the time they spend within their virtual worlds. Sleep, hygiene, and social obligations are sacrificed (if such obligations existed to begin with) in favor of more time within the VR worlds. Outside of it, sufferers begin to confuse the functions and mechanics of the virtual world for real life attributes. At the early stages, these differences are usually recognized immediately but as the disorder progresses, such distinctions become more and more difficult.

by Johny Mnemonic (with slight alterations)

RDD is usually recognized once it begins to impact work performance. Before that, who cares?

Sufferers will soon do little more than work, eat and resume their activities in the virtual reality as quickly as possible. Attempts to stop them from doing so is met with resentment first and even violence later.

At the late stage of the disorder, the sufferer is no longer able to separate virtual from real. They become accustomed to the workings of their virtual reality rigs and begin to expect the real world to work the same way. When they don't, the sufferer becomes confused and disoriented.

In extreme cases, they begin to see others as virtual avatars rather than flesh and blood people, though that's getting rare as the gore in VR games gets increasingly detailed.

Treatment

Although medical corporations are happy to sell a range of expensive pills and treatments, the only real cure is to reintegrate into the real world. That doesn't stop them and "hyper-reality treatment courses" are the current profitable craze to deal with RDD.

Treatment duration varies from person to person and the severity of the case. The worst recorded case of RDD has been treated for several years without signs of emerging. Most are fine within a few months, but the temptation to lunge back in is always there - especially after a bad day or two.

by Johny Mnemonic (with slight alterations)

Distorted Reality

Virtual and augmented reality can be found everywhere in the Megacorpolis. More and more, digital plaster is speckled onto the world to make colors brighter, ads more enticing and "disruptive elements" blurred out completely. As children are raised in a city where realities bleed together, cases of RDD are getting more common and more insidious. What is and what isn't real is becoming more difficult to decipher every day.

by Johny Mnemonic (with slight alterations)

Minor Symptoms

Those who suffer from RDD may experience:

Headaches

Vision abnormalities

Hallucinations

Loss of friendships

Vivid dreams and nightmares

Corporate liability syndrome

Weight gain

Weight loss

Blisters

Explosive Eyeball Sensitivity Syndrome

~~Compulsive Spending Syndrome~~

Check your corporate doctor's price listing today and remember - sometimes its easier to treat the symptoms than the cause!

by Johny Mnemonic (with slight alterations)

Tin-Toil VR

Malcontents think that RDD is another device of corporate control or even some crude, early mind-control experiment or failed marketing campaign. Corporations love to use augmented reality in particular to blur propaganda with advertising, sometimes using "aggressive marketing tactics" to override users AR display when rival ads are displayed, which only very rarely results in any injuries.

by Johny Mnemonic (with slight alterations)

All corporate EULA's free them from any damages should someone contract Reality Disassociation Disorder from using their products. But many will give vouchers for a free VR game as compensation.