Dissociative Amnesia

About Dissociative Amnesia

Dissociative amnesia is characterized by an inability to recall important autobiographical information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature, that is inconsistent with ordinary forgetting and is not caused by a substance, a neurological condition or another medical problem. The memory gap is most often localized or selective, affecting a specific event or period, and less commonly generalized to the whole life history of the person. DSM-5 includes dissociative fugue, in which amnesia is accompanied by apparently purposeful travel or bewildered wandering, as a specifier of this diagnosis rather than a separate disorder. People may not be fully aware of the extent of their memory loss. The condition is associated with experiences such as childhood abuse, violence and war, and it can co occur with depression, PTSD and other dissociative conditions. Careful medical assessment is needed to exclude other causes. Treatment generally involves psychotherapy that prioritizes safety and stabilization and addresses underlying trauma at a pace the person can manage.