


In medically caused amnesia, recovering memories are rare and generally a slow and gradual process. When found by the police, he could not recognize any family member, friend or coworker, and he could not say who he was or explain his lack of identification.ĭissociative amnesia is different from amnesia caused by medical problems, such as illnesses, strokes or brain injuries.


He was found a week later, 600 miles away, living under a different name, working as a short-order cook. He did not come home from work and was reported as missing by his family. For example, one middle manager was passed over for promotion. Fugue: With dissociative fugue, the person has generalized amnesia and adopts a new identity.Generalized: Memory loss affects major parts of a person’s life and/or identity, such as a being unable to recognize your name, job, family and friends.For example, a crime victim may have no memory of being robbed at gunpoint, but can recall details from the rest of that day. Often the memory loss focuses on a specific trauma. Localized: Memory loss affects specific areas of knowledge or parts of a person’s life, such as a certain period during childhood, or anything about a friend or coworker.There are three types, or patterns, of dissociative amnesia: What are the symptoms of dissociative amnesia? There may be a genetic (inherited) connection in dissociative amnesia, as close relatives often have the tendency to develop amnesia. The person may have suffered the trauma or just witnessed it. Rates of dissociative amnesia tend to increase after natural disasters and during war.ĭissociative amnesia has been linked to overwhelming stress, which may be caused by traumatic events such as war, abuse, accidents or disasters. How common is dissociative amnesia?ĭissociative amnesia is rare it affects about 1% of men and 2.6% of women in the general population. They can also affect relationships and work activities. Dissociative disorders are mental illnesses in which there is a breakdown of mental functions that normally operate smoothly, such as memory, consciousness or awareness, and identity and/or perception.ĭissociative symptoms can be mild, but they can also be so severe that they keep the person from being able to function. In all cases of dissociative amnesia, the person has a much greater memory loss than would be expected in the course of normal forgetting.ĭissociative amnesia is one of a group of conditions called dissociative disorders. In some rare cases called dissociative fugue, the person may forget most or all of their personal information (name, personal history, friends), and may sometimes even travel to a different location and adopt a completely new identity. This forgetting may be limited to certain specific areas (thematic), or may include much of the person’s life history and/or identity (general). Dissociative amnesia is a condition in which a person cannot remember important information about their life.
