Dissociative Amnesia

With dissociative fugue

Apparently purposeful travel or bewildered wandering that is associated with amnesia for identity or for other important autobiographical information

Causes: Little

is known

Causes: Trauma and stress

can serve as triggers

Most recover/remember

without treatment

Prevalence:

2% to 7%

Usually begin

in adulthood

Rarely appear in

childhood or late adulthood

Show rapid

onset and dissipation

DSM-5: A. An inability to recall

important autobiographical information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature, that is inconsistent with ordinary forgetting.

Note: Dissociative amnesia most often consists of

localized or selective amnesia for a specific event or events; or generalized amnesia for identity and life history.

DSM-5 Criteria: B. The symptoms cause

clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

DSM-5 Criteria: C. The disturbance is not attributable to

the physiological effects of a substance or a neurological or other medical condition.

DSM-5 Criteria: D. The disturbance is not better explained by

dissociative identity disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, somatic symptom disorder, or major or mild neurocognitive disorder.

Specify if:

With dissociative fugue

Includes several forms of

psychogenic memory loss

Generalized vs.

localized or selective type

May involve

dissociative fugue

Dissociative fugue: During the amnestic episode,

person travels or wanders, sometimes assuming a new identity in a different place

Dissociative fugue: Unable to

remember how or why one has ended up in a new place

Example of dissociative fugue:

Three faces of Eve