Dissociative Amneisia
By Jessica Rodriguez
basic description
dissociative amnesia also known as psychogenic amnesia is one of a group of conditions called dissociative disorders. dissociative disorders are mental illnesses that cause break downs of memory, consciousness awareness, and identity/ perception issues.
symptoms
the primary symptoms od dissociative amnesia is the sudden inability to remember past experiences or personal information, some people with this disorder also might appear confused and suffer from depression or anxiety.
causes
dissociative amnesia is linked to overwhelming stress. which are from traumatic events. it might also be caused by genetics, since people with this disorder usually have close relatives with the same disorder.
diagnosis
if there are symptoms, the doctor will begin to evaluate by performing a complete medical history and physical examination. if no physical illness is found, the person might be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist.
treatments
the first goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms and control any problem behavior. the treatment aims to help the person safely express and process painful memories. the best treatment approach depends on the individual.
prevalance
dissociative amnesia is more common in women then in men. it occurs in about 7% of the general population. mostly people whose family has history of it. no specific age but almost half of people diagnosed are adults or seniors.
prognosis
you can not be cured, but you can go through several treatments to help like: psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, medication, family therapy, creative therapy (art, music,etc) and clinical hypnosis.
interesting facts/stories
i heard a story of this young who is a veteran,. he had a nightmare one night and his nightmare he claimed felt very realistic. he explained it to someone close to him and that person said that it had happened to him in the past. he couldn't remember it at all ever happening to him. he came to find out that it was a memory that he blocked out and then found out he had dissociative amnesia. he now suffers from depression from lack of knowing about himself.
ongoing reasearch
studies on genetic factors contributing to DID present mixed findings. a study found that the risk of developing a DD increased 7x with child exposure to trauma.
controversies
some people say that dissociative disorders are diagnosed in people who are extremely vulnerable to suggestion.