A Frightening Blank
Amnesia Due to Trauma
By Rae Hamilton
Sometimes, after a traumatizing or stressful event, a person's brain may actually try block out the memory of the event- and others. This is known as dissociative amnesia. Dissociative amnesia is not simple memory loss, nor is it the same as average amnesia. Rather, it is a type of defense mechanism in the brain. Normal amnesia results from a disease or brain injury and actually involves the loss of information. Dissociative amnesia is known as a way that your brain deals with the trauma by simply burying the information within the person's mind. Over time, the memories may resurface on their own or by being triggered by another event or object. Contrary to popular belief, in most cases, the patient does not lose their full memory. Rather, they lose all memory of the event as well as bits and pieces of personal information and things near the time of the event.
The Brain and Research
Research and Extras
A woman went to China on a trip at the age of 29. She was found passed out in a bathroom with no known cause. She was observed over time to see the duration and how it effected her. Nearly 10 months later, her memory was triggered by the feeling of blood on her fingers. She remembered that she had witnessed a murder in China and been unable to help the victim because it would endanger her life as well. Over time, she remembered most of her memories, but a few small pieces of information from her life never returned.
Symptoms
-inability to recall past information
-confusion
-anxiety
-depression
-limited concentration
-judgement is limited
Some who suffer from dissociative amnesia can also become suicidal or homicidal due to frustration.
HERE ARE SOME GREAT SOURCES FOR MORE INFO!
Works Cited:
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/dissociative-amnesia
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/294508-overview#aw2aab6b3
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19301997
pictures from:
http://njms2.umdnj.edu/smbiweb/learningandmemory_amnesia.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrospective_memory
http://neurowiki2013.wikidot.com/individual:functional-amnesia
CHECK OUT THIS INFORMATIONAL VIDEO!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?nomobile=1&edufilter=TkZEbkhj6lafXjw2-aQZcw&v=qHA8lPVgtmY&spfreload=10