Dissociative amnesia is a type of memory loss that is triggered by a traumatic experience, rather than an illness or head injury. It can lead to depression and behavioral changes, and is treated with therapy and sometimes antidepressants. Hidden memories may return with time and treatment.
When a person has amnesia, they have memory loss. The person may not be able to remember recent or past people, things, places, and events. This can be a chronic or sudden memory impairment. There are different types of amnesia. Dissociative amnesia is a type of memory loss that typically follows a traumatic experience.
Unlike most types of amnesia, dissociative amnesia is not usually induced by an illness or head injury. Instead, it is generally an agonizing type of experience that triggers the condition. Dissociative amnesia is different from normal forgetfulness. One particular characteristic that an individual with this condition may exhibit is an inability to recall highly personal information. Generally, the information is related to a particular event, which may be buried so deeply in the subconscious that a person is unable to recall its details.
There are a number of events that can lead a person to dissociative amnesia. For example, a traumatic sexual experience like rape can cause this to happen. Being brutally attacked, robbed, surviving a serious injury or illness are further reasons that can cause this severe memory suppression. In some cases, a person with this type of amnesia may have been indirectly affected by a disturbing situation. An example of this might be witnessing the illness or death of a loved one, witnessing a horrific car accident, or seeing someone else being brutally attacked.
A person with dissociative amnesia may become depressed due to their inability to remember. He or she may be alienated from family members and friends. This may be due to embarrassment or anger at not being able to remember what happened. Confusion can also be experienced by a person with amnesia. As the individual struggles with their memory loss, there may be some behavioral and temperamental changes and the person may be more aggressive or reserved than usual.
To diagnose dissociative amnesia, a doctor will usually examine the patient extensively. The doctor will typically be careful to ensure there is no visual injury to the head. In some cases, diagnostic imaging tests may be required to rule out any internal head injuries. After the physical exam, the doctor may attempt to conduct an interview to gather as much information from the patient as possible. If there are no indications or reports of physical injury, the person may be referred to a psychiatrist for further evaluation.
In most cases, treatment for dissociative amnesia will involve some type of therapy. With therapy, various psychological techniques can be used to unravel the event that led to the onset of amnesia. Family therapy can also be used to teach the whole family how to cope with a family member with this condition. If the amnesia has led the person to depression, antidepressants may also be prescribed in some cases. Generally, with treatment and time, hidden memories in a person with this type of amnesia can return on their own, although there are cases where the memories remain suppressed.
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