Dissociative Amnesia
Dissociative disorders are characterised by disruptions in memory, problems with identity, processing emotions, and distortion with a sense of self. Dissociative amnesia is a psychological disorder in which a patient is not able to recall personal information due to unaddressed trauma or stress. This disorder differs from normal forgetfulness as a patient cannot even remember the most basic information regarding oneself or about an event. Dissociative Amnesia symptoms, Dissociative Amnesia treatment, what is Dissociative Amnesia, and every other detail is discussed in the blog. Therefore, read on to learn more.
What is dissociative amnesia?
Dissociative amnesia is a condition wherein a patient is unable to recall his or her personal information. The patient cannot remember their name, occupation, any detail of personal history, or information about family or friends. This psychological disorder can be triggered by stress, trauma, or any other psychological conflict.
Common Myths and Misconceptions
Myth 1: Dissociative amnesia is caused only when a person meets with an accident or because of a physical accident. Fact 1: False. For a person to suffer from dissociative amnesia, the trauma does not always have to be physical.
Myth 2: Dissociative amnesia is simply a permanent loss of memory. Fact 2: False. Dissociative amnesia is a short-lived loss of memory that can be resolved with therapy.
Myth 3: Only adults suffer from dissociative amnesia. Fact 3: False. Adults as well as children can exhibit symptoms of dissociative amnesia.
Statistics and Facts
On a global level, dissociative disorder affects 1.5% of the total population. It has also been observed that women suffer more from dissociative disorders. This fact is partly true because men generally avoid seeking help to treat unresolved trauma or do not report any abuse.
Types of Dissociative Amnesia
- Localised Dissociative Amnesia Localised dissociative amnesia is when a patient is unable to recall certain events during a specific point or period. There are gaps in the memory, often due to stress or trauma.
- Selective Dissociative Amnesia Selective Dissociative Amnesia is when a patient is unable to recall certain portions of an event. That patient cannot recount every event but can only remember parts of it.
- Generalised Dissociative Amnesia Commonly found among people who are recovering from a traumatic life event like a sexual assault or physical trauma. This is a rare form of amnesia that erases the identity of a person and makes him or her forget life skills and even memories of the entire life.
- Systemised Dissociative Amnesia Patients suffering from systemised dissociative amnesia lose memories related to a specific category. For instance, they might forget a complete trip to a country and might forget the memories, the country's culture, and so on.
- Continuous Dissociative Amnesia Continuous dissociative amnesia is when a patient forgets details about the latest events as they happen. This prohibits a person from creating new memories while remembering the previous ones.
What Causes Dissociative Amnesia?
- Experiencing sexual and physical abuse during childhood can leave a mark on a person’s memory. This kind of a mishap can trigger dissociative amnesia as victims would automatically want to delete such events from their memory.
- Surviving fatal accidents like narrowly escaping death in a car crash can cause psychological trauma. Such events can subconsciously cause stress, and a person can suffer from dissociative amnesia.
- Brain damage or neurological disorders have also proven to impair the brain’s ability to retain memories. This can not only be a cause of dissociative amnesia but also of other neurological problems that affect memory retention.
- Witnessing dangerous and catastrophic events like natural disasters can trigger dissociative amnesia. The brain tries to eliminate these events from the mind as a defence mechanism.
- Other psychological problems like prolonged exposure to stress or anxiety can cause dissociative amnesia. Losing loved ones, long-term financial issues, problems in marriage, and so on can make it difficult for a person to retain information and make new memories.
What Are The Symptoms of Dissociative Amnesia?
- The inability of a patient to recall basic personal information like major life events or experiences.
- Depression and anxiety are also associated with dissociative amnesia. A person feels incompetent and inefficient when conversing with people as he or she starts forgetting enough details.
- Confusion is another common symptom of dissociative amnesia. Patients tend to eliminate details of traumatic events from their memory.
- Symptoms of worsening dissociative amnesia are forgetting details of co-workers and family members whom they meet every day.
How is Dissociative Amnesia Diagnosed?
The diagnosis includes an initial medical evaluation that rules out injuries to the brain. Therapists try to understand if a patient is addicted to any substances to learn more about the cause. If no cause is found, patients are referred to mental health professionals. They interview patients and try to understand the cause of the disorder. This evaluation is conducted to assess symptoms, behaviours, thoughts, and overall functioning of the brain. Before receiving any therapy, patients must meet the following diagnostic criteria:
- Patients must exhibit distinct identities with varying behaviours, memories, etc.
- There must be ongoing gaps in the memory and a rough detail about previous traumas.
- These symptoms must impair routine functioning and have an adverse impact on the patient’s life.
Additional diagnostic tools like questionnaires, family meetings, structured interviews, and so on are also used to diagnose dissociative amnesia.
How is Dissociative Amnesia Treated?
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is particularly helpful for treating patients suffering from dissociative fugue. Suggestive techniques and persuasion help patients create a secure environment and renew themselves. Here are some of the most effective psychotherapy techniques:
- Supportive Therapy: This therapy helps a patient suffering from dissociative amnesia by creating an empathetic environment. Patients are encouraged to share their experiences according to their convenience. This heals the patients and leads to a more gradual pace of recovery of patients.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) cannot help a patient to revive his or her memories but can help in building a healthy coping mechanism. Therapists usually administer the therapy when a patient is aware of the disorder, is suffering from anxiety and grief but is stable enough to recover. However, CBT can help reintegrate fragmented memories and regulate positive emotions.
- Mindfulness-Based Therapy (MBT): MBT makes a patient focus on the present moment by introducing techniques like deep breathing, enhancing body awareness, and so on. The patient and the therapist try to deconstruct the present in such a manner that suppressed memories are processed gradually. The main aim is to rebuild the lost identity of the patient and make them able enough to live life anew.
- Hypnotherapy: Deeply buried memories can be brought back. However, patients are made to relax before the therapy starts. Under controlled circumstances, patients are made to recall traumatic events that have been pushed back into the subconscious. Therapists try to integrate them into conscious awareness and face those fears bravely. Emotional conflicts that are tied to the trauma are resolved so that patients can regain their sense of identity.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Therapists try for the patient to recall repressed memories to lower their emotional intensity. Trauma-Focused therapy is effective in managing the psychological impact of trauma and recalling these memories without any further impact on the memory. Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective technique to execute this therapy.
Drug-Assisted Intervention
Benzodiazepine is an effective drug administered only in extreme cases wherein therapy is not proving to be helpful. The aim is to recall memory and ease the integration of dissociative incidents so that patients can lead a normal life. The drugs are given through intravenous drip, which helps a patient to relax and answer ordinary as well as trauma-centric questions.
Supportive Environment
A supportive environment enables a patient to recover lost memories and face trauma without triggering any emotional reaction. The aim is to address problems related to amnesia and prevent any related mental health disorders like anxiety, stress, or depression. Gradual recovery of self is essential for a wholesome recovery and prevention of deterioration.
Living with Dissociative Amnesia
- A person suffering from dissociative amnesia can do nothing to jog his or her memory. Therefore, patients must not try to do so forcefully.
- Seek professional help so that the damage can be prevented from getting worse. Anxiety and fear come with dissociative amnesia. Therefore, make sure you share such details with the mental health professional.
- Confusion and disorientation are normal for a person recovering from dissociative amnesia. Therefore, communicate such symptoms as soon as possible.
- Seek space and time when necessary. Inform your friends and family so that self-awareness settles in. Self-education regarding the disorder and the treatment is necessary for a wholesome recovery.
How to Support Loved Ones
- Learn about the disorder as soon as the patient is diagnosed with dissociative amnesia. Friends and family must be aware of the disorder to ensure the proper recovery of the patient.
- Be patient with the patient. Family and friends need to understand that treatment for such psychological disorders can be time-consuming and frustrating for the patient. Therefore, staying calm and patient is essential.
- Take them to therapy if symptoms get severe. Forcing therapy onto them is not the right way to seek treatment. Therefore, take them to a psychologist before starting the treatment.
- Practicing compassion and empathy are the best ways to deal with a person suffering from dissociative amnesia. Work closely with the psychiatrist to prevent relapse or to prevent the situation from getting worse.
Jagruti Treatment and Recovery
- Latest Technological Tools The latest technological techniques, like online treatment sessions for patients who are working or attending school, are available. Patients are under CCTV supervision, which enables the management to maintain a high level of security. The privacy of patient information is ensured by the management, and certified professional staff is hired at every level.
- In-Patient and Out-Patient Treatment Programs Jagruti Rehab Centre offers in-patient and outpatient treatment programs to patients suffering from psychological disorders. In-patient programs include the provision of balanced meals to patients, clean and hygienic rooms, and 24/7 help from nursing staff.
- Expert Mental Health Professionals Jagruti Rehab Centre has the best counsellors, psychologists, and other mental health professionals on board. This centre ensures wholesome recovery, which includes relapse prevention of patients while taking care of any comorbidities. Diet charts are planned after considering all kinds of religious and cultural factors for the maximum comfort of patients.
- Tailored Therapies and Counselling Therapists at Jagruti Rehab Centre consider the fact that no two patients are the same. Every patient comes with a unique set of problems and at certain times is suffering from more than a psychological disorder. Therefore, mental health experts ensure that each patient receives specific attention and administer complementary therapies for maximum effectiveness.