Dissociative Amnesia

Clinical Psychology Assignment -III

Anushka Barsagade
Abhay
Dhruti
Pranav
 INTRODUCTION
• Dissociative amnesia is a disorder characterized by retrospectively reported memory gaps.

• These gaps involve an inability to recall personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful
nature.

• These memories are often distressing or upsetting events. It’s most likely to happen with severe
or long-term trauma, especially experiencing abuse, neglect or violence of any kind.

• Dissociative amnesia is uncommon, but experts also aren’t sure how uncommon it really is.
Estimates range from as low as 0.2% to as high as 7.3%. The American Psychiatric Association
estimates about 1.8% of people experience it each year
 Symptoms
The main symptom of dissociative amnesia is memory loss

•Localized: Memory loss affects everything within a short, specific time period in your life.

•Selective: Memory loss affects one event or all events of a certain type within a specific time period in your
life. Experts sometimes call this “patchy” amnesia because it affects certain memories but not others.

•Generalized: Memory loss affects everything within a longer period (months or years).

•Continuous: This is the anterograde form of dissociative amnesia. “Anterograde” means it affects your ability
to form new memories, so this is memory loss that happens as events occur.

•Systematized: Memory loss that affects everything under a particular topic or category. It can also apply to a
specific person or multiple people (like your family).
.
 Symptoms
•Lack of awareness. People with dissociative amnesia may not realize they have gaps in their memory. This can last
until memory loss affects part of their sense of identity or if someone brings up or asks something a person knows
they should remember but can’t.

•Flashbacks. People with dissociative amnesia may develop flashbacks as they regain their memories. People who
have them describe them as reliving a traumatic event or experience to the point where they can’t tell it apart from
reality.

•Confusion or disorientation. People with dissociative amnesia may seem unaware, or like they’re having trouble
understanding what’s going on around them. In very severe cases, people may not seem or be aware of their own
identity.

•Relationship and trust issues. People with dissociative amnesia often have trouble forming friendships or romantic
attachments.

•Travel or wandering - When someone wanders or travels during a period they can’t remember, it’s known as
dissociative fugue. This is rare, and the memory loss usually only affects brief periods.
 Causes
• Psychological trauma: Overwhelming stress or trauma can trigger dissociative amnesia as a coping
mechanism.

• Childhood trauma: Early experiences of abuse or neglect increase the risk of developing dissociative
disorders later in life.

• Severe stress: Major life changes, financial issues, or relationship problems can lead to dissociative
amnesia episodes.

• Biological factors: Genetic predispositions and alterations in brain functioning may contribute to
dissociative amnesia.

• Personality traits: Certain characteristics, like a tendency to avoid distressing emotions, may make
individuals more susceptible to dissociative symptoms.

• Environmental factors: Growing up in unstable or traumatic environments can increase the likelihood of
developing dissociative disorders.

• Substance abuse: Alcohol and drugs can impair memory function and heighten vulnerability to
dissociative experiences.
Risk Factors
• When the trauma is longer-lasting, repeated or more severe, that usually makes this
condition worse.
• Research also shows there may be a link to genetics. While genes can’t cause dissociative
amnesia on their own, they can lower the threshold for it to happen.

For some people, dissociative anemia may last weeks or months. For others, it may be
permanent. Your healthcare provider can tell you more about what you may expect with
what’s happening to you.
Child vs. Adult presentation

• Dissociative Amnesia is more common among young adults than in older adults but can
occur at any age past infancy.
• It is difficult to assess in preadolescent children, as it may be confused with inattention,
anxiety, psychosis, oppositional behavior, or developmentally appropriate childhood
amnesia.
• Dissociative Amnesia is more common among women than men.
 Comorbidity
There are other conditions that can happen along with DA. These are
called comorbid conditions and can include:
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

•Depression

• Anxiety disorders

• Personality disorders

• Sleep disorders

• Alcohol or drug use disorders

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5),
the following criteria must be met for a diagnosis of dissociative amnesia to be made

•Not just forgetting, but being unable to recall important personal information

•Being significantly distressed or impaired by the memory loss

•The memory loss isn’t a result of drug use, a neurological or medical condition, or another psychiatric
disorder
 Assessment
What tests will be done to diagnose this condition?
•Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, Electroencephalogram (EEG).

•Blood and lab tests to look for evidence of other conditions or toxic substances that could contribute to your
symptoms

Diagnostic Tools
• The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) measures dissociative experiences, the most recent version is
the DES-II

• The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D) is an interactive, semi-
structured interview for assessing dissociative symptoms and disorders in adults and adolescents based on
Dr. Steinberg's innovative Five Component Model of Dissociation Assessment (amnesia, depersonalization,
derealization, identity confusion, and identity alteration).
 Treatment
The treatment for dissociative amnesia depends on the severity of a person’s memory loss. If the memory loss
spans a short period, supportive therapy is usually the first-line treatment.
Individuals with more severe memory loss require more care, including a safe, supportive environment, which
helps them naturally recover lost memories. If that is unsuccessful, a person can undergo hypnosis. Doctors use
hypnosis carefully because retrieving these memories can also lead to memories of a traumatic situation.

•Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This explores underlying conflict or trauma and unhealthy thought
patterns. Once someone recognizes these negative thoughts, they can challenge them with coping strategies.
•Eye movement desensitizing and reprocessing (EMDR): This helps minimize stress from previous
traumatic experiences by combining CBT with visualization.
•Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): This teaches coping strategies that help a person deal with destructive
thoughts. It also helps a person regulate their emotions.
 Treatment
•Psychodynamic therapy: This focuses on exploring underlying unconscious dynamics contributing to
symptoms and distress.

•Family therapy: This gets the whole family involved in the treatment process. With family therapy,
other family members are also taught how to recognize symptoms of the condition and the best
methods to help their loved ones deal with them.

•Creative therapy: This involves therapy methods like art therapy or music therapy. These forms of
therapy allow you to explore difficult emotions and feelings in an environment you feel safe and
comfortable in.

•There’s currently no medication for the treatment of dissociative amnesia. However, your doctor
might sometimes prescribe medication to deal with other symptoms that might be associated with the
condition. These symptoms typically include anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances.
References
https://fscj.pressbooks.pub/abnormalpsychology/chapter/dissociative-amnesia-300-12/

https://www.healthline.com/health/dissociative-amnesia#takeaway

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/dissociative-amnesia

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990548/

https://www.verywellmind.com/dissociative-amnesia-definition-symptoms-causes-treatment-5
207937#citation-5