Types of Dissociative Amnesia & Some Warning Signs to look out for

A Quick Guide

Dissociative amnesia is a condition that is frequently associated with memory loss. People with different types of dissociative amnesia may have trouble recalling important details about themselves or those around them. They might not be able to recall specifics like their name, address, and identity. This memory loss happens in the form of episodes that typically start out abruptly and can linger for a few hours, a few days, or even a few weeks. Dissociative amnesia is frequently observed to be caused by traumatic or stressful circumstances, such as childhood trauma, abuse, neglect, etc. It may also be caused by problems with one’s identity or past events. Below we will discuss the different types of dissociative amnesia.

Types of Dissociative Amnesia

The most common dissociative disorder is dissociative amnesia.

People who have this illness experience amnestic episodes where they forget critical personal information. These amnesia attacks are long-lasting and exceed ordinary forgetfulness. 

Some of the types of dissociative amnesia are discussed below: 

Continuous amnesia

A person who experiences this kind of amnesia forgets every new incident as it happens. This persistent forgetting may be brought on by a particularly traumatic incident.

Dissociative fugue

People with dissociative amnesia occasionally experience dissociative fugue. Only 0.2% of the general population is affected by this severe and uncommon condition.

It typically manifests itself as a sudden, abrupt departure from one’s home. Dissociative fugue can cause a person to roam around confused and disoriented. Additionally, a person could experience memory loss and lose the capacity to identify familiar faces. It might only persist for a few hours or it might last for weeks.

People appear to behave reasonably normally throughout the fugue. But after it’s over, they’re in a bizarre new scenario all of a sudden.

For instance, someone might occasionally start a new job, adopt a new identity, and effectively start a new life.

Generalized amnesia

Someone who entirely forgets their own identity and past experiences is said to have this unusual form of amnesia. They have the capacity to forget who they are, whom they spoke with, their whereabouts, their activities, and their feelings. Some individuals who experience widespread amnesia may also forget previously learned skills.

This type of amnesia frequently affects those who have been sexually assaulted, have served in the military, or have been in violent conflict.

Localized amnesia

A person with localized amnesia leaves a memory gap because they are unable to recollect a particular incident or series of events. These memory lapses are frequently linked to trauma or stress. 

For instance, someone who was abused as a child might not remember anything about it. People who suffer from localized amnesia frequently experience multiple episodes of memory loss.

Selective amnesia

Selective amnesia is the loss of only a segment of one’s memories from a specific time. 

For instance, this can entail remembering only a piece of a distressing occurrence.

Systematized amnesia

A loss of memories involving a particular group or person is referred to as systematic amnesia. For instance, a person can lose all memories of a certain person.

Warning Signs of Dissociative Amnesia 

Try to recognize the warning signs and symptoms of dissociative amnesia and get assistance accordingly. If you experience any of the following symptoms, it’s critical to see a doctor for treatment:

• A feeling of distance from your environment
• Confused wandering especially for those who experience dissociative fugue
• Feeling as though someone else is in control of your body or your activities 
• Inability to recall one’s own identity

We hope you found this article useful in learning more about Dissociative amnesia along with its types and warning signs.