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dissociative amnesia

psychology

Quick Summary

Dissociative amnesia is a psychological condition where an individual loses memory of important personal information, often due to severe stress or trauma. Unlike amnesia caused by brain injury or illness, the memories are not truly lost but are psychologically repressed as a coping mechanism. This condition can manifest in various ways, including the inability to recall specific events or periods, or even a complete loss of personal identity and history, sometimes leading to a "fugue state" where the person travels and adopts a new identity.123

Dissociative amnesia can be localized, selective, continuous, or systematized. It is typically reversible, often resolving suddenly, though recurrences are possible. Treatment usually involves psychotherapy to help recover memories and process the underlying trauma.13

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