What is dissociative amnesia?

What is dissociative amnesia?

Dissociative amnesia is a condition in which a person cannot remember important information about their life. This forgetting may be limited to certain specific areas (thematic), or may include much of the person’s life history and/or identity (general).

In some rare cases called dissociative fugue, the person may forget most or all of their personal information (name, personal history, friends), and may sometimes even travel to a different location and adopt a completely new identity. In all cases of dissociative amnesia, the person has a much greater memory loss than would be expected in the course of normal forgetting.

Dissociative amnesia is one of a group of conditions called dissociative disorders. Dissociative disorders are mental illnesses in which there is a breakdown of mental functions that normally operate smoothly, such as memory, consciousness or awareness, and identity and/or perception.

Dissociative symptoms can be mild, but they can also be so severe that they keep the person from being able to function. They can also affect relationships and work activities.