DISSOCIATIVE DISORDER
Dissociative Disorder is a group of disorders characterized by a disorder or
dissociation of identity, memory, or consciousness functions. Dissociative disorders
consist of four types, namely: dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue,
depersonalization disorder, and dissociative identity disorder. Individuals who suffer
from this disorder are unable to remember important personal events or for a while
forget their identity or even form a new identity. They can even go far from their original
residence.
A. DISSOCIATIVE AMNESIA
Dissociative amnesia is the loss of memory after a stressful event. A person
with dissociative amnesia is unable to absorb important information, usually
after a stressful episode. The information is not permanently lost but cannot be
recalled during an episode of amnesia. Lost memory includes all individuals
within a certain period of time after a traumatic event.
1. Types of Dissociative Amnesia
• Localized amnesia, where events occur within a certain period of
time are lost from memory. The person cannot recall for a few hours,
or days after a stressful event. Example: plane crash
• Selective amnesia people forget only the specific things that are
annoying, which are present in a certain period of time. Example: A
father can remember all the robberies in his house, but cannot
remember the time when his son was held hostage and stabbed with a
knife
• Total Amnesia, a person who forgets his whole life. However, they
tend to stick to their habits, tastes, and skills. Example: A student can
remember his childhood and youth until he enters university, but he
forgets everything that happened after the beginning of college when
a friend died from falling from the 3rd floor
2. Symptoms of dissociative amnesia
Symptoms of amnesia depend on the cause, but generally include:
• Memory loss
• Confusion
• Inability to recognise faces or places
• Once the person recovers, they usually can't remember their amnesia
episode
• Most people with dissociative amnesia are at least depressed or suffer
greatly with their amnesia
3. Diagnostic Criteria based on DSM-IV
A. Predominant disorder is one or more episodes of inability to remember
important personal information, usually traumatic or stressful, that are too
broad to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.
B. The disorder does not occur exclusively during the course of a
Dissociative Identity Disorder, Dissociative Fugue, Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder, or Somatization Disorder and is not due
to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., substance abuse,
medication) or any other general medical condition (e.g., Amnestic
Disorder due to Head Trauma)
C. Symptoms cause clinically meaningful suffering or impairment of social,
occupational, or other vital functions.
Case examples :
In a state of confusion, Dory went to the center of the mental health crisis, tears
streaming down her face. "I don't know where I live or who I am! Can someone help
me?" The crisis team helped search for her bag, but found nothing, only a photo of a
little blonde girl. Dory falls asleep and becomes exhausted, she sleeps in a bed that can
calm her down. The crisis team called local police to find out if there were any reports
of missing persons. The little girl in the photo is Dory's daughter. He was hit by a car in
a full parking lot at a shopping center. Despite the wound with a broken leg, the girl was
able to rest comfortably in a hospital nursing room. Dory showed up and walked around
for a few hours. He left his wallet and other identity cards with the hospital's social
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workers in the emergency room. When Dory wakes up, she can remember who she is
and the environment of the accident, but she can't remember what happened.
