Dissociative Amnesia - Psychiatry | Lecturio

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- Assessment of dissociative amnesia
- Types of memory
- Differential diagnosis for dissociative amnesia
- Other diagnoses
- Ganser syndrome
- Trauma
- Types and subtypes of amnesia
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Dr. Farrell is a Harvard Medical School faculty member and board certified psychiatrist with a private practice in Boston. She has experience in patient care, teaching and in treating psychological disorders in various settings, including the Emergency Department, inpatient units and outpatient settings.
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Dissociative Amnesia (Psychogenic Amnesia) - Causes and Treatment
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[@dharmabumpoetess]

I remember telling my parents I had memory loss when I was like 12. They said its not possible for someone that young not to remember things. I just remember certain bad events, like being locked in my room for days and stockpiling food, physical abuse, etc. but i feel like its worse than that I just dont want to remember. And I wont do therapy to remember.

[@kevinmatthews9469]

EMDR made it worse. For me at least. I knows it's helped many, but for me, it just brought up more garbage.

[@sky4946]

@@kevinmatthews9469 You have to bring it up before you can work through it to heal. We have to face it all, no matter how horrible it is.

[@kevinmatthews9469]

@@sky4946 You might be right. At least some of the time. 😉 Or for some, I should say.

[@erinstearns7265]

Same

[@angelagoins9384]

@@kevinmatthews9469 - Did you try EDMR through a therapist or on KZbin? I ask because I am considering trying it on KZbin, but still fear triggering something I don't want to mess with.

[@epictreasure]

It is very hard to try and be so present because you know youre likely to forget that important moment youre having.

[@ladyjane9980]

My memory lasts anywhere from 2 minutes. Luckily (under the circumstances) I remember my accident, so even though each day is 'the first' day, I don't panic and can go on with my day.

[@johnnycreighton29]

taking notes, by writing, voice recording, however one chooses, to me I have found helpful. Also, journaling or composing poetry.

[@chaosdweller]

Haha true.

[@mikelloyd3055]

Many people are distressed and upset by dissociative amnesia though. Finding out that time has been lost and not being able to account for it can be terrifying to many. Not being concerned, i.e. 'la belle indifference' seems more related to conversion symptoms, so saying that people are not distressed by DA isn't correct in every case.

[@maryamj1186]

I know right, it felt very inconsiderate and harsh to say. To not remember the most important details of your life, to have trouble remembering basic things that break you on your daily basis, educational or not. And to live your life forgetting most of it never having a concept of time. Is definitely upsetting.

[@krystalchavez1010]

Agree.

[@fatuusdottore]

La belle indifference indeed.

[@rayanebouarif1016]

THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU IT JUST DOESNT MAKE SENS IT LITERALLY MAKES ME FREAK OUT

[@amytrumbull156]

I have lost many years of my early childhood due to sexual abuse when I was 3 and again at 7. I have huge gaps in my memory and don’t remember most of my childhood. I also suffered from eating disorder, drug and alcohol abuse, nicotine use, depression, anxiety disorder and multiple suicide attempts. I’m now 52 and nearly seven years clean and sober and five years off cigarettes and I no longer suffer from depression or anxiety but I have developed chronic headaches and migraines which I still struggle with. Luckily I have discovered that eating a carnivore diet has helped my headaches where nothing else has. I think my brain is just hardwired now to be super sensitive and I attribute that to trauma. I’m now generally happy though and have good relationships with my family and kids. Thank god I stayed alive long enough to be able to really live!

[@crunchtimewalkthroughs2141]

Sorry about your childhood. It’s unfair to you and none of what you went through is your fault. I’m glad you were able to find a healthy way out for yourself. Many don’t. Sending you positive vibes. You are never alone.

[@user-vt9kd4no8j]

This is my story as well… only you’re giving me hope that things can get better, thanks 🙏

[@tiaramontgomery7822]

Could u talk more about amnesia from child sexual abuse, such as not remembering your childhood except a few flash like pictures

[@hellyellieb8822]

I have a similar experience. The flash like memories. I call them blips because they come at random times and have little to no context surrounding them. For example, remembering very clearly the driveway outside of a house and the weather that day, but not why i was there, who was there, and when that was. Does that sound like the memories you have?

[@AM-wu7tq]

@@hellyellieb8822 that’s what I have! I have a memory of being in the back of the car looking out through the rear view window , seeing the sunset, I don’t know whose car or who I was with. I also remember very inappropriate events leading up to abuse, that I suppose are abusive on their own but nothing past that. I can’t remember years worth of time spent with my abuser, only ‘trailers’ of what happened before? Sometimes I have intense flashbacks but I don’t seem to even recall them in full detail. I’m so glad someone else has similar experiences, I struggle with doubting myself!

[@hellyellieb8822]

@@AM-wu7tq It seems we all call it different names.. I guess there's a lot of us but it's so hard to describe, we never find each other. When I tried to explain this memory problem when I was in a therapy program, they didn't believe me because unless I try to place these blips in context, everything seems normal. Now I'm very hesitant to share this problem when seeing a mental health professional. I hope people start learning more about this. I suspect it's getting in the way of finding true support and help for many people

[@AM-wu7tq]

@@hellyellieb8822 I’m so glad you haven’t stopped sharing your story, I’m sure there are so many of us too! I hope us as survivors can support each other, the mental health system is definitely under researched and lacking in this department.... but I believe you ♥️ I hope we as survivors can find a support system with each other more and more

[@crestonhardcastle7631]

Yes it's real as crestons wife I experienced sexual abuse as a child it was buried learned to live in denial growing up in a alcoholic environment and a codependent mother who also grew up in a alcoholic father and a codependent mother and it's real but you can heal from it

[@maryamj1186]

Please never say that people with dissociative amnesia aren't concerened with their memory loss. It's extremely harsh. Invalidating what others go through isn't nice.

[@paisleywilson47]

!!!

[@johnnycreighton29]

I know! Right?

[@dydb]

Maybe she means they are unaware of it occurring

[@NopeNotTodaySatan]

I thought the same thing!!!

[@kevinbissinger]

it's not dissociative amnesia if you're aware it's happening and distressed by it. dissociation and amnesia by definition require a lack of awareness of the memory loss and its whole point of existing is to protect you from awareness. Being distressed about feeling like you have a shitty memory is not the same thing as being distressed that chunks of your life are missing and you have no clue they're missing and tell other people they're liars with certainty unless they have evidence. unless other people have been distressed by your amnesia and then you by proxy are upset at what happened to other people because of the memory loss' impact on others and its significance to your ability to live a healthy life

[@e.m7268]

Thank you Dr.Helen 🌸 Awesome explanation..

[@meriahb]

How can I describe my mom Since I was a child my mom was in her late twenties It's like her mind is on deserted island surrounded by fogs Since I was a child I heard my mother had a nervous breakdown She couldn't remember her birthday She couldnt remember her past She was in her own world She love babies She had plan to having a lot of kids She had gave each babies name She love keeping the house clean and reading the Bible Since I was a child I never see my mother had anxiety, depression or anything to make her feel down She was overprotective mother Sometimes my mom talk nonsense You wouldn't understand her What she talking about The doctor says she had mild schizophrenic or dementia I didn't see that in her When I was taking care of my mother She was going Mercy hospital for treatment She started going to the program by herself. She started being independent for herself One day I don't know What kind of medicine? They gave my mother But on that special day She asked me Where's her brother? I almost broke down and cried My older brother told me our uncle passed away a long time ago by accident The medicine was working and her memory is coming back. The medicine has side effect I'm remember that her tongue get swollen and irritated But thing change my father took my mother back home He had took her off the medicine maybe this might be the answer why? Something happened to my mother life something terrible that make her lose her memory When It was in the 60s I was birth in 1971 My mom passed away May 27th 2012 by stage 4 of cancer She didnt know her birthday System gave her birthday on December 12 1944 if she made on 12/12/12

[@kevinmatthews9469]

I don't mean to be rude, but this gal just just grates on my nerves. Don't act like we don't give a crap about our memory loss. It sucks. Just because we're not yelling about it, doesn't mean that we don't hate it.

[@kschell80]

i have dissociative amnesia

[@rabasa694]

Me too its like hell

[@_aidid]

Kara Schell Sorry to know that

[@cherrirose6960]

I have it and ive been put in bad things because I cannot remember that what those traumatic events

[@EzequielMartin55vf]

Same but no one asked u xd

[@ragdoll13]

Same

[@melissabird23]

I love the epigenetics component. I suffer from dissociative amnesia trying to heal from childhood trauma and it has ALWAYS been bothersome to me. I don’t know anyone who has experienced it who isn’t bothered by it. I’m not sure where you got the information that we’re cool with it

[@EstherIriarte]

I had childhood trauma that I shared with my sister. She remembers, and I don't. And I don't care that I don't. There. Now, you know at least one.

[@user-vt9kd4no8j]

The way I see it, for me it didn’t seem like I needed to remember my early childhood. I remembered the time in school as a blur with the good memories standing out. Now I’m concerned 😟

[@coalyboi7939]

This video literally matches perfectly

[@asoldiersvoice290]

Why do you say people don't get upset with dissociative amnesia? I get upset and I'm trying to recall details but can't.

[@beatriznapoli7417]

I saw this story about this boy that saved his friend from being choked to death. He remembered he blacked out only. Years later he found out he hadn't blacked out. He "stopped functioning" and he actually got the perpetrator and almost beat him to death. He "woke up" outside the building safe with his friend. After that episode, he couldn't stand the sight of blood and couldn't, like, defend himself from physical violence. And he lost that part of his memory, but to him it was because he had blacked out, he didn't know he had almost killed the perpetrator trying to save his friend. And that is why I'm here XD, I'm trying to figure ou if what that boy had was Dissociative amnesia

[@thelastvbuck]

Think I might have developed something like this from just really bad social anxiety. My brain just works on autopilot and has done for the past few years, and I barely actually remember things that happen in my life. I used to find awkward silences unbearable, but in this like permanent brain fog I'm just not affected anymore. Which I guess is sort of the point of the brain developing it. Unfortunately, not remembering things that happen in my life gives me nothing to talk about in conversations, which makes the social anxiety even worse.

[@solargoldfish]

Wonderful. Thank you.

[@maevebee9198]

How descriptive, thank you

[@thequeenofcringe6920]

I started to get amnesia since I went through trauma last year, I developed tics, an eating disorder, paralysis, joint locks, seizures, chronic fatigue and more in the span of less than a year. During October last year felt like hell. Every day I panicked and I couldn’t do anything. It felt like I was going to reexperince the same thing that caused all of this. The medication I was on at the time only made my OCD worse and it gave me bad thoughts and made me sh. Now I can barely remember a thing. I don’t know how I’m still in school. It’s only been a year. A goddamn year. Part of me wants to get admitted to a psych ward to just try and fix me. All of me wants to get answers. I’m tired of this fog hanging over my head like my memory is just on the other side. I’m only 15. I don’t remember my childhood. I don’t want to have this happen to me. I don’t know what my future even looks like. But then I remember that I’m so small compared to what’s actually out there and in the end nothing really matters

[@kgsuw]

How are you doing now?

[@shaistaghafoor4730]

Researches have proved that Dissociative Amnesia is not only a disorder, rather serves as a coping mechanism for childhood trauma such as sexual abuse. Therefore, Dissociative amnesia is often associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. What is your view point regarding it? Discuss your answer with logical reasoning and researches

[@jenniferjoyner7704]

At the age of 47 I would never thought this would happen to me

[@ralphcramden468]

I have experienced this so very hard it has kept me fucked up for a long time. I am now out of the hole and trying to walk away from it forever...

[@macehilmatecilof4140]

careful. I thought I got away from it before but fell right back into the hole. tattoo that stuff on your arm if you have to.

[@nicolaskim7779]

I was sexually abused with a child and had dissociative amnesia until I was 17, when I experienced flashbacks and panic attacks. Jesus helped me and healed me.

[@yahtziririos]

⁠@@nicolaskim7779that sounds kind of like my story… Nonetheless I’m glad the heavens are helping you fight your demons 👊 ❤

[@thecatdragon589]

i am diagnosed with this disorder. i just realized ive been dissociated my whole life and very likely will forget all of it. i am absolutely terrified.

[@jadeliddell3832]

i don’t know if i have this but i can’t really remember my childhood just traumatic parts and even now i don’t really remember much unless i write it down in the moment or take a picture to remind myself it actually happened.

[@scazdog]

This video is me with dissociative amnesia

[@super_seaton9016]

There seems to be different types of this. I have just forgotten certain traumatic events right after they happen. I only forget like 5-10 minutes max. I don't know if It counts as dissociative amnesia or not. It only happens when I can't handle my emotions. I looked it up and dissociative amnesia is what I found, but I will just consider them to be memory blackouts and won't tell people I have amnesia, because I can still remember everything else.

[@kanishkarora]

Hi hope you're having a nice day. I have a condition similar to yours . Would u let me know in detail how ur situation is and if u found an answer. For me it's like i know something happened i just have trouble recalling it and remembering it in detail like I'd go out with someone and I'd be able to tell exactly what we did throughout the day but I'd remember only short frames of the day like if it was foggy

[@tabora_]

I forgot going to Disney about 3 days after I went. I can't even remember which parks I went to. My ONLY memory is frozen butter beer,, and I literally forget EVERYTHING. I have very few clips of memories/pictures that I have to strain to remember.

[@alexstrauss5264]

i have no idea if this is disssociative amnesia but like basically it was 6 am i was fucking around waasting time watching videos and then suddenly im standing and its like an hour later no sleep i never felt like i just woke up, i had been staying up for the past three days too.

[@jacoboddie5364]

I've had amnesia at one point quite recently, a couple of months ago I was on a proper bender, loads of alcohol and cocaine for three days straight. There was suddenly a point where I attained consciousness and I couldn't remember anything about myself, when I looked into the mirror I looked into the visage of a stranger and as I have two full sleeves on my arms. I remember looking at my arms and having a complete freak out wondering who would ever do something like that to their arms. All this was happening while I was with one of my friends who was obviously traumatised by the one person they felt safe around falling into these erratic and violent tendencies. I remember running off from the hotel that we were staying in and somehow finding a hospital. All I can really say is, amnesia is a fucking terrifying experience, I haven't even fully gone into how awful it was, when you look into the mirror you don't recognise your face as yours and that's probably the worse thing I can remember from it. Aside from the moment where I had a mental breakdown from having tattoos, because for me, tattoos are a great pleasure

[@macehilmatecilof4140]

I've never had full on amnesia where I dont know who I am, but I've forgotten some heavy shit for months on end. and then randomly those memories will hit me like a brick. absolutly fucking terrifying. It annoys me when they said the person isn't concerned. I get what they mean, but someone might take that the wrong way. It is tremendously concerning.

[@komalsheikh6214]

Well explained ..recommended me any abnormal psychology book ..in which explained disorders their symptoms etiology and treatment ...please

[@jenniferjoyner7704]

What scares me is how did I get to and from places I've had some people have known me for years such as my friend Dorothy she's been a registered nurse for 35 years she said I was acting strange and it was not like Jennifer my friend Patty and a few other people that I was acting this way then it was talking about things did not make sense the therapist is this possible along with the PTSD and I was always diagnosed with exoti a few years ago

[@ionlycomment4684]

I’m here cus I was at little sisters birthday, I’m as there then skipped like 2 minutes and they had already song happy birthday to her and I have no memory even when they told me what I did, they said I was the one going “cha cha cha” but I don’t remember it

[@Lagw1020]

That's...not Dissociative amnesia.

[@PeanutButtNut01]

My subconscious deflects when I get near the “Time Loss”, I can’t even figure out what age range it was around. I packaged it into a box and it lives in the center of my mind, I just try not to touch it.

[@mujathepaganprepper7610]

What??? I'm horrified by the amnesia!!!

[@kimtaeyeonismyeverything]

I’m glad I have this tbh. Body’s defense mechanism

[@claireisva3873]

And the treatment is?

[@kenkenshiro6779]

How about coming off anti psychosis drugs and other pills been on over 20 years? It's been nearly 9 months 3 months past the trial. But covid has prolonged me getting a review and discharge from the system. It was hell with no support.

[@jenniferjoyner7704]

I was given a referral because I lost a year my memory book prior to that I went through 15 years a harassment stalking bullying through the state of Maryland due to my son being abused in the Baltimore County public schools also Baltimore City threatened to have my son taken away and then also I was around people that we're not real good either but I also had some good people all I know and can recall is bits and pieces of me not of things being gray or not with it and then completely blacking out

[@dukedex5043]

I keep getting a flashback of being a baby with somethign outside of me hurting me but I don't know what. I don't know what to do but googling brought me here.

[@macdmacd7896]

DID or Split DO NOT give a F about most memories, cos those memories r batshit crazy F-up. must not spoil my sunny day with lost memories.

[@Jerry-yd8pj]

Ikr

[@raydromeda3777]

My life feels like a slideshow diary, instead of a fleshed out autobiography.

[@Portia620]

Great I got dementia and I couldn’t even remember how old my kids were in my 40s but I had an auto immune disorder and complex PTSD and I struggled and forgot what I did two hours ago complete lost chunks of time parts of my life and it did bug me I knew something was wrong so do I have dementia now because it’s coming back dimension doesn’t come back I had neuropsychological testing they said everything was normal. My cortisol levels were out the roof that was what my doctor said and inflammation in my body because my pituitary gland is .001 shut down because I had an auto immune disorder for 10 years that was eating my bones away and my body was burning fat faster than a damn hummingbird surprised I didn’t go into a thyroid storm!

[@shirleyross4314]

Lecturio Metical What do psychiatrist mean when the let a watch swing back and forth in front of you?

[@paulatreides0777]

Shirley Ross it’s an hypnosis technique to tap into the unconscious.

[@samiulhaque7794]

What's a amnesia?🤔

[@jenniferjoyner7704]

I was told yes long-term trauma can affect you like that when I went to my doctor's appointment the other day the doctor asked me did I remember coming in in November I was too embarrassed to tell her no So I responded Yes but I actually did not remember seeing her in November regular physician who told me a few weeks ago that I had some issues with my heart and it was noted in November then she gave me the information to the heart doctor and I want recently all I know is last night I came in and I cried in the basement because that really upset me the reason why I responded Yes because when I told people this is happened to me when I lost my memory they look at me like I've lost my tree I was diagnosed where my long-term memory is excellent it's something to do with the short-term memory in the last year-and-a-half is there any treatment for this and will I ever get better a person rambunctious and doing things in the community

[@natalie9884]

As an Identical Twin whose twin does not suffer mental illnesses like I do, could my (extreme dissociation) have been triggered in a similar way as my sister’s (rare) autoimmune disease was? Actually only two people in Canada had it at that time in the 90s! I know the nervous system is all connected, and also plays a role in auto immune diseases showing up.

[@vandanamaurya3957]

I am 17 I had a head blow while playing cricket I only remember 50% of anything I did in past What kind of amnesia us that ?

[@Anarpea_A]

I guess it's brain issues

[@mikejaysonsaba8634]

What herb can cause this? ....

[@danw1374]

The drug Ketamine causes this (It's a dissociative anaesthetic and hallucinogen). Marijuana can trigger it as well.

[@another_one2852]

So I have dissociative amnesia and dementia at the age of 23? And have for all my life (of trauma)? Suuurreee lol

[@JoseLopez-bs1wj]

How do you deal with it any advice my friend has it

[@thequeenofcringe6920]

Me watching this not being able to remember a thing afterwards

[@brujaarbol]

bestie, wym dementia 🧍🏻‍♀️?

[@mikejaysonsaba8634]

#doubletrouble

[@Mrscreamcheeselover]

K I have did and the amnesia sucks

[@FerretMother]

Brittany-J yes, same here.

[@gitanjalipuri1709]

Amisha patel!

[@LilChay]

POV you’re here cause of Omori

[@thequeenofcringe6920]

Hold up hold up I think a memory is about to resurface but I have no Idea, something to do with multiple people 😭

[@JoseLopez-bs1wj]

How do you manage it i have a friend that started having 2 personatys and forgets things

[@gitanjalipuri1709]

Lazy lamhe !

[@im19ice3]

its a fake scenario and i dont even go here but i theorise a fugue

[@iliabadry9736]

holocaustS?

[@TheNaroCroc]

You need to get up to date. The DSM-5 was released in 2013 and you're stil calling amnesia "disassociation." Shame on you.

[@DenverNuggets212]

100% wrong about dissociative amnesia

[@cabococarlos1936]

Congratulations I am an atheist as well

[@TheNaroCroc]

Look at all these comments of people you encouraged to fake amnesia!!

[@tiffanytapia]

I find your lecture to be offensive, uninformed, and arrogant. I sincerely hope you switch fields into something not patient related.

[@majie_mj]

And again another materialistic dogmatic science material😪

[@SouthOfSanity79]

Watch my dad died when I was six immediately wound up with a fucking child rapist after that for several years. Enlisted in the military when I was 17 years old after 23 years there and multiple tours between Iraq and Afghanistan... Well I'm 43 years old now... .... And out of those 43 years... Quite literally about 30 of those years I barely remember but it's not 30 consecutive years. It's spread out a bit. I'll tell you I don't even know who the fuck I am anymore. It's miserable. The older I'm getting the worse it seems to be getting. I'm about to start or form of treatment for the very first time and I fucking pray that it works. I mean I've got my five daughters and I'm so damn lucky and blessed to have them because without them I would have killed myself a long long time ago.