A comparison between the six cases and previously reported cases of amnesia exposed the general characteristics of this disorder. Three of the patients believed they had names of other persons; and the two of the recalled personal histories completely different from their own (Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi: 1989; 91(4):260-93).
In a continuous amnesia, the amnesia covers the entire period without interruption from a traumatic event in the past to the present. The individual has no memory for events beginning from a certain point in the past continuing up to the present.
The significant distress within the individual is caused by the malfunction of his or her consciousness, memory, identity, or perception. This disorder is characterized by gaps related to traumatic or stressful events which are too extreme to be accounted for by normal forgetting. A traumatic event is typically a precursor to this disorder and memory is often restored. Typically, the memory returns by the help of therapy, although it is not always needed. Therapy is only administered when the individual develops excessive fears or worries, or the memory loss has a drastic effect on their everyday functioning.
When the person shows a loss of autobiographical memory and a flight to a new locale, that person has a Dissociative Fugue. A person temporarily loses his or her sense of personal identity and travels to another location where the person acquires a new identity. This includes a new name, profession, and other personal details. Again, this type of disorder represents an illness where an individual has experienced an extreme stress or traumatic event. An example of a traumatic event include wartime or after a natural disaster. Aside from the inability of the person to recall their past or personal information, patients with dissociative fugue do not behave strangely or appear disturbed to others. Note, however, this disorder is very rare and typically runs its course within a month.
The Depersonalization Disorder is a disturbance in which the patient's primary symptom is the sense of detachment from his or her "self.' Take note that depersonalization is a symptom, and not a disorder. It is triggered by an acute stressor and is common in college-age population. It is divided into two segments: the Depersonalization and the Derealization. The former refers to the stage where the patient reaches the feeling that he or she is "unreal" and that his or her body does not belong to him or to her. The person may also feel that he or she is in a dreamlike state.
On the other hand, the latter refers to the stage where the person may feel that other things around him or her, including other people, are unreal or alien. It is often associated with sleep deprivation or 'recreational' drug use. This has been termed 'derealization' because objects in an environment appear altered. Patients characterized themselves as feeling like a robot or watching themselves from the outside. Other patients involve feelings of numbness. The disorder will typically dissipate on its own after a period of time. To strengthen the coping skills, a therapy will be of great help.
The Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is also known as Multiple Personality Disorder or MPD. In the book, Interviewing Children and Adolescents, it was mentioned that dissociation as a term has originated 400 years ago, but only during the 20th century has it been applied to thought (2001: 390). The disorder is considered as the most severe dissociative disorder. This disorder involves all of the major dissociative symptoms. There are two or more distinct personalities residing within an individual's consciousness. These separate personalities vary and take control of the individual at different intervals, thus, creating a gap in memory between memories.
In other word, there is an "altering" memory in between the two personalities. The shifts between personalities are abrupt and spontaneous and only one personality dominates consciousness at one time. Each personality appears to function as an autonomous individual with different traits, talents, capacities, different social networks, and different physical responses. The individual personalities are clustered into core personalities, alter personalities, and intermediary personalities.
This type of disorder is quite uncommon and is associated with severe psychological stress in childhood and a significant trauma such as extended sexual abuse and the chance to witness a violent death of another are usually the precursor. There is no biological explanation for this type of disorder, but only mere responses to stress. However, people with dissociative identity disorder usually have close relatives who have also had similar experiences....
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