How to Diagnose Dissociative Amnesia

Dissociative amnesia is the loss of certain memories, usually associated with a particular traumatic event. The memory loss covers long periods of time and goes beyond normal forgetfulness. Unlike simple amnesia, the memories in dissociative amnesia still exist within the person's mind but cannot be recalled. Dissociative amnesia is considered part of a class of psychological disorders called dissociation. The following steps will show how to diagnose dissociative amnesia.

Instructions

• 1

  Assess the patient's mental status. The patient should be alert and oriented with slow logical speech. The attention span should be limited without hyperactivity or slowing. Remote memory should be intact although recent memory may be slightly impaired.

• 2

  Look for specific signs indicating a dissociative disorder. An anxious mood with a constricted affect is common but the patient should exhibit conceptual organization. In addition, the patient's reasoning and judgment should be limited.

• 3

  Be alert for expressions of suicidal or violent thoughts caused by severe frustration with the dissociation. The patient may even have homicidal thoughts.

• 4

  Look for a patient history with a high risk of dissociation. Dissociative amnesia is most common in war veterans, child abuse victims, torture victims, concentration camp survivors and natural disaster survivors. The likelihood of dissociative amnesia is related to the extent of the trauma.

• 5

  Differentiate dissociative amnesia from other types of amnesia. Memory loss caused by substance abuse is typically gradual and incomplete, unlike dissociative amnesia. Many patients may attribute their dissociation to substance abuse out of fear and multiple informants may need to be interviewed.