# Amnesia



## Chicane (Oct 8, 2015)

Lately I've been super dissociated and experiencing some pretty severe memory loss. It's been hard to stop the anxiety that comes along with realizing you really can't remember things very well (if at all). I've been reading about dissociative amnesia, and I think it fits me pretty well. I'd like to get a feel for just how common a symptom this is, though. Has anyone else struggled with this a great deal? If so, how have you coped? Did it improve by itself over time or were there concrete steps you had to take to beat it?


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## Aleks_ (May 13, 2016)

I've struggled with this for just over a week now (The amnesia side of things) and it is a million times worse than the DP and DR in my opinion. This symptom has completly consumed me and the amnesia effect can last for days at a with a constant sensation of being lost and not remember where I am, what Im doing, who I am, what I just did, how I got to where I am, etc, etc. Where as other times it will hit me episodically at random times. As bad as this sounds I'm almost relieved to hear someone else this symptom, I felt like the only one. Unfortunately I haven;t found a coping method for this yet. But if its any consolation your not the only one experiencing this and I know how horrible it is.


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## Zed (Jul 25, 2015)

Here's some information I found about dissociative amnesia you might be interested in... It's taken from http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/neurological_institute/center-for-behavioral-health/disease-conditions/hic-dissociative-amnesia

I seriously doubt it's just going to go away on it's own.

How is dissociative amnesia treated?

The goals of treatment for dissociative amnesia are to relieve symptoms, to make sure the patient and those around him or her are safe, and to "reconnect" the person with his or her lost memories. Treatment also aims to help the person:


Safely deal with and manage painful events; 
Develop new coping skills and life skills; 
Get back to functioning as well as possible; and 
Improve relationships. 

The best treatment approach depends on the person, the type of amnesia, and how severe the symptoms are. Treatment will most likely include some combination of the following methods:


*Psychotherapy*: Psychotherapy, sometimes called "talk therapy," is the main treatment for dissociative disorders. This is a broad term that includes several forms of therapy. 
*Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy*: This form of psychotherapy focuses on changing harmful thinking patterns, feelings, and behaviors. 
*Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing*: This technique is designed to treat people who have continuing nightmares, flashbacks, and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 
*Dialectic-Behavior Therapy*: This form of psychotherapy is for people with severe personality disturbances (which can include dissociative symptoms), and often takes place after the person has suffered abuse or trauma. 
*Family therapy*: This helps teach the family about the disorder and helps family members recognize if the patient's symptoms come back. 
*Creative therapies (for example, art therapy, music therapy)*: These therapies allow patients to explore and express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a safe and creative environment. 
*Meditation and relaxation techniques*: These help people better handle their dissociative symptoms and become more aware of their internal states. 
*Clinical hypnosis*: This is a treatment that uses intense relaxation, concentration, and focused attention to achieve a different state of consciousness, and allows people to explore thoughts, feelings, and memories they may have hidden from their conscious minds. 
*Medication*: There is no medication to treat dissociative disorders. However, people with dissociative disorders, especially those with depression and/or anxiety, may benefit from treatment with antidepressant or anti-anxiety medications. 

People with dissociative amnesia usually respond well to treatment; however, progress and success depend on many things, including the person's life situation and if he or she has support from family and friends.

What is the outlook for people with dissociative amnesia?

For most people with dissociative amnesia, memory eventually returns, sometimes slowly and sometimes suddenly, which makes the overall outlook very good. In some cases, however, the person is never able to fully recover his or her lost memories.

To improve a person's outlook, it is important to treat any dissociative amnesia problem as soon as possible. It is also important to treat any other problems or complications, such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse.


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## Irene (Nov 13, 2014)

I've been dealing with this recently.I feel like I'm on the verge of forgetting who I am where I am...etc..etc..also I've been experiencing sensations of not being able to recognize familiar places, even family members look different sometimes!


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