Dissociative fugue

Dissociative fugue disorder Treatment, Cause, Symptoms, Medication

Dissociative fugue is extremely rare in clinical practice. In a dissociative fugue, patients not only lose their memory but also wander away from their usual surroundings, When found they usually deny all memory of their whereabouts during the period of wandering, and may also deny knowledge of personal identity. There have been a number of accounts of dramatic case histories (see Hacking 1998). The disorder must be distinguished from organic disorder, for example, epilepsy and substance intoxication.

Dissociative fugue symptoms

Dissociative fugue is a rare disorder. An individual with dissociative fugue suddenly and unexpectedly takes physical leave of his or her surroundings and sets off on a journey of some kind. These journeys can last hours, or even several days or months. Individuals experiencing a dissociative fugue have traveled over thousands of miles. An individual in a fugue state is unaware of or confused about his identity, and in some cases will assume a new identity (although this is the exception).

A dissociative fugue may be present when a person impulsively wanders or travels away from home and upon arrival in the new location is unable to remember his/her past. The individual's personal identity is lost because that person is confused about who he/she is. The travel from home generally occurs following a stressful event.

The person in the fugue appears to be functioning normally to other people. However, after the fugue experience, the individual may not be able to recall what happened during the fugue state. The condition is usually diagnosed when relatives find their lost family member living in another community with a new identity.

Causes of Dissociative Fugue

Causes are similar to those of dissociative amnesia, with some additional factors. Fugue is often thought to be malingering, because the fugue may remove the person from accountability for his actions, may absolve him of certain responsibilities, or may reduce his exposure to a hazard (such as a dangerous job assignment). Many fugues appear to represent disguised wish fulfillment. For example, a financially distressed executive leaves his hectic life and lives as a farm hand in the country. The fugue may remove the patient from an embarrassing situation or intolerable stress or may be related to issues of rejection or separation. For example, the fugue may say, in effect, "I am not the man who found his wife to be unfaithful." Some fugues appear to protect the person from suicidal or homicidal impulses.

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Site last updated: March 4, 2008

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