 memory distrust syndrome is a condition coined by gÃ­sli guÃ°jÃ³nsson and james mackeith in 1982, in which an individual doubts the accuracy of their memory concerning the content and context of events of which they have experienced. since the individual does not trust their own memory, they will commonly depend on outside sources of information rather than using their ability for recollection. some believe that this may be a defense or coping mechanism to a preexisting faulty memory state such as alzheimer's disease, amnesia, or possibly dementia. the condition is generally considered to be related to source amnesia, which involves the inability to recall the basis for factual knowledge. the main difference between the two is that source amnesia is a lack of knowing the basis of knowledge, whereas memory distrust syndrome is a lack of believing the knowledge that exists. the fact that an individual lacks the trust in their own memory implies that the individual would have a reason or belief that would prevent them from the trust that most of us have in our recollections. cases concerning memory distrust syndrome have led to documented false confessions in court cases. ==symptoms== the main symptom of memory distrust syndrome is the lack of belief in one's own memory, however this comes with the side effect of using outside sources for information. the individual may have their own memory, but will readily change it depending on chosen outside sources. the memories that they have may be correct, but due to their distrust they will still alter their belief of what is true if contrary information is suggested. for example, a person has a memory of a house and let's say that the person recalls it to be white. then a trusted family member begins talking with them and suggest that it was red instead. the afflicted individual will then believe the house was red despite their recollection of it being white. it is unknown if the person's memory of the house is permanently altered, however they will say that the house was red regardless of the memory's condition. also, this does not necessarily allow for confabulatory memory fabrication. currently it is not believed that an afflicted individual will readily believe an outside source on a memory of which the person is not involved, such as a randomly shared story. this further suggests that memory distrust syndrome solely alters the individual's currently retrievable memories, and not randomized information. ==causes== it is normal to have some level of memory distrust, or the lack of trusting in one's own memory. this may occur when speaking with your parents about your childhood, for example. however it seems that everyone has their own level of memory distrust, and memory distrust syndrome seems to be a severe case. the direct cause is unknown, however it is possibly a defense or coping mechanism to a preexisting condition t
Psychology