Dissociative Fugue

Dissociative fugue is a complex psychological condition
characterized by a sudden and unexpected disruption in a person's
identity, memory, and sense of self.https://web.archive.org/web/20070928080517/http://www.psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aID=9744
This condition is classified as a subtype or extension of dissociative amnesia in the DSM-5 and the ICD-10 and ICD-11https://icd.who.int/browse10/2019/en#/F44.1 https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en#/http%3a%2f%2fid.who.int%2ficd%2fentity%2f626975732. Dissociative amnesia is a dissociative disorder characterized by memory loss. The fugue state can endure for days, months, or even longer.https://web.archive.org/web/20070928080517/http://www.psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aID=9744https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Sartorius
Following recovery from a fugue state, typically, previous memories return intact, and additional treatment is generally unnecessary. An episode of fugue is not categorized as being due to a psychiatric disorder if it can be linked to the consumption of psychotropic substances.https://archive.org/details/diagnosticstatis0005unse
It is most commonly associated with childhood victims of sexual abuse who learn to dissociate memory of the abusehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissociative_fugue
==Signs and symptoms==
Symptoms of a dissociative fugue include mild confusion, and once the fugue ends, individuals may experience possible depression, grief, shame, and discomfort.https://web.archive.org/web/20070928080517/http://www.psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aID=9744 People have also reported post-fugue anger, and another hallmark symptom of the fugue state is the loss of one's identityThe Merck Manual
The term "fugue" derives from the Latin word for fleeing or running away, which is why this condition often involves traveling or wandering.https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/22836-dissociative-fugue#:~:text=A%20dissociative%20fugue%20is%20a,or%20a%20“fugue%20state.”
People who experience a fugue state usually can't recognize gaps in their memory until they have evidence that they can't remember something. This can lead to unintentional travel to specific locations or aimless wandering, often leaving them confused when they emerge from the fugue state because they don't remember how they got to where they are.https://web.archive.org/web/20070928080517/http://www.psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aID=9744https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/22836-dissociative-fugue#:~:text=A%20dissociative%20fugue%20is%20a,or%20a%20“fugue%20state.”
==Diagnosis==
Dissociative Fugue (DF) and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) are both part of the broader category of dissociative disorders, which involve disruptions in one's perception, memory, identity, or consciousnesshttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/22836-dissociative-fugue#:~:text=A%20dissociative%20fugue%20is%20a,or%20a%20“fugue%20state.”
While they share similarities, they are distinct conditions. Dissociative Fugue primarily involves a temporary loss of identity and memory, often accompanied by wandering or travel.https://web.archive.org/web/20070928080517/http://www.psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aID=9744 In contrast, DID is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct and separate identities, often referred to as "alters," within a single individual.
A doctor might suspect dissociative fugue when people seem confused about their identity or are puzzled about their past or when confrontations challenge their new identity or absence of one. The doctor reviews symptoms and does a physical examination to exclude physical disorders that may contribute to or cause memory loss.
Sometimes dissociative fugue cannot be diagnosed until people return to their pre-fugue identity and are distressed to find themselves in unfamiliar circumstances, sometimes with awareness of "lost time".
The diagnosis is usually made retroactively when a doctor reviews the history and collects information that documents the circumstances before people left home, the travel itself, and the establishment of an alternative life.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissociative_fuguehttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/22836-dissociative-fugue#:~:text=A%20dissociative%20fugue%20is%20a,or%20a%20“fugue%20state.”
==See Also==
* Dissociative Identity Disorder
* Amnesia
* Dissociative Amnesia
Category:Disorder-Related Terms
Category:Dissociation-Related Terms
Category:Not Plural Exclusive