Dissociative Fugue

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Dissociative fugue is a complex psychological condition characterized by a sudden and unexpected disruption in a person's identity, memory, and sense of self. This condition is classified as a subtype or extension of dissociative amnesia in the DSM-5 and the ICD-10 and ICD-11. Dissociative amnesia is a dissociative disorder characterized by memory loss. The fugue state can endure for days, months, or even longer.

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. It is most commonly associated with childhood victims of sexual abuse who learn to dissociate memory of the abuse

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. People have also reported post-fugue anger, and another hallmark symptom of the fugue state is the loss of one's identity The term "fugue" derives from the Latin word for fleeing or running away, which is why this condition often involves traveling or wandering.

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.

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 consciousness

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. 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.