Psychology Facts

▲ Amnesia ▲

》Amnesia is when a person can no longer memorize or recall information that is stored in memory. It is very rare, despite being a popular theme for movies and books.

》Amnesia is uncommon on its own. But it's a very common symptom of certain conditions. These conditions usually involve brain damage or activity disruptions. An example is Alzheimer's disease, a major cause of amnesia.

》Amnesia is most often as a result of damage to the brain from trauma, stroke, Alzheimers, toxicity, or infection.

》Occasionally amnesia may last for weeks, months, or even years, during which time the person may begin an entirely new life.

》There are many different types of amnesia. Below is a list of the most common ones:

Anterograde amnesia: The person cannot remember new information. Things that happened recently and information that should be stored into short-term memory disappear. This usually results from a brain trauma, when a blow to the head causes brain damage, for example. The person will remember the data and events that happened before the injury.

Traumatic amnesia: Memory loss results from a hard blow to the head, for instance, in a car accident. The person may experience a brief loss of consciousness or a coma. The amnesia is usually temporary, but how long it lasts normally depends on how severe the injury is. Amnesia can be an important indicator of concussion.

Retrograde amnesia: In some ways the opposite of anterograde amnesia, the person cannot remember events that occurred before their trauma, but they remember what happened after it. Rarely, both retrograde and anterograde amnesia can occur together.

Transient global amnesia: A temporary loss of all memory and, in severe cases, difficulty forming new memories. This is very rare and more likely in older adults with vascular (blood vessel) disease.

Hysterical (fugue or dissociative) amnesia: Rarely, a person can forget not only their past but also their identity. They may wake up and suddenly have no sense of who they are. Even if they look in the mirror, they do not recognize their own reflection. A driving license, credit card, or ID card will be meaningless. It is usually triggered by an event that the person's mind is unable to cope with properly. The ability to remember usually returns either slowly or suddenly within a few days, but the memory of the shocking event may never come back completely.

Wernicke-Korsakoff's psychosis: Extended alcohol abuse can lead to progressive memory loss that worsens over time. The person may also have neurological problems, such as poor coordination and a loss of feeling in the toes and fingers. It can also be caused by malnutrition, specifically thiamin (vitamin  B1) deficiency.

Posthypnotic amnesia: Events during hypnosis cannot be recalled.

Childhood amnesia (infantile amnesia): The person cannot recall events from early childhood, possibly because of a language development problem or some memory areas of the brain not fully maturing during childhood.

Blackout phenomenon: About of heavy drinking can leave a person with memory gaps, where they cannot remember chunks of time during the binge.

Source amnesia: The person can remember certain information but not how or where they got that information.

》Symptoms of amnesia depend on the type you have. But they may include:

Changes in your ability to remember events or things that happened to you.

Difficulty recalling names and faces.

Not remembering locations and how to get to them.

Forgetting about upcoming events that you planned to attend.

》In most cases, amnesia resolves itself without treatment. However, if an underlying physical or mental disorder is present, treatment may be necessary. Psychotherapy can help some patients. Hypnosis can be an effective way of recalling memories that have been forgotten. Family support is crucial. Photographs smell and music may help.