Download Dissociative Fudge - psychologylofchie

Dissociative Fugue
By: Vicenzo Balleta, Kristhel Nasser &
Vanessa Villavicencio
What is dissociative fugue?
 People with dissociative fugue temporarily lose
their sense of personal identity and impulsively
stroll or travel away from their homes or places
of work. People with dissociative fugue often
become confused about who they are and might
even create new identities. People with this
disorder show no signs of illness, such as a
strange appearance or odd behavior.
What are the symptoms of
dissociative fugue?
 Sudden and unplanned travel away from home
 Inability to recall past events or important
information from the person’s life
 Confusion or loss of memory about his or her
identity, possibly assuming a new identity to
make up for the loss
 Extreme distress and problems with daily
functioning (due to the fugue episodes)
What causes dissociative
fugue?
 Dissociative fugue has been linked to severe
stress, which might be the result of traumatic
events such as war, abuse, accidents, disasters
or extreme violence that the person has
experienced or witnessed. The use or abuse of
alcohol and certain drugs also can cause fuguelike states, such as alcohol-induced "blackouts."
How common is dissociative
fugue?
 Dissociative fugue is relatively rare. The
frequency of dissociative fugue tends to
increase during stressful or traumatic periods.
How is dissociative fugue
diagnosed?
 If symptoms are present, the doctor will begin
an evaluation by performing a complete
medical history and physical examination.
Although there are no laboratory tests to
specifically diagnose dissociative disorders.
Certain conditions including brain diseases,
head injuries, drug and alcohol intoxication,
and sleep deprivation can lead to symptoms
similar to those of dissociative disorders,
including amnesia (loss of memory).
How is dissociative fugue
treated?
Psychotherapy
 Psychotherapy, a type of counseling, is the
main treatment for dissociative disorders. This
treatment uses techniques designed to
encourage communication of conflicts and
increase insight into problems.
Cognitive therapy
 This type of therapy focuses on changing
dysfunctional thinking patterns and resulting
feelings and behaviors.
Medication
 There is no medication to treat the dissociative
disorders themselves. However, a person with a
dissociative disorder who also suffers from
depression or anxiety might benefit from
treatment with a medication such as an
antidepressant or anti-anxiety medicine.
Family therapy
 This helps to teach the family about the
disorder and its causes, as well as to help
family members recognize symptoms of a
recurrence.
Creative therapies (art therapy, music
therapy)
 These therapies allow the patient to explore
and express his or her thoughts and feelings in
a safe and creative way.
Clinical hypnosis
 This is a treatment method that uses intense
relaxation, concentration and focused attention
to achieve an altered state of consciousness
(awareness), allowing people to explore
thoughts, feelings and memories they might
have hidden from their conscious minds. The
use of hypnosis for treating dissociative
disorders is controversial due to the risk of
creating false memories.
What is the outlook for people
with dissociative fugue?
Most fugues are brief, lasting from less than a
day to several months. Often, the disorder goes
away on its own. The outlook, therefore, is
quite good. However, without treatment to
work out the underlying problem, additional
fugue episodes can occur.
Can dissociative fugue be
prevented?
Although it might not be possible to prevent
dissociative fugue, it might be helpful to begin
treatment in people as soon as they begin to
have symptoms.
Fun Time!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjG5T1Nu5fA
Thank You!!!
Bibliography
 http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/dissociat
ive_disorders/hic_dissociative_fugue.aspx
 http://www.minddisorders.com/DelFi/Dissociative-fugue.html
 http://www.athealth.com/Consumer/disorders/D
issociative.html