Dissociative fugue definition

Dissociative Fugue: Definition, Symptoms, and Causes

Health Conditions
- Featured
  - Breast Cancer
  - IBD
  - Migraine
  - Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
  - Rheumatoid Arthritis
  - Type 2 Diabetes
- Articles
  - Acid Reflux
  - ADHD
  - Allergies
  - Alzheimer's & Dementia
  - Bipolar Disorder
  - Cancer
  - Crohn's Disease
  - Chronic Pain
  - Cold & Flu
  - COPD
  - Depression
  - Fibromyalgia
  - Heart Disease
  - High Cholesterol
  - HIV
  - Hypertension
  - IPF
  - Osteoarthritis
  - Psoriasis
  - Skin Disorders and Care
  - STDs
Discover
- Wellness Topics
  - Nutrition
  - Fitness
  - Skin Care
  - Sexual Health
  - Women's Health
  - Mental Well-Being
  - Sleep
- Product Reviews
  - Vitamins & Supplements
  - Sleep
  - Mental Health
  - Nutrition
  - At-Home Testing
  - CBD
  - Men’s Health
- Original Series
  - Fresh Food Fast
  - Diagnosis Diaries
  - You’re Not Alone
  - Present Tense
- Video Series
  - Youth in Focus
  - Healthy Harvest
  - No More Silence
  - Future of Health
Plan
- Health Challenges
  - Mindful Eating
  - Sugar Savvy
  - Move Your Body
  - Gut Health
  - Mood Foods
  - Align Your Spine
- Find Care
  - Primary Care
  - Mental Health
  - OB-GYN
  - Dermatologists
  - Neurologists
  - Cardiologists
  - Orthopedists
- Lifestyle Quizzes
  - Weight Management
  - Am I Depressed? A Quiz for Teens
  - Are You a Workaholic?
  - How Well Do You Sleep?
- Tools & Resources
  - Health News
  - Find a Diet
  - Find Healthy Snacks
  - Drugs A-Z
  - Health A-Z
Connect
- - Breast Cancer
  - Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  - Psoriatic Arthritis
  - Migraine
  - Multiple Sclerosis
  - Psoriasis

Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD — By Diana Wells — Updated on August 4, 2017

Overview

Dissociative fugue is a type of amnesia that is caused by an extreme psychological trauma instead of physical trauma, illness, or another medical condition. It’s a form of dissociative amnesia that’s severe, and it’s considered rare.

Someone with dissociative fugue won’t have any memory of their past or about themselves personally. The type of memories that they lose are sometimes referred to as autobiographical memories. The condition is a means of escaping a situation of extreme stress that the person can’t cope with.

A dissociative fugue may last only a few hours. The person undergoing it may seem to be confused and forgetful to others during that time, but they’ll return to normal afterward. In cases with such a short duration, the dissociative fugue might even go unnoticed by others.

However, the condition may also last weeks, months, and sometimes even longer than that. A person with dissociative fugue lasting longer than just a few hours may have the following symptoms:

confusion
sudden lack of attendance at work or avoidance of other places they frequent
loss of autobiographical memory (about themselves, other people, events in their lives, etc. )
detachment from their own emotions
severe stress at work or from relationships
confused identity
depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide, and other mental health issues
inability to recognize loved ones
wandering or going places they usually don’t go

Many times, the person with dissociative fugue will abruptly walk away from their current life and start a new one. Their new life is usually very different from the life they’ve left. For example, a Wall Street executive may leave her high-powered career in a city to become a florist in a rural town if she has dissociative fugue.

Dissociative fugue is caused by a situation that gives the person extreme emotional stress. The dissociative fugue is believed to occur as the person’s means of escape from the stress that they can’t otherwise cope with.

A common cause of dissociative fugue is severe sexual trauma of some sort. Other causes may include:

extreme feelings of shame or embarrassment
trauma caused by war
trauma caused by an accident
trauma caused by a natural disaster
kidnapping
torture
long-term emotional or physical abuse in childhood

These traumas may have actually happened to the person, or they may have witnessed it happening to others and been severely traumatized by what they saw. There is also a possibility that a genetic link may predispose someone to dissociative fugue.

The first step in treatment of dissociative fugue involves ruling out any medical conditions that might cause memory loss. There isn’t a specific test that can diagnose dissociative fugue. However, a medical doctor will want to perform a variety of tests to rule out possible illnesses or injuries that might cause memory loss.

Once all physical or medical conditions have been ruled out, the person will usually be referred to a psychiatrist or another mental health professional. The mental health professional will diagnose dissociative fugue after a series of clinical interviews and assessments. These interviews may include what is called Structured Clinical Interview for Dissociation or SCID-D. Once a diagnosis is made, then the treatment can begin.

The treatment may include the following:

creating a safe environment
help recovering lost memories
help reconnecting to life prior to the trauma
gradually discovering, dealing with, and then managing the trauma that originally caused dissociative fugue
developing coping mechanisms to better handle future stressful situations
regaining normal life functions
strengthening and improving relationships

These goals are accomplished through several types of therapies, which may include:

family therapy
psychotherapy
cognitive behavioral therapy
meditation and relaxation techniques
music or art therapy
clinical hypnosis
dialectical behavior therapy

Currently, there is no medication known to help dissociative behavior. However, you may be prescribed medications to help other symptoms such as depression or anxiety.

A number of complications are associated with dissociative fugue. These can range from mild to serious and should be watched for. They include:

thoughts of suicide
attempting to harm yourself — including cutting, mutilation, etc.
anxiety
depression
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
personality disorders
eating disorders
relationship and work issues or difficulties
sleep disorders
illegal drug use
alcoholism
seizures (not due to epilepsy)

Some people who experience dissociative fugue may end up missing or may be found wandering in unfamiliar areas.

The sooner dissociative fugue is diagnosed, the better. This is because of the range of complications it can cause.

You should contact a medical professional any time a loved one has experienced or witnessed severe or long-term trauma or stress of any kind and exhibits signs of confusion or memory loss. You should also contact a medical professional if a loved one exhibits odd behavior or stops showing up to their job or places they usually frequent after severe stress or trauma. It’s important to rule out any possible medical conditions that may be causing the symptoms.

Then, if there isn’t a medical cause for the symptoms, get help from a mental health professional as soon as possible. Working with a mental health professional early on will help avoid a worsening of symptoms or a lengthening of the time a dissociative fugue lasts.

The outlook for someone with dissociative fugue is generally good. The outlook improves the sooner treatment and intervention are started. Most people with dissociative fugue will regain most or all of their memories. The memories may return quickly and all at once or gradually over a longer period of time. However, in some cases, people aren’t able to recover their memories completely.

Last medically reviewed on August 4, 2017

How we reviewed this article:

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Dissociative amnesia. (2016).
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/dissociative-amnesia
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Dissociative disorders: Symptoms and causes.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dissociative-disorders/symptoms-causes/dxc-20269565
Pravesh S, et al. (2015). A case of dissociative amnesia with dissociative fugue and treatment with psychotherapy. DOI:
10.4088/PCC.14l01763
Spiegel D, et al. (n.d.). Dissociative fugue.
merckmanuals.com/home/mental-health-disorders/dissociative-disorders/dissociative-fugue

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD — By Diana Wells — Updated on August 4, 2017

Dissociative Fugue: Definition, Symptoms, and Causes

Health Conditions
- Featured
  - Breast Cancer
  - IBD
  - Migraine
  - Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
  - Rheumatoid Arthritis
  - Type 2 Diabetes
- Articles
  - Acid Reflux
  - ADHD
  - Allergies
  - Alzheimer's & Dementia
  - Bipolar Disorder
  - Cancer
  - Crohn's Disease
  - Chronic Pain
  - Cold & Flu
  - COPD
  - Depression
  - Fibromyalgia
  - Heart Disease
  - High Cholesterol
  - HIV
  - Hypertension
  - IPF
  - Osteoarthritis
  - Psoriasis
  - Skin Disorders and Care
  - STDs
Discover
- Wellness Topics
  - Nutrition
  - Fitness
  - Skin Care
  - Sexual Health
  - Women's Health
  - Mental Well-Being
  - Sleep
- Product Reviews
  - Vitamins & Supplements
  - Sleep
  - Mental Health
  - Nutrition
  - At-Home Testing
  - CBD
  - Men’s Health
- Original Series
  - Fresh Food Fast
  - Diagnosis Diaries
  - You’re Not Alone
  - Present Tense
- Video Series
  - Youth in Focus
  - Healthy Harvest
  - No More Silence
  - Future of Health
Plan
- Health Challenges
  - Mindful Eating
  - Sugar Savvy
  - Move Your Body
  - Gut Health
  - Mood Foods
  - Align Your Spine
- Find Care
  - Primary Care
  - Mental Health
  - OB-GYN
  - Dermatologists
  - Neurologists
  - Cardiologists
  - Orthopedists
- Lifestyle Quizzes
  - Weight Management
  - Am I Depressed? A Quiz for Teens
  - Are You a Workaholic?
  - How Well Do You Sleep?
- Tools & Resources
  - Health News
  - Find a Diet
  - Find Healthy Snacks
  - Drugs A-Z
  - Health A-Z
Connect
- - Breast Cancer
  - Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  - Psoriatic Arthritis
  - Migraine
  - Multiple Sclerosis
  - Psoriasis

Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD — By Diana Wells — Updated on August 4, 2017

Overview

However, the condition may also last weeks, months, and sometimes even longer than that. A person with dissociative fugue lasting longer than just a few hours may have the following symptoms:

confusion
sudden lack of attendance at work or avoidance of other places they frequent
loss of autobiographical memory (about themselves, other people, events in their lives, etc. )
detachment from their own emotions
severe stress at work or from relationships
confused identity
depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide, and other mental health issues
inability to recognize loved ones
wandering or going places they usually don’t go

A common cause of dissociative fugue is severe sexual trauma of some sort. Other causes may include:

extreme feelings of shame or embarrassment
trauma caused by war
trauma caused by an accident
trauma caused by a natural disaster
kidnapping
torture
long-term emotional or physical abuse in childhood

The treatment may include the following:

creating a safe environment
help recovering lost memories
help reconnecting to life prior to the trauma
gradually discovering, dealing with, and then managing the trauma that originally caused dissociative fugue
developing coping mechanisms to better handle future stressful situations
regaining normal life functions
strengthening and improving relationships

These goals are accomplished through several types of therapies, which may include:

family therapy
psychotherapy
cognitive behavioral therapy
meditation and relaxation techniques
music or art therapy
clinical hypnosis
dialectical behavior therapy

Currently, there is no medication known to help dissociative behavior. However, you may be prescribed medications to help other symptoms such as depression or anxiety.

A number of complications are associated with dissociative fugue. These can range from mild to serious and should be watched for. They include:

thoughts of suicide
attempting to harm yourself — including cutting, mutilation, etc.
anxiety
depression
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
personality disorders
eating disorders
relationship and work issues or difficulties
sleep disorders
illegal drug use
alcoholism
seizures (not due to epilepsy)

Some people who experience dissociative fugue may end up missing or may be found wandering in unfamiliar areas.

The sooner dissociative fugue is diagnosed, the better. This is because of the range of complications it can cause.

Last medically reviewed on August 4, 2017

How we reviewed this article:

Dissociative amnesia. (2016).
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/dissociative-amnesia
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Dissociative disorders: Symptoms and causes.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dissociative-disorders/symptoms-causes/dxc-20269565
Pravesh S, et al. (2015). A case of dissociative amnesia with dissociative fugue and treatment with psychotherapy. DOI:
10.4088/PCC.14l01763
Spiegel D, et al. (n.d.). Dissociative fugue.
merckmanuals.com/home/mental-health-disorders/dissociative-disorders/dissociative-fugue

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD — By Diana Wells — Updated on August 4, 2017

what is a dissociative fugue - T&P

In cinema, there is often a story about "a man without a past." The hero suddenly finds himself in an incomprehensible place - without things, satellites and any memories of what happened to him until that moment. By the end of the film, the intrigue is usually revealed, and the memory returns. This kind of story is not a fantasy of screenwriters, but a description of a real psychiatric phenomenon - a dissociative fugue.

On January 17, 1887, the American priest Ansel Bourne got up early in the morning and went to the bank. There he withdrew all his savings and got on a carriage going to another city. This is the last event Bourne remembers. He did not return home that evening, and neither did he the next evening. His relatives filed a missing person's notice in the newspapers. Meanwhile, in one of the neighboring states, an unknown A. J. Brown showed up. The man rented a shop and started selling small goods.

But a couple of months later, the newly minted businessman woke up in a fright and called his housemates. He said that his name was Ansel Bourne, that he had no idea where he was and how he got here, and that just yesterday he took money from the bank, and then there was a blackout. Hearing the story about his own shop, the priest was horrified and admitted that he knew nothing about trade. Moreover, despite all the stories of witnesses, he himself did not remember his adventures.

Some people in the dissociative fugue not only forget the old life, but also create a new personality - with a different name, biography, and even with abilities atypical of the former personality.

It was not only the household that rejoiced at Burnu's return home. William James, an American philosopher and psychologist, became interested in its history. He performed a hypnotic session with the priest, and in a trance, the personality of the mythical A.J. Brown reappeared. The imaginary shopkeeper knew nothing about Bourne, but he spoke in detail about his life during those two months and trade, which he knew well. The story heard under hypnosis helped the psychologist describe this clinical case in detail in his book. It was he who later gave this phenomenon the name "dissociative fugue". Dissociation in psychiatry is a state when the patient feels like anyone but himself. He may look at himself from the outside, or simply feel like someone else. And "fugue" in Latin means "flight".

According to medical statistics, dissociative fugue occurs in 0.2% of the population, that is, approximately two people out of 1,000. In modern psychiatry, this term is used to describe a condition when a patient suddenly and purposefully leaves or goes somewhere, completely forgetting who he is such a. In this state, a person, as a rule, retains basic knowledge such as geography and multiplication tables, but he completely forgets events from his own life, his address and even his name. Therefore, it can be difficult for relatives to find missing patients with fugue.

Something similar, for example, happened to Agatha Christie. In 1926, after her mother's death and her husband's infidelity, Christie left home. Nothing was known about her whereabouts for 11 days. The detective queen's books have already become popular, so the story has caused a lot of buzz. The English police, conducting the search, first found an abandoned car, and a couple of days later, Agatha herself. She didn't remember anything about what had happened. Having collected eyewitness accounts, the investigators learned that the writer checked into the hotel under the name of her husband's mistress, after which she read books for 11 days, underwent healing procedures and played the piano. Later, the British psychologist Andrew Norman called this case a typical example of a dissociative fugue.

Some people in a dissociative fugue not only forget their old life, but also create a new personality — with a different name, biography, and even abilities atypical of the former personality. Quite often, "new people" find work in areas that have nothing to do with their previous field of activity.

A dissociative fugue is usually caused by a traumatic experience. A person cannot cope with it and tries to literally run away from an unpleasant situation and everything connected with it.

Psychiatrists are usually able to interview survivors of a fugue episode after the fact, after returning to the old reality, because the new person will never be able to realize that he is new until he remembers the old one. People experiencing this state are often able to clearly and joyfully tell anyone who wants to make up a biography, easily maintain secular conversation and do not have external signs of mental disorders. It is said that patients with fugue are often much more sociable during an attack than in their life before it.

However, not all stories look so literary. Some of the fugitives simply lose their memory, not replacing their identity with a new one, or confusingly tell fictional biographies in such a way that anyone will notice inconsistencies. The fugue usually lasts from a couple of hours to several months.

In May 1985, the young and ambitious American journalist Jody Roberts left home and never returned. Her parents initially decided that her daughter had gone on vacation or was conducting a journalistic investigation. But months passed, and the girl did not return. The police investigation turned up nothing and Jodie was declared dead. But 12 years later, she was suddenly found living in the state of Alaska. True, she was no longer a young journalist: the woman introduced herself as Jane Dee, successfully worked as a web designer, lived with her husband and raised four children. And although there were those among the reporters who covered this story who considered Jodie an amnesia scam, psychiatrists unanimously declared that the woman had a dissociative fugue.

These conditions are usually caused by a traumatic experience. A person cannot cope with it and tries to literally run away from an unpleasant situation and everything connected with it. That is why fugue cases are on the rise in places where there has been a recent natural disaster or financial crisis. It is believed that some teenagers run away from home in a state of dissociative fugue.

This state passes as suddenly as it began. A word, a proper name, a familiar place can bring back lost memories. At this moment, people often forget everything that they experienced during the fugue. A psychotherapist who knows hypnosis can help them remember the days and months they have lived. Unfortunately, psychological help for patients who have experienced a disorder is needed not only in this. After a long dissociative fugue, people actually find themselves in their future, having missed a significant piece of the life of their loved ones. And coming to terms with the changes that have taken place is sometimes not easy.

As a rule, dissociative fugue occurs only once in a lifetime. However, in people with multiple personality disorder, it can also be repeated. Each of the alternative personalities may have their own goals and interests, and it is impossible to predict where they will lead the "owner of the body" in the future.

Planet Ka-Pax

In the first half of the film, the protagonist is trying to cure a patient who came to him, convinced of his alien origin, from a dissociative fugue. And the other half is tormented by doubts whether he is definitely sick or whether Ka-Pex is really his home.

Highway to nowhere

Saxophonist Fred is imprisoned on suspicion of murdering his wife, but behind bars he turns into another man with a new biography - Pete Dayton. Pete does not remember how he ended up in prison, but after a series of strange adventures and symbolic events, he becomes Fred again. The Highway to Nowhere script originally contained no hints of a dissociative fugue. They say that this idea was thrown to Lynch already on the set, and she completely changed the interpretation of the film.

House of Dreams

In this film, the director creatively interprets the dissociative fugue, and the hero, experiencing this disorder, takes on his own personality, simply from a different period of life.

United States of Tara

In the TV series about a versatile woman named Tara, they show what a dissociative fugue looks like in people with multiple personality disorder: four different people “live” in the main character at once.

Dissociative fugue - causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Dissociative fugue is an acute mental disorder in which the patient, under the influence of traumatic events, suddenly leaves his place of residence, completely losing memories of his own personality. During the fugue period, the patient can invent a new personality and start a new life. The condition lasts from several hours to several months (in some cases - years) and just as suddenly ends with a return to the former personality. Memories of life during the fugue are lost. The diagnosis is exposed on the basis of the anamnesis. Psychotherapeutic treatment - assistance in eliminating a traumatic situation or correcting attitudes towards this situation.

General information

Dissociative fugue - a mental disorder accompanied by a sudden move and a complete loss of memory of one's own personality. Information of a general nature remains in the patient's memory, the intellect does not suffer, there are no disturbances of consciousness. After some time, patients return to their former personality, completely losing their memories of the events that occurred during the fugue period. The disorder occurs in 0.2% of the population.

This pathology is well known to the general public and is one of the popular plots of American action films and psychological thrillers (the most famous example is The Long Kiss Goodnight). It is assumed that in reality this disorder occurred in Agatha Christie during her famous 11-day absence. In the specialized literature, descriptions of this pathology appeared in the 19th century, the most famous example is the case of the priest Ansel Bourne, recorded by the American psychologist William James in 1890 year. Treatment is carried out by specialists in the field of psychiatry, psychotherapy and clinical psychology.

Dissociative fugue

Causes of dissociative fugue

Experts believe that dissociative fugue is a protective mental mechanism designed to protect patients from unbearable experiences and extreme stress. Patients literally feel the need to escape from the current situation, and the psyche realizes this need in a way that is accessible to it. Most often, the disorder occurs when there is an immediate threat to physical existence or the loss of important close relationships: when participating in hostilities, staying in a territory where hostilities are taking place, natural and man-made disasters, or multiple deaths of loved ones.

Less commonly, less global experiences become the impetus for the development of the disease: severe financial problems, conflicts in the family, dismissal, professional collapse, personal insults, etc. In all cases, the disorder is based on a powerful intrapersonal conflict, inability to accept reality and desire in any way avoid emotionally traumatic situations. The likelihood of developing this condition increases with chronic alcoholism, increased anxiety, phobias, hysteroid personality type and violent choleric temperament. In individuals with multiple personality disorder, fugue may occur repeatedly. In other cases, this condition does not recur.

Symptoms of dissociative fugue

Dissociative fugue begins suddenly, usually after a night's sleep. The patient wakes up, performs purposeful activities to prepare for departure (gets dressed, packs a suitcase, buys a ticket), and then leaves. There are cases in the literature when people withdrew large sums of money from the bank before leaving. As a rule, all these actions go unnoticed by relatives, from their point of view, the situation looks like “the person left and did not return.”

The patient behaves calmly and adequately, often in a new place, people around do not even suspect that something is wrong. With a prolonged fugue (lasting up to several months or more), some patients create a new identity, get a job, enter into new close relationships, and even have children. In doing so, they usually choose a different field of activity and become more sociable than before the start of the fugue. Memories of a general nature (geographical information, multiplication table) are fully preserved. The degree of plausibility of a new personality can vary - from a holistic, consistent picture to fragmentary information.

Sometimes a discrepancy between the patient's personality and his stories is discovered when trying to get a loan from a bank, after criminal incidents, traffic accidents and other situations related to checking documents. In other cases, the patient lives for some time safely in a new reality and a new personality. Separate memories of life before the dissociative fugue may appear as dreams or be perceived as plots of books once read.

The return to the old personality usually occurs suddenly, after a night's sleep. The patient wakes up in a state of severe anxiety, realizing himself as a former person. He is disoriented, does not understand where he is, and does not know what is happening. Memories of life during the period of the fugue are usually completely lost, less often separate fragments of events that took place during the period of disorder emerge in memory. After that, the patient returns to his former life. At the same time, it can be difficult for him to adapt to the changes that have occurred during his absence.

With prolonged fugues, there is sometimes a gradual transition to the former personality. At first, the patient begins to feel inner anxiety, he does not leave the feeling that something is wrong, that he has lost something important. Then episodes from his past life gradually emerge in his memory. The main personality "manifests" and takes its rightful place, displacing the old one. The last stage may be accompanied by severe anxiety, decreased mood, vague fears, and social disorientation.

With short fugues (lasting from several hours to several days), large-scale changes, as a rule, do not have time to occur. The patient leaves somewhere, and then comes to his senses in a new place, also completely losing his memories of the period of illness. Intellectual abilities, professional knowledge and character traits are fully preserved regardless of the duration of the disorder. Organic brain damage is absent.

Diagnosis and treatment of dissociative fugue

Psychiatrists and psychotherapists rarely have to work with patients who are in a state of dissociative fugue, because they do not present any complaints and do not seek medical help. The diagnosis can usually be established only after the fact, after returning to the previous personality. There are two mandatory criteria by which dissociative fugue is differentiated from other dissociative disorders. The first is the obligatory departure from home at the beginning of the fugue. The second is the complete or partial loss of memories of the first person during the fugue period and of the second person (if any) after leaving the pathological state, combined with the preservation of all universal knowledge and skills.

The main task of psychiatrists and psychotherapists is to help and support in processing a stressful situation and changing the patient's attitude to the events that caused the development of dissociative fugue. With prolonged fugues, assistance is required in accepting changes that have occurred during the absence of the patient. In the process of treatment, various psychotherapeutic techniques are used (positive therapy, person-oriented therapy, rational therapy, psychoanalysis, etc.) and hypnosis. If necessary, the patient is taught self-regulation skills.

Learn more

Dissociative fugue definition

Dissociative Fugue: Definition, Symptoms, and Causes

How we reviewed this article:

Read this next

Dissociative Fugue: Definition, Symptoms, and Causes

How we reviewed this article:

Read this next

what is a dissociative fugue - T&P

Planet Ka-Pax

Highway to nowhere

House of Dreams

United States of Tara

Dissociative fugue - causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

General information

Causes of dissociative fugue

Symptoms of dissociative fugue

Diagnosis and treatment of dissociative fugue