Dissociative amnesia is characterized by:

Dissociative amnesia is characterized by:

• A. Sudden and extensive inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature.
• B. Chronic difficulty sleeping.
• C. Repeated intrusive memories.
• D. Selective attention difficulties.

Answer: (A)

Dissociative amnesia centers on a sudden, extensive inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature. This memory loss goes beyond ordinary forgetfulness and cannot be explained by ordinary neurological problems or substance use. The gap is in autobiographical memory about the person’s life, which can sometimes include wandering or travel in related forms (dissociative fugue). Other options point to different issues—chronic sleep trouble describes insomnia, intrusive memories are more characteristic of PTSD, and selective attention problems relate to other cognitive or developmental disorders. The defining feature here is the abrupt and substantial loss of personal memory tied to trauma or stress.

Dissociative amnesia centers on a sudden, extensive inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature. This memory loss goes beyond ordinary forgetfulness and cannot be explained by ordinary neurological problems or substance use. The gap is in autobiographical memory about the person’s life, which can sometimes include wandering or travel in related forms (dissociative fugue). Other options point to different issues—chronic sleep trouble describes insomnia, intrusive memories are more characteristic of PTSD, and selective attention problems relate to other cognitive or developmental disorders. The defining feature here is the abrupt and substantial loss of personal memory tied to trauma or stress.