There are no further subtypes of the dissociative fugue state, but there are ways in which the condition can vary by individual. Further, quick intervention following a traumatic event or emotionally distressing experience might help reduce the risk of developing dissociative disorders.National Alliance on Mental Illness: "Dissociative Disorders. Committing homicide; experiencing or committing a violent crime such as rape or torture; experiencing combat violence; attempting suicide; and being in automobile accidents and natural disasters have all induced cases of situation-specific amnesia (Arrigo & Pezdek, 1997; Kopelman, 2002a). It involves wandering or unplanned travel, in which the person may establish a new identity in a new location very different from their old life. Dissociative fugue is a form of reversible amnesia that involves personality, memories, and personal identity. The fugue state can end suddenly or more gradually, with persisting confusion about identity. It is only when this becomes challenged that issues may present themselves.
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. Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of "Therapy in Focus: What to Expect from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder" and "7 Weeks to Reduce Anxiety." Dissociative fugue usually involves unplanned travel or wandering and is sometimes accompanied by the establishment of a new identity. Since the release of the DSM-5, dissociative fugue is now a subtype of dissociative amnesia (a disorder) and refers to symptoms of dissociative amnesia accompanied by the state of purposeful travel or bewildered wandering. Most treatment occurs later.Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and variations of CBT that focus on trauma are most often used to treat patients with fugue. The fugue may last for only a few minutes, a couple of days, or weeks. Most people recover memories on their own but still need treatment to face the trauma. After recovery from a fugue state, previous memories usually return intact, and further treatment is unnecessary. Dissociative fugue is a subtype of dissociative amnesia, which is characterized by loss of memories. Not many people who are in the fugue state get treatment because they are not often identified as suffering from amnesia. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Dissociative fugue is a part of the dissociative amnesia diagnosis in that both involve the inability to remember important personal information and/or events. The frequency of dissociative fugue tends to increase during stressful or traumatic periods, such as during wartime or after a natural disaster.If symptoms of dissociative fugue are present, the doctor will often begin an evaluation by performing a complete medical history and If no physical illness is found, the person might be referred to a psychiatrist or The goal of dissociative fugue treatment is to help the person come to terms with the stress or trauma that triggered the fugue. There is a very strong link between trauma (especially childhood abuse and/or neglect) and dissociative disorders, and the relationship is important in both directions. CBT is a therapy that places an emphasis on identifying negative patterns in thoughts, behaviors, and reactions and taking active steps to change them and to set and achieve positive goals.Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, is a variant of CBT that may be particularly useful for patients who need to face and process trauma. After settling in, I realized that I was in exactly the place I needed to be.