A dissociative amnesia may be present when a person is unable to remember important personal information, which is usually associated with a traumatic event in his/her life. The loss of memory creates gaps in this individual's personal history.
Dissociative fugue:
A dissociative fugue may be present when a person impulsively wanders or travels away from home and upon arrival in the new location is unable to remember his/her past. The individual's personal identity is lost because that person is confused about who he/she is. The travel from home generally occurs following a stressful event. The person in the fugue appears to be functioning normally to other people. However, after the fugue experience, the individual may not be able to recall what happened during the fugue state. The condition is usually diagnosed when relatives find their lost family member living in another community with a new identity.
Dissociative identity disorder:
Dissociative identity disorder was formerly called "multiple personality disorder." When a person intermittently experiences two or more identities, he/she may have a dissociative identity disorder. While experiencing a new identity, a separate personality takes control, and the person is unable to remember important and personal information about himself/herself. Each personality has its own personal history and identity and takes on a totally separate name.
Depersonalization disorder:
Feelings of detachment or estrangement from one’s self are signs of depersonalization. Although these feelings are difficult to describe, individuals with this disorder will report feeling as if they are living in a dream or watching themselves on a movie screen. They feel separated from themselves or outside their own bodies. People with this disorder feel like they are "going crazy" and they frequently become anxious and depressed.