Definition

Dissociative fugue is a rare condition in which a person suddenly, without planning or warning, travels far from home or work and leaves behind a past life. Patients show signs of amnesiaand have no conscious understanding or knowledge of the reason for the flight. The condition is usually associated with severe stressor trauma. Because persons cannot remember all or part of their past, at some point they become confused about their identity and the situations in which they find themselves. In rare cases, they may take on new identities. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) classifies disassociative fugue as one of four dissociative disorders, along with