Loss of one's entire life memory and sense of personal identity is best described as which condition?

• A. Dissociative Fugue
• B. Dissociative Identity Disorder
• C. Major Depressive Disorder
• D. Bipolar Disorder

Answer: (A)

This item focuses on memory and identity disruptions seen in dissociative disorders. Dissociative fugue is characterized by sudden travel away from familiar surroundings, accompanied by amnesia for personal information and important autobiographical memories. People in a fugue may also experience confusion about their identity and, at times, adopt a new identity. The phrase “loss of one's entire life memory and sense of personal identity” aligns with this pattern, making dissociative fugue the best description.

Dissociative Identity Disorder involves multiple distinct identities and memory gaps that can occur between them, but it doesn’t typically present as a complete, global loss of all autobiographical life memory and sense of self in the same way fugue does. Major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are mood disorders; they affect mood, energy, and behavior rather than a pervasive loss of autobiographical memory and personal identity.