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Norman is a mystery. He experienced a sudden loss of memory, left his home in New York and traveled to California where he established identity for himself. He has no memory of his life in New York and had filled his mind with bogus memories which he doesn't realize are not genuine. He is suffering from ____.

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The correct answer is Dissociative Fugue

Dissociative fugue is a rare form of dissociative amnesia.

The dissociative escape can last for hours or even weeks and months or, sometimes, even longer. If the escape is brief, it may appear that the person simply missed work or arrived home late. If the escape lasts several days or more, it is possible that the person will travel away from home and assume a new identity and get a new job, without realizing any change in life.

Many escapes seem to represent a covert desire for accomplishment or the only allowed way to escape from severe anguish or embarrassment. For example, an executive with financial difficulties leaves a busy life and goes to live as a farmer in the countryside.

Therefore, dissociative escape is often mistaken for pretending (pretending to have physical or psychological symptoms in order to receive some benefit) because both situations can be an excuse for the person to escape from their responsibilities (for example, an intolerable marriage), avoid assuming responsibility for their actions or reduce their exposure to a known risk, such as a battle. However, dissociative fugue, unlike pretending, arises spontaneously and is not false. Doctors are usually able to differentiate between the two because pretenders often exaggerate and dramatize their symptoms and because they have obvious financial, legal or personal reasons (such as avoiding work) to pretend to be memory loss.

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