SDAM and/or traumatic dissociative amnesia ? The intrinsic complex paths of the memories
Pia Granjon
| Trauma & Complex Trauma therapist | Dissociation, DID | LCSW/Assistante de Service Social | Soc. Anthropol. | Clin. Hypn. | Complex Trauma Treatment Affiliates, Boston | Fr. & Engl. |
One client, let's call her Isabel [not her real name] gave me the authorisation to share what she is going through for the purpose that it may open to more awareness.
Isabel and me just started working together; she believes she may be living with SDAM that stands for Severely Deficient Autographical Memory, as she does not have autobiographical memory and also live with aphantasia. She is in contact with her primary physician, hoping to be considered by a clinic that is specialised in SDAM where she lives.
Isabel is over 50 years old, has been married, has children, she lost her father: all important life events she knows about because others, documents like photographies, letters tell her so as well as her own strategies e.g. journaling, taking notes . . .
Let's note that SDAM cannot be formely assessed for now.
Emotions swing with the events, once they are past, they disappear.
SDAM is represented in ~ 1-2% of the population, it is a condition that is mostly unknown; not linked with any pathological condition or disease or trauma.
Research shown that in this life long inability to mentally relive or re experience personal pas events, the right hipoccampal volume is reduced.
Is SDAM an issue with encoding events or retrieving event is unknown.
领英推荐
The individuals living with this condition are often high functioning and able to learn, for example, Isabel has been working all her life; just imagine the weight of the strategies needed.
Now, searching for testimonies of people living with SDAM, many talk about childhood trauma, complex trauma as it seems [this would need to be properly researched].
Isabel also knows about sexual trauma she has been through when she was a teenager. What is intriguing is that she cannot see scenes but knows it happened to her and has implicit bodily sensations appearing when she mentions what happened: can we suppose they are implicit memories ?
Note: in complex trauma and dissociation, the hipoccampus is hypo-functioning.
For Isabel, are we dealing with SDAM or dissociative amnesia due to trauma, or both ?
We have clarified the limits and aims of our work together and continue to move on on this therapeutic path.
Selling Vintage, Antiques and Kitsch Around the World
1 年It's interesting to see your post here. I have SDAM and aphantasia, neither caused by emotional or physical brain trauma. I've had them my whole life. I also had a private practice for many years as a hypnotherapist and EFT tapping practitioner, helping hundreds of people with emotional trauma. These are fascinating topics and it's a good time for researchers and writers to share more information about them to the public, as the traits affect people of all ages and have implications for education, depression, and all kinds of other issues.
Do you struggle with emotional eating? I share science-backed tools to stop emotional eating for good!
1 年Interesting. Not something I've come across with any of my clients!