Talk:Dissociative fugue

Origin of term?

I cant find anywhere in the article where it mentions how the term 'Fugue State' was decided upon. I am curious as to whether it is related to the musical term 'Fugue', as I can mentally draw some oblique parallels (sic) between the concepts. Would somebody be so kind as to add this small piece of history in near the top? 220.245.239.93 (talk) 12:02, 22 January 2009 (UTC)

Fictonal cases

The long list of fictional cases is out of place in an article on psychology. A couple of disctinctive cases that may shed light on the psychological point of view can be informative, but this laundry-list of pop-culture references that have little or nothing to do with the actual psycological state are very much out of place. Fugue is typically misrepresented in popular fiction, television, and film. Giving so much space to these pop-trivia examples detracts from an encyclopedic treatment of the issue. It should be totally, or largely, removed.

I agree with the below critic of somebody's colloquial definition of a fugue state as 'being in the flow'. I have never heard of this, & have been unable to turn up any supporting references at all, in the Oxford English Dictionary or various search engines. Perhaps it's a very local dialect? More likely a pure idiolectical usage. Doesn't belong here until references to its general use can be provided.

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From the article:

"Also called a "fugue state" by non-psychologists is the state of mind attained by a gifted pianist ..."

Really? I am a gifted pianist, and I just call it "being in the zone" ;-) -- Tarquin 22:00 Oct 15, 2002 (UTC)

I'm a dancer and I've been in "the zone". I've also been in an actual fugue state. I can tell you, they are NOTHING alike.

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I think the only examples to be included in 'Media' ought to be where the fugue state is made explicit as such. In both the movie mentions I removed, the 'fugue state' is an element that resolves the suspense/drama and isn't acknowledged till later in the movie. Gyan 20:54, 15 July 2005 (UTC)

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I wish you hadn't removed these! It doesn't matter if the 'fugue state' was an element that resolved the drama. Just because it wasn't acknowledged right up front did not mean that it wasn't actually a fugue state or that we did not want the names of the movies that gave us the example. Thanks for nothing!

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"People who enter into a fugue state may disappear, running away to a completely different geographical region and assuming another identity."

May? The resources I have found say people in dissociative fugue do leave their homes and assume new identities. I'm not saying it's wrong, but I would like to see a source that confirms this. --AmyBeth 00:53:14, 2005-08-16 (UTC)

Mad Travelers

There should be a reference to the first cases of fugue. Dr Ian Hacking has a book called "Mad Travelers." He recounts the first cases and notes that they were all clerks, artisans, and small shop owners. This argues that something else other than sudden distress involving life situations is causing disappearances. (Dr Hacking blames sociological niches.)

Today students are disappearing. The connection between the 1880's epidemic of fugue and today’s student disappearances is that all the victims are knowledge workers.

An outbreak happened at Miami of Ohio in 1953. Several students disappeared, recovered, then returned with amnesia of the events during the episode. When Ron Tammen disappeared they thought he would return too. The story is posted at the Library site Miami of Ohio. The link and discussion is on the Missing Students page at VisionAndPsychosis.Net.

The problem is a failure to provide Cubicle Level Protection for those who must study or perform knowledge work in dorm rooms, homes, or small business, "unprotected workspace."

There are several pages on fugue at VisionAndPsychosis.Net.

http://visionandpsychosis.net/mysterious_disappearances.htm http://visionandpsychosis.net/Missing_Students.htm http://visionandpsychosis.net/Dissociative_Fugue-Cases.htm

L K Tucker 14:02, 21 November 2005 (UTC)

earlier goatse experience

209.78.47.227 03:48, 31 January 2007 (UTC) I'm new around here. But isn't the phrase "earlier goatse experience" on this page funny... but silly in a non-encyclopedic way? (surely goatse viewing wouldn't actually cause a serious identity disorder?)

Intro

The intro is too long, rambling and fairly incomprehensible. It should start by saying in plain language what a fugue state is. Ben Finn 21:32, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

Organic cause for a fugue state: Treatment of bacterial infections.

In some cases, there is evidence to suggest that some types of infections, ie giardia, can cause a fugue like state; a feeling of not being here or schizophrenic like condition.

The cause by some sources has been suggested to me that this is caused by toxins created by the infectious material.

Therefore if some cases of a fugue condition are caused an infection, ie bacteria, then treatment would logically include treating the infection.

This is hopefully a lead for someone to interject some useful material.

--Caesar J. B. Squitti  : Son of Maryann Rosso and Arthur Natale Squitti 03:23, 7 July 2007 (UTC)

This is baloney. Such material should not be interjected under any circumstance. Where's your data? JFW | T@lk 15:58, 15 July 2007 (UTC)

That was a lead...when I have time I will try to locate it a reference for it....just wanted to bring to your attention this important bit of information, that I obtained from a credible source...

--Caesar J. B. Squitti  : Son of Maryann Rosso and Arthur Natale Squitti 03:47, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

Todays research suggests that some schizophrenic episodes may be the result of a cat bacteria, and this is a link from the bacterial cause to the fugue state of mind ?

--Caesar J. B. Squitti  : Son of Maryann Rosso and Arthur Natale Squitti 03:49, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

The fugue state is a dissociative amnesia brought on by environmental stressors. At its most basic, it is a defense mechanism, classified as psychosocial in nature.

To support the premise you suggest, you would first have to find research linking schiaophrenia with psychogenic fugue. And you would be hard pressed to do this. Then, you would have to find research drawing a line between organic causes of schizophrenia, and the occurence of the fugue state.

Fugue is such a rare occurence, it is unlikely that there are enough recorded cases to make an argument for any of this. --DashaKat 13:20, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

This is not a term paper

First, the fugue state, dissociative fugue and DID are not related, despite parallels in deiagostic criteria. Trying to draw a line between the two is plain poor scholarship.

Second, this is not a term paper, it is an encyclopedic article. Whomever is using the "therefore"'s, kindly stop. You are presenting information, not trying to convince the reader that the topic is valid.

This article, at second look, is quite poorly written, and the information contained herein is all willy-nilly. I am hoping that we can make a serious effort to clean it up. --DashaKat 13:15, 22 August 2007 (UTC)

Untrue sentance

I'm just a kid who is doing a health project, but on the LSD page it says "There is also some indication that LSD may trigger a dissociative fugue state in individuals who are taking certain classes of antidepressants such as lithium salts and tricyclics."

Then on the Fugue State page it says that "Unlike retrograde amnesia, Dissociative Amnesia is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance."

Now, that seems just a little bit wrong.

If I totally messed up the format, I'm sorry. Just wanted to let you people know. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.161.91.108 (talk) 23:01, 18 May 2008 (UTC)

I Disagree

"this is not a term paper" My friend all Wikipedia articles are just that, poorly written term papers. There is no professionalism or expertise involved. That's why college professors flunk students who cite Wikipedia.

"dissociative fugue and DID are not related, despite parallels in deiagostic criteria" The first mistake made is to refer to the DSM. The authors admit they don't know what causes any of the "disorders" they list. That means they don't know where one disorder ends and another begins or the connections between them. Potential connections have been mentioned in presentations and papers.

"Fugue is such a rare occurence, it is unlikely that there are enough recorded cases to make an argument for any of this." The problem is that to record a case someone must seek psychiatric help. Every fall and spring college students go missing. A very few recover and return or are found alive. They exhibit psychiatric symptoms and altered mental states sometimes with amnesia. That hints at a fugue state and Dissociative Fugue.

The definition of Dissociative Fugue used in the DSM involves finding someone that left their life and assumed a new life with no memory connecting the two. Little is known about the events near the disappearance. They do not know what causes it. Psychosocial reasons are given without proof.

There are cases each month in popular media of people who without warning, out of character, and without mental problems disappear. There is sometimes circumstantial evidence that these are fugue cases. It is seen as rare because psychiatrists and psychologists tell us that. It may not be rare at all.

Visit my site and read the Dissociative Fugue, Mysterious Disappearances, and Missing Students pages for cases and links.

I am the copyright holder and grant permissions with correct citation and a link back.

L K Tucker VisionAndPsychosis.Net 69.1.46.218 (talk) 03:30, 13 April 2009 (UTC)