Symptom 3: Baffling Blackouts: The Unpredictable Lapses in Conscious Awareness
Dissociative amnesia may pull another unsettling trick from its hat – baffling blackouts. These represent unpredictable lapses in conscious awareness, during which an individual might lose track of time, place, and people. Such episodes can be as short-lived as a few minutes or stretch into hours, and in some extreme cases, even days.
During a blackout, the individual might be unable to recall events that occurred within a specific period. These lost episodes may contain actions that the person has no memory of doing. It’s as if they’ve gone on autopilot, carrying out activities without any conscious awareness. This can lead to a disconcerting realization when they “come to,” finding themselves in unfamiliar situations or locations.
It’s worth noting that these blackouts aren’t the result of substance misuse or a neurological issue like epilepsy. They stem from the mind’s response to overwhelming stress or trauma. The blackout episodes serve as an extreme form of escape, an attempt by the brain to distance the individual from a situation that it perceives as threatening.
The unpredictable nature of these blackouts adds to their unnerving quality. There’s no warning signal, no red flag that hints at their onset. One moment the individual is rooted in their reality, and the next, they might find themselves caught in a fog, disconnected from their environment and experiences.
Living with these baffling blackouts can be incredibly disruptive. It’s like trying to watch a movie with frequent interruptions, making it nearly impossible to follow the plot. When applied to real life, these blackouts can create a sense of instability and fear, further complicating the already intricate web of dissociative amnesia. (3)
