Amnesia is, in the minds of so many people, one of those things you see on television and in the movies. Someone is injured in a car accident, they forget everything about their lives, and then they find out who they are when they meet the love of their life and live happily ever after. It does make for an interesting movie plot, but amnesia is more than that. It’s a health condition many people deal with, but it’s not always as dramatic as it is in the movies. Many people with amnesia know who they are and have most of their memories, but they have incident-specific memory loss.It’s not uncommon for people to lose their memories after a surgery, an injury, or even after they’ve been involved in a situation they simply cannot fathom. The brain works in mysterious ways despite the sheer knowledge the medical world has regarding the inner workings of the brain. While no one can cure amnesia, doctors do know many people’s brains work to shut down memories associated with certain things specifically to save and protect them. For example, the emotional shock of being sexually assaulted is so painful the body might block that memory so you can live your life.
Amnesia is present all over the world, but it’s not always obvious. Many people who suffer from amnesia know who they are and where they are, but they have problems forming new memories or even recalling the memories of specific events. It’s devastating, but not everyone is aware of what they are living with. It’s not curable, but there are many symptoms that might cause someone to suffer amnesia. Not everyone loses their memory forever, but sometimes it’s impossible to recall things you lose when amnesia occurs.
