The success of this amnesia treatment is somewhat dependant on the therapist being able to determine what the event is or the period of time the event occurred. This may involve interviewing family members or others familiar with the patient to see if they can shed light on what may be the root issue. The therapist may also use some general counseling to probe the individual and see if they can get closer to the source. Once this is done the therapist can more effectively tailor their treatment for amnesia to match what needs to be resolved. For deeply buried root causes hypnosis or drugs may be needed, but there are many questions around the reliability of those methods.



Family therapy helps to teach the family about the disorder and its causes, as well as to help family members recognize symptoms of a recurrence. Creative therapies (art therapy, music therapy) allow the patient to explore and express his or her thoughts and feelings in a safe and creative way. Antidepressants or other appropriate medications for treatment of the depression, anxiety, insomnia, or other symptoms that may accompany dissociative amnesia.

Amnesia symptoms differ from memory lapses or forgetfulness in a few different ways. The first difference being that general memory lapses or forgetfulness tend to be minor or short lived. We may forget that we came to the living room to look for our keys, but we remember by the time we get to the doorway or back to the kitchen. Amnesia is a more complete memory loss where we would forget that we even have keys or we may never recall that we were looking for them. Amnesia from age related illness tends to have a more lasting effect on short term memory. The person will begin to forget what just happened or that they asked a certain question. They will insist that it never happened or they never said it when confronted about it.

Treatment for age related memory loss is ongoing. There are a number of drugs out there that are used to combat Alzheimer's and dementia. However, many of them have problematic side effects of there own. Even so they have been beneficial to some. Science is also beginning to look at alternative remedies as a form of treatment. Supplements with huperzine A, which protects neurotransmitters and herbs like Ginkgo, Bacopin and Vinpocetine have all had promising results in helping people fight age related memory loss and cognitive decline.

Mental health problems are very common. Most of us experience depression or stress at some point in our lives, and literally millions of people in the Western world are diagnosed as mentally ill each year. Often fear of being out of control or of experiencing painful emotions means that we neglect our mental health, ignoring the warning signs of stress.

Alternative therapies and medicines can be helpful in preventing mental health problems by reducing stress, aiding relaxation, and reminding us that physical and mental health go together. For people who have already had mental health problems, alternative medicine can help reduce the chances of a relapse. It can also counteract the side effects of prescribed drugs.