partial or total loss of memory; "he has a total blackout for events of the evening
Forgetfulness; also, a defect of speech, from cerebral disease, in which the patient substitutes wrong words or names in the place of those he wishes to employ
If someone is suffering from amnesia, they have lost their memory. the medical condition of not being able to remember anything (, probably from amnestia; AMNESTY). Loss of memory as a result of brain injury or deterioration, shock, fatigue, senility, drug use, alcoholism, anesthesia, illness, or neurotic reaction. Amnesia may be anterograde (in which events following the causative trauma or disease are forgotten) or retrograde (in which events preceding the trauma or disease are forgotten). It can often be traced to a severe emotional shock, in which case personal memories (e.g., identity) rather than less-personal material (e.g., language skills) are affected. Such amnesia seems to represent an escape from disturbing memories, and is thus an example of repression; these memories can generally be recovered through psychotherapy or after the amnesiac state has ended. Amnesia may occasionally last for weeks, months, or even years, a condition known as fugue. See also hypnosis