Nancy has a history of severe sexual abuse in her family and has currently been abusing drugs and alcohol in order to forget her past. What would be the reason her doctor would not diagnose her with amnesia?

Amnesia is not diagnosed when memory loss is better explained by the effects of a substance, such as drugs or alcohol. Because Nancy is abusing drugs and alcohol, her memory lapses could be caused by that substance use, so the doctor would need to consider that explanation first. Choice A states this reason; the severity of her trauma alone does not rule out an amnesia diagnosis.

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