Deja vecu is a term that we've been using to characterise and describe a particular memory problem, which we have reported in a number of cases. We also call it 'recollective confabulation'. We use this term to describe a particular symptom found in people who are typically are 60, have other memory problems, have sought professional advice about these difficulties, and for whom the symptom is having an impact in their day-to-day life.
For the person who has this memory problem, they themselves or their carer usually describe the problem as one of 'persistent', 'constant' or 'chronic' deja vu. But we know that some other people do have deja vu a lot of the time, and this isn't necessarily diagnostic of anything. (For the differences between deja vu and deja vecu see the frequently asked questions page). As such, there is a bit of a dilemma:
- Do we validate people's experience and avoid jargonising the symptom? If we call it something else, for instance, 'reduplicative paramnesia', we lose out on people being able to use the term deja vu to describe their difficulties - which they do spontaneously.
- or -
- Do we risk 'medicalizing' the term deja vu and deja vecu? Deja vu is a normal healthy experience, and most of us have it at some point. As such, by discussing our patients with this ongoing memory problem using this term, we run the risk of possibily turning others into 'patients'.
This has turned out to be a bit of a contentious point. But because we are clear that our pateints with deja vecu are, just that - patients - and because they use the term spontaneously themselves to describe this phenomena, we believe that using the terms deja vu and deja vecu is helpful, but some caution is needed.