Any disturbance from brain’s normal function leads to a psychological or behavioral patterns associated with distress or disability that occurs in an individual, which is not a part of normal development or culture. They might sound like some Indie Rock band or the latest Japanese invention, but actually are rare, strange, bizarre and downright weird mental disorders and conditions. Some may sound familiar, others very few people even know exist. We have already published a list on strange mental conditions before and now we have compiled 10 more bringing the total to 20. 10. Exploding head syndrome It causes the sufferer to experience a tremendously loud noise as if from within his or her own head, usually described as an explosion or a roar. This usually occurs within an hour or two of falling asleep, but is not the result of a dream. 9. Autassassinophilia There is not a great deal of information about for this disorder, but I can assure you – it is weird! A person who suffers from autassassinophilia needs to put himself into a position of danger in order to become sexually aroused. The unfortunate upshot to this disorder, is that it is not entirely uncommon for the sufferer to die in the process! 8. Split Personality Disorder It is a condition in which a single person displays multiple distinct identities or personalities (known as alter egos or alters), each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment. The diagnosis requires that at least two personalities routinely take control of the individual’s behavior with an associated memory loss that goes beyond normal forgetfulness. There is a great deal of controversy surrounding the topic, with some therapists considering it to not exist at all, despite the fact that 40,000 cases were diagnosed from 1985 to 1995. The most famous example of a sufferer is Sybil – after whom the well-known 1970s film was named. 7. Folie à Deux Folie à deux (from the French for “a madness shared by two”) is a rare psychiatric syndrome in which symptoms of a delusional belief are transmitted from one individual to another. The same syndrome shared by more than two people may be called folie à trois, folie à quatre, folie en famille or even folie à plusieurs (“madness of many”). Recent psychiatric classifications refer to the syndrome as dependency psychotic disorder and induced delusional disorder, although the research literature largely uses the original name. The disorder was first conceptualized in 19th century French psychiatry. Margaret and her husband Michael, both aged 34 years, were discovered to be suffering from folie à deux when they were both found to be sharing similar persecutory delusions. They believed that certain persons were entering their house, spreading dust and fluff and “wearing down their shoes”. Both had, in addition, other symptoms supporting a diagnosis of paranoid psychosis, which could be made independently in either case. This disorder usually happens with people living in close proximity to one another – such as husbands and wives. 6. Mythomania Mythomania is a condition involving compulsive lying by a person with no obvious motivation. The affected person might believe their lies to be truth, and may have to create elaborate myths to reconcile them with other facts. A “pathological liar” is someone who often embellishes his or her stories in a way that he or she believes will impress people. It may be that a pathological liar is different from a normal liar in that a pathological liar believes the lie he or she is telling to be true at least in public and is “playing” the role. 5. Paris Syndrome Paris syndrome is a condition exclusive to Japanese tourists and nationals, which causes them to have a mental breakdown while in the famous city. Of the millions of Japanese tourists that visit the city every year, around a dozen suffer this illness and have to be returned to their home country. The condition is basically a severe form of ‘culture shock’. Polite Japanese tourists who come to the city are unable to separate their idyllic view of the city, seen in such films as Amelie, with the reality of a modern, bustling metropolis. Japanese tourists who come into contact with, say, a rude French waiter, will be unable to argue back and be forced to bottle up their own anger which eventually leads to a full mental breakdown. The Japanese embassy has a 24hr hotline for tourists suffering for severe culture shock, and can provide emergency hospital treatment if necessary. 4. Dr. Strangelove Syndrome When your hand does what it wants… aka the alien hand syndrome is a neurological order in which one of the sufferer’s hands seems to take on a mind of its own. Having no control over “Alien hands”, they can perform complex acts such as undoing buttons, removing clothing, and manipulation of tools. 3. Foreign Accent Syndrome It is a widespread belief that foreign accents will immediately make you more attractive to the opposite sex. But sometimes your average Macho with the foreign accent isn’t actually a foreigner or putting on an act to get laid: The Foreign Accent Syndrome is a rare condition following a head injury, trauma or stroke. This syndrome causes someone to speak their native language as if they had a foreign accent. Research has shown on that patients suffering from this condition, the brain’s speech center was affected and damaged. 2. Objectum Sexuality Folks with this disorder develop serious emotional attachments to inanimate objects. These feelings may even include sexual arousal brought on by certain objects. So you might want to keep people suffering from objectum sexuality away from your favorite teddy bear, lest your stuffed pal become the object of a very one-sided love affair. The size of the item being emoted upon isn’t always practical, either. One woman who suffers from this condition believes she is married to the Eiffel Tower. So perhaps it’s time to start worrying about your friend who talks incessantly about the love he has for his 50-inch plasma screen television. 1. The Jumping Frenchmen of Maine If you suffer from this wonderfully named illness, it means that you are likely to jump up and obey any command instantly, even if the command asks you to hit your mother in the face. Essentially a physical form of Tourette’s, Jumping Frenchmen is a rare but useful illness. If you’re looking for an always willing participant who will react quickly to your every command without question or hesitation, then seek out someone with this affliction. Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility … and enjoyment. Source
