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10 Weird Psychological Disorders You’ve Never Heard

Discussion in 'Psychiatry' started by Ghada Ali youssef, Jan 30, 2017.

  1. Ghada Ali youssef

    Ghada Ali youssef Golden Member

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    Often in our life we come across “specimens”; people who act crazy or not in socially acceptable ways. Some of them are just doing it for attention, some of them are just plain quirky. But rarely do we wonder if they are suffering from any psychological disorder. According to the Diagnostic And Statistical Manual (DSM); which is basically like the constitution for psychologists, a psychological disorder is any behavioral or mental anomaly which causes one to react in ways which are not developmentally or socially normative. There is a wide list with the DSM categorizing these disorders. We often have the perspective that we are mentally balanced, but the question is how do we know for sure? Because there are so many psychological disorders we have never even heard of, let alone to be sure we don’t suffer from them. So here is a list of some of the lesser known disorders. So hopefully you’ll have a better idea of what it is you do or don’t suffer from. Happy diagnosing.


    10) NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER (NPD):

    In this disorder the person is preoccupied with personal power, prestige and vanity. People suffering from this disorder have a superfluous sense of self importance. They are constantly plagued with self absorbed thoughts with little or no empathy for others. They are characterized by a constant need for admiration and praise and expect special treatment from others. The name of this disorder derives itself from the story of Narcissus. Narcissus was a Greek mythological youth who fell in love with his own reflection in the lake, at first not knowing it was his own reflection. Later when he figured that out he died of grief for having fallen in love with someone who cannot exist beyond himself. So the next time you meet someone self-centered and arrogant, think a minute before you write them off, because they might just be suffering from NPD.


    9) AGORAPHOBIA:

    Agoraphobia is categorized in the DSM under anxiety disorders. In this disorder the person suffers from an anxiety attack as he perceives the environment to be dangerous or uncomfortable due to its vast openness or crowdedness. Put in simple words, agoraphobia is the fear of open spaces. The person suffering from this disorder prefers to stay indoors and rarely ventures out. This disorder affects woman twice as commonly as men. Many notable personalities like Woody Allen, American actor, musician and director, Kim Basinger, an American actress are known to suffer from agoraphobia.

    8) PYROMANIA:

    It is a form of an impulse control disorder. In this the person has repeated impulses to start a fire; and fails at controlling these urges. In the 1800’s pyromania was considered to be related to moral insanity and moral treatment. There are specific symptoms which form a fine line between pyromaniacs and people who start fires for criminal purposes. Pyromaniacs usually experience stress or tension until they start a fire, often feeling relived or gratified once they light the fire. Around a fire, a pyromaniac feels immensely interested and fascinated. Built up stress is often seen as one of the factors causing pyromania.

    7) FREGOLI DELUSIONS:

    This is a rare type of a disorder also known as delusion of doubles. People suffering from this disorder tend to believe that everyone around them is actually the same person who is in fact changing appearances and or is in disguise. This delusion is paranoid in nature with the delusional person thinking that all the people in disguise, or as he would think that one person, is out to prosecute him. This disorder is named after an Italian actor Leopold Fregoli who was well known for his ability to rapidly change appearances during stage acts.

    6) STENDHAL SYNDROME:
    No, here we aren’t talking about the 1996 Italian horror movie, but in fact a real psychosomatic disorder of the same name. This is a rare form of a disorder in which the person suffers from bouts of anxiety, dizziness, fainting, confusion and in some cases even hallucinations when exposed to large amount of art in a single place. . It is named after the 19th century French author named Stendhal pseudonym Henri-Marie Beyle who claimed to suffer from this when he visited Florence in 1817. Guess visiting the Louvre is out of the question for people suffering from this disorder.

    5) STOCKHOLM SYNDROME:

    Also known as capture bonding is a form of psychological state in which a hostage or a victim develops empathy and sympathy towards their captors. The hostage develops positive feelings towards the captors and often defends him. It can be seen as a form of traumatic bonding and is not limited only to a hostage captor situation but can also work in situations where one person is intermittently harassed beaten or abused by another. This syndrome is named after the Norrmalmstorg robbery incident in Stockholm, Sweden. Where the bank employees were held hostage for a period of 6 days and by the end of it they developed emotional attachment with their captors and even defended them after the six day ordeal was over.

    4) PICA:

    Is a disorder in which the person has an appetite for things which are not usually consumed like chalk, clay, dirt, or sand. According to DSM for the condition to be diagnosed as pica an individual must have this condition persistently for at least a month and at an age where this behaviour is not socially or culturally appropriate. Safe to say eating dirt as a child does not count. This disorder is mainly seen in women and children. It can be a dangerous disorder as eating chalk, dirt can be very harmful. The name pica is derived from the Latin word for the bird magpie which has a reputation of eating anything and everything.

    3) ONEIROPHRENIA:

    This is a disorder which causes hallucinatory dream like state. This state can be caused due to numerous reason like prolonged sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation and drug use. Some of its symptoms are like that of simple schizophrenia, and in extreme states oneirophrenia can cause delusions and hallucinations. Though still cited in the DSM as a psychological disorder it is no longer treated as a separate entity.

    2) GANSER SYNDROME:

    This disorder is also called as the nonsense disorder and is a rare form of dissociative disorder. It is characterized by nonsensical or incorrect answers. The person suffering from Ganser syndrome gives incorrect or wrong answers to the questions posed to him but has a sense and understanding of his surroundings. Fugue, amnesia and decreased state of consciousness are some of the other symptoms of this syndrome. It is named after Sigbert Ganser who showed these characteristics in 1898.

    1) MUNCHAUSEN SYNDROME:

    It is a form of a disorder in which an individual wants to draw attention and does so by feigning an illness, disease or a psychological trauma. Munchausen syndrome by proxy means when the individual tries to draw attention by faking an illness or a disease in another, mainly their children. The person suffering from this syndrome often fakes or exaggerates his problems and illness to draw excess attention or empathy towards them self. They find the role of being the patient comforting and familiar and it satisfies their basic psychological needs. It can be dangerous as it can often lead to self harm, in order to fabricate more stories.


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