Amazing Psychiatry (part 2)

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

Part 2

In continuation of the first part of the article on unusual mental disorders….

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

Alice in Wonderland may be pure fantasy, but one of Alice's strangest experiences has similarities with a frightening mental disorder. Takee syndrome is called micropsia or macropsia, this disease leads to a distortion of the environment. People suffering from this disease see objects larger or smaller than they are, a person's hand may appear to him quite tiny against the background of a huge table, the same can happen with sounds, they may seem very quiet or, on the contrary, very loud. This terrifying disorder, which has been described as a non-euphoric LSD trip, distorts even one's own body image. Fortunately, Alice in Wonderland Syndrome is extremely rare and in most cases affects people over the age of 20 who have a brain tumor or have a history of drug use.

Alien hand syndrome

While it is often used in horrific movie plot twists, Alien Hand Syndrome is not limited to the fictional world. People with this scary, completely lose control of their hand. The hand seems to take over will and reason, and people say that their "alien" limb is trying to strangle themselves or others by tearing their clothes or scratching them until they bleed. This disease most often occurs in patients with Alzheimer's or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or as a result of brain surgery, during which the two cerebral hemispheres were separated. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Alien Hand Syndrome, and those who suffer from it are often left with their hands constantly occupied or use the other hand to control the alien hand.

Apotemnophilia

Apotemnophilia is a neurological disorder characterized by a strong desire to amputate or damage healthy parts of the body. Although little is known about this strangely frightening condition, it is believed to be related to injuries to the parietal part of the brain. Since doctors do not remove healthy limbs at their request, sometimes patients with apotemnophilia feel compelled to amputate on their own - a dangerous scenario. Of those who have had a limb removed by a doctor, most are reportedly happy with their decision, even after the fact.

Boanthropy

A rare but frightening mental disorder, Boanthropy, they consider themselves to be cows, often going so far as to behave as such. Sometimes people with boanthropy are even found in fields with cows walking on all fours and chewing grass as if they were real members of the herd. Boanthropy sufferers don't seem to understand what they are doing when they behave like cows, leading researchers to believe that this strange mental disorder is caused by dreams or even hypnosis. Interestingly, it is believed that Boanthropy is even mentioned in the Bible, since King Nebuchadnezzar is described as "expelled from the people and ate grass like oxen."

Capgra

Capgras syndrome, named after Joseph Capgras, a French psychiatrist fascinated by the illusion of doubles, is a debilitating mental disorder in which people believe that those around them have been replaced by impostors. In addition, it is generally believed that these impostors are planning to harm the patient. In one case, a 74-year-old woman with the Capgra illusion began to believe that her husband had been replaced by an identically-looking impostor who wanted to hurt her. Capgra delusion is relatively rare and is most commonly seen after brain injury or in those diagnosed with dementia, schizophrenia, or epilepsy.

Kluver-Bucy Syndrome

Imagine wanting to try a book or have sex with a car. This is a reality for people with Kluver-Bucy syndrome, a terrible mental disorder characterized by memory loss, craving for inedible objects, and sexual attraction to inanimate objects such as cars. Unsurprisingly, people with Kluver-Bucy syndrome often have trouble recognizing objects or people that should be familiar. This terrifying mental disorder is difficult to diagnose and appears to be the result of severe trauma to the temporal lobe of the brain. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Kluver-Bucy syndrome, and patients often suffer from it for the rest of their lives.

Obsessive compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), although widely heard and often ridiculed, is understood by very few. OCD manifests itself in many different ways, but most often it is characterized by tremendous fear, anxiety, and repetitive thoughts of worry. Only through repetition of tasks, including the well-known obsession with cleanliness, can OCD sufferers find relief from such overwhelming feelings. To make matters worse, people with OCD are often fully aware that their fears are irrational, although the very realization of this triggers a new cycle of anxiety. OCD affects approximately 1% of the population, and while scientists are unsure of the exact cause, chemicals in the brain are thought to be a contributing factor.

Syndrome of Paris

The Syndrome of Paris is an extremely strange temporary mental disorder that leads to complete depression while visiting the city of Paris. Interestingly, it seems to be the most common among Japanese travelers. Of the roughly 6 million Japanese people who visit Paris annually, 1–2 dozen experience the overwhelming anxiety, depersonalization, derealization, persecution, hallucinations, and acute illusions that characterize Paris Syndrome. Doctors can only guess what caused this rare ailment. Since most people with Paris Syndrome did not suffer from mental illness, anchors believed that this dire neurological disorder was caused by language barriers, physical and mental exhaustion, and the reality of Paris compared to the idealized version.

Reducing amnesia

Reduplication amnesia is very similar to Capgras syndrome, but instead of believing that people are duplicates, people with reduplicative amnesia believe that the location has been duplicated. This belief manifests itself in different ways, but always includes the patient's belief that a place exists in two places at the same time. The term "reduplicative amnesia" was first used in 1903 by neurologist Arnold Peak to describe a patient with Alzheimer's disease. Today, it is most commonly seen in patients with tumors, dementia, brain injury, or other psychiatric disorders.

Stendhal syndrome

Stendhal syndrome is a psychosomatic illness that, thankfully, seems to be temporary. The syndrome occurs when the victim is exposed to a large number of works of art in one place or in other environments of exceptional beauty. Those experiencing this strange but frightening mental disorder report sudden heart palpitations, overwhelming anxiety, confusion, dizziness, and even hallucinations. Stendhal Syndrome is named after a 19th century French writer who detailed his experiences after a trip to Florence in 1817.