8 Terrifying Rare Mental Disorders
As I was searching on the internet for mental disorders to write about I stumbled across a few that very rare and unique. I found them very fascinating and thought I would share some of them.
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome:
Alice in Wonderland may be fantasy story, but one of Alice’s more bizarre experiences shares its characteristics with a scary mental disorder. Known also as Todd Syndrome, Alice in Wonderland Syndrome causes one’s surroundings to appear distorted. Just as Alice grows too tall for the house, those suffering from Alice in Wonderland Syndrome will hear sounds either quieter or louder than they actually are, see objects larger or smaller than reality, and even lose sense of accurate velocity or textures. This terrifying disorder, which has been described as an LSD trip without the euphoria, even perverts one’s own body image. Fortunately, Alice in Wonderland Syndrome is extremely rare, and in most cases affects those in their 20s who have a brain tumor or history of drug use.
Alien Hand Syndrome:
Though it’s often been used in terrifying plot twists during movies, Alien Hand Syndrome is hardly limited to the fictional world. Those with this scary, but fortunately rare, mental disorder experience a complete loss of control of a hand or limb. The uncontrollable limb often seems to take on a mind and will of its own, and sufferers have reported their “alien” limb attempting to choke either themselves or others, ripping clothing, or scratching to the point of blood. Alien Hand Syndrome most often appears in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease or Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, or as a result of brain surgery during which the brain’s two hemispheres have been separated. Unfortunately, no cure exists for Alien Hand Syndrome, and those affected by it are often left to keep their hands constantly occupied or use their other hand to control the alien hand.
Boanthropy:
Those who suffer from the very rare, but very scary, mental disorder Boanthropy believe they are cows, often going as far as to behave as the animal. Sometimes those with Boanthropy are even found in fields with cows, walking on all fours and chewing grass as if they were a true member of the herd. Those with Boanthropy do not seem to realize what they’re doing when they act like a cow, leading researchers to believe that this odd mental disorder is brought on by dreams or even hypnotism.
Clinical Lycanthropy
Another mental disorder similar to Boanthropy is Clinical Lycanthropy , those who suffer from this also believe themselves to be able to turn into animals, in this case, wolves and werewolves, though occasionally other types of animals are included. Along with the belief that they can become wolves, people with Clinical Lycanthropy also begin to act like an animal, and are often found living or hiding in forests and other wooded areas.
Factitious Disorder
Most people hate being sick or even having just a slight sniffle, but not those with Factitious Disorder. This scary mental disorder is characterized by an obsession with being sick. In fact, most people with Factitious Disorder intentionally make themselves ill in order to receive treatment. Sometimes, sufferers will simply pretend to be ill, they come up with elaborate stories, long lists of symptoms, and jumping from hospital to hospital. Such an obsession with sickness often is caused from past trauma or serious illness. It affects less than .5% of the general population, and while there’s no cure, it is often able to be limited from psychotherapy.
Apotemnophilia
Also known as Body Integrity Disorder and Amputee Identity Disorder, Apotemnophilia is a neurological disorder characterized by the overwhelming desire to amputate or damage healthy parts of the body. Though not much is known about this strangely terrifying disorder, is is believed to be associated with damage to the right parietal lobe of the brain. Because the vast majority of surgeons will not amputate healthy limbs upon request, some sufferers of Apotemnophilia feel forced 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.
Capgras Delusion
Capgras Delusion, named after Joseph Capgras, a French psychiatrist who was fascinated by the illusion of doubles, is a debilitating mental disorder in which one believes that the people around them have been replaced by imposters. Furthermore, these imposters are usually thought to be planning to harm the sufferer. In one case, a 74-year old woman with Capgras Delusion began to believe that her husband had been replaced with an identical looking imposter who was out to hurt her. Capgras Delusion is relatively rare, and is most often seen after trauma to the brain, or in those who have been diagnosed with dementia, schizophrenia, or epilepsy.
Stendahl Syndrome
Stendahl Syndrome is a psychosomatic illness that is, fortunately, seemingly only temporary. The syndrome occurs when the sufferer is exposed to a large amount of art in one place, or in other environments characterized by extreme beauty. Those who experience this odd, yet scary mental disorder report sudden rapid heartbeat, overwhelming anxiety, confusion, dizziness, and even hallucinations. Stendahl Syndrome is named after the 19th century French author who described in detail his experience after an 1817 trip to Florence.
Paris Syndrome
Paris Syndrome is an extremely odd temporary mental disorder that causes one to become completely overwhelmed while visiting the city of Paris. Interestingly, it seems to be most common among Japanese travelers. Of the approximately 6 million Japanese visitors to Paris each year, 1–2 dozen experience the overwhelming anxiety, depersonalization, derealization, persecutory ideas, hallucinations, and acute delusions that characterize Paris Syndrome. Doctors can only guess as to what causes this rare affliction. Because most people who experience Paris Syndrome do not have a history of mental illness, the leading thought it that this scary neurological disorder is triggered by the language barrier, physical and mental exhaustion, and the reality of Paris as compared to the idealized version.
Citations:
“10 Real Mental Disorders That Are Scarier Than Any Horror Movie.” Thought Catalog, 24 Jan. 2018, thoughtcatalog.com/lorenzo-jensen-iii/2018/01/10-real-mental-disorders-that-are-scarier-than-any-horror-movie/.
au, Annie. “6 Mental Disorders As Chilling As They Are Rare.” All That’s Interesting, All That’s Interesting, 14 May 2018, allthatsinteresting.com/rare-mental-disorders.
“Factitious Disorder.” Healthism, 6 Apr. 2018, www.healthism.co/diseases-conditions/factitious-disorder/.
