10 Mental afflictions too CRAZY to believe

You think YOU have problems?

Here's a list of some of the strangest mental disorders known to man. Some are so strange they could best be described as To-Wierd-Not-To-Be-True. I wonder how many members here are suffering from some of these..

An Impostor in the Family

Imagine, if you will, that one by one your friends and family– the people closest to you– are being removed and replaced with exact duplicates. Although they are identical in appearance and manner, you are certain that these people are not your loved ones. They are impostors. While most people would become deeply paranoid in such a scenario, there are some individuals who experience such things every day without fear… and just wonder, “why?” Such is the life of people stricken with Capgras’ Syndrome.


Alien Hand Syndrome

There is a very real, very disturbing, and very rare medical condition called “Alien Hand Syndrome” (AHS). An individual with this neurological disorder has full sensation in the rogue hand, but is unable to control its movements, and does not feel that it is a part of their body. The hand becomes personified, as if it has a will of its own, and its owner will usually deny ownership of the limb.


Chuck Bonnet and the Hallucinations

For those stricken with Charles Bonnet Syndrome, the world is occasionally adorned with vivid yet unreal images. Some see surfaces covered in non-existent patterns such as brickwork or tiles, while others see phantom objects in astonishing detail, including people, animals, buildings, or whatever else their minds may conjure. These images linger for as little as several seconds or for as much as several hours, appearing and vanishing abruptly. They may consist of commonplace items such as bottles or hats, or brain-bending nonsense such as dancing children with giant flowers for heads.


Nothing is wrong

The term anosognosia literally means “unaware of illness” and was coined by a French neurologist Joseph François Babinski in 1914. Anosognosia can be used to refer to any sort of ignorance of disease, as in hallucinations or delusions of schizophrenics and manic depressants, yet these are usually only partially impaired awareness. Full anosognosia usually accompanies blindness and especially hemiplegia – paralysis on one half of the body due to a stroke.


The Seventh Sense

The loss of this ability is known by several names. Proprioception Deficit Disorder, Sacks’ Syndrome, and Descartes’ Disease are all titles for the same illness, which is a complete and total failure of the body’s knowledge of itself. Since it is a rare disorder, it is difficult to say what the premonitory symptoms are. However, there have been reports that the first symptoms are extremely vivid dreams of lost motor function or physical control. These are followed by an increasing lack of coordination, culminating in full-blown proprioceptive failure. At this point, the human mind is completely unaware of its own body. Sufferers report a “disembodied” feeling, as if the mind and body have completely separated.


The Jumping Frenchman of Maine Disorder

An individual with this disorder has a genetic mutation that prevents “exciting” signals in the nervous system from being regulated, which causes a number of bizarre irregularities in their startle response. Most notably, an event which might startle a normal person will result in an extended, grossly exaggerated response from a “jumper,” including crying out, flailing limbs, twitching, and sometimes convulsions. Because a jumper is almost immediately susceptible to another jump soon after an episode ends, there have been reports that sufferers are sometimes teased mercilessly by people who find the reaction amusing, and trigger it repeatedly.


The Emotional Bankruptcy of Alexithymia

Few people are familiar with the condition known as alexithymia, yet it is not so rare a thing. Alexithymia is condition where a person seems devoid of emotion because they are functionally unaware of their emotions. By extension, alexithymics are also unable to appreciate the emotional motivation of others, and generally find emotions of others to be perplexing and irrational. Such a person may be pleasant and highly intelligent, but will be humorless, unimaginative, and have some unusual priorities in decision-making.


Living in the Moment

The amnesia frequently depicted in fiction is a very rare retrograde variety known as dissociative fugue, where one’s identity and all memories prior to the pivotal event are compromised. In contrast, anterograde amnesia does not deprive the sufferer of their identity, their past, or their skills; it merely prevents new memories from forming. As a consequence one’s final memories are frozen in perpetuity, often accompanied by a constant sensation that one has just awoken from an “unconscious” state which filled the intervening time.


The Unburdened Mind

In the public imagination, a “psychopath” is a violent serial killer or an over-the-top movie villain, as one sometimes might suspect Frank to be. He is highly impulsive and has a callous disregard for the well-being of others that can be disquieting. But he is just as likely to be a next-door neighbor, a doctor, or an actor on TV—essentially no different from anyone else who holds these roles, except that Frank lacks the nagging little voice which so profoundly influences most of our lives. Frank has no conscience. And as much as we would like to think that people like him are a rare aberration, safely locked away, the truth is that they are more common than most would ever guess.

And finally for those of you who think you're perfectly normal and well adjusted, this one's just for you.

The Total Perspective Vortex

Most people think of the “mentally disordered” as a delusional lot, holding bizarre and irrational ideas about themselves and the world around them. Isn’t a mental disorder, after all, an impairment or a distortion in thought or perception? This is what we tend to think, and for most of modern psychology’s history, the experts have agreed; realistic perceptions have been considered essential to good mental health. More recently, however, research has arisen that challenges this common-sense notion.

[edit on 17-2-2010 by FortAnthem]

I've got the jumping frenchman thing going on. No fun. - Feel free to ask me questions about it.

(only mild though, like my aspergers)

Wow that is weird.My room mate and I was just the other day was trying to figure out what was our other room mates mental problem.

One of the ones you have fits him to a tee.He has no personality as far as we can tell.

He has no interests,no friends nothing.It is difficult or impossible to carry on a adult conversation because he does not know what is going on in the world.

Weirdest person I ever have met.


[edit on 17-2-2010 by Oneolddude]

Isn't dissociative fugue finding yourself elsewhere with very little knowledge, as if you were a different person?

reply to post by leftystrat


It sounds something like that:

Dissociative fugue, formerly called psychogenic fugue, is one of a group of conditions called dissociative disorders. The word fugue comes from the Latin word for "flight." People with dissociative fugue temporarily lose their sense of personal identity and impulsively wander or travel away from their homes or places of work. People with dissociative fugue often become confused about who they are and might even create new identities. Outwardly, people with this disorder show no signs of illness, such as a strange appearance or odd behavior.

Read more: Source

[edit on 17-2-2010 by FortAnthem]

I recently heard of an illness similar to Alien Hand Syndrome...

BIID, or Body Integrity Identity Disorder, where people are normal except for the consuming desire to amputate a limb - a limb which is most often times completely normal, too. There are many ethical concerns about amputation on a healthy person, but sometimes when an amputation is refused, people will attempt to remove the limb themselves. I heard of a man in Australia who froze his leg in order to kill it, so that it HAD to be removed.

And the interesting thing about this is, once the limb is removed, the sufferers report that their previous depression, etc, almost instantly disappears because the limb is gone.

BIID

I've actually heard of a few of these, but most of them I've never heard of. Great find. ^^

reply to post by thebluevalentine


I leardned of most of these from the book Alien Hand Syndrome and followed it to the Damn Interesting website where I found a few more stories.

The book has a great article on Walking Corpse Syndrome but, I couldn't find it on the site.

The Cotard delusion or Cotard's syndrome, also known as nihilistic or negation delusion, is a rare neuropsychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusional belief that they are dead (either figuratively or literally), do not exist, are putrefying, or have lost their blood or internal organs. Rarely, it can include delusions of immortality.

Read more: Wickipedia

[edit on 17-2-2010 by FortAnthem]

I think I probably have some degree of that Jumping Frenchman thing. I remember a particularly embarrassing incident in a Walmart checkout line one day. I was listening to my iPod on a very low volume. Both the iPod and my cell phone were in the same jacket pocket (a terrible idea, as you will see).

Just as I was making some chit-chat with the cashier and swiping my debit card, I got a phone call, and the signal from my phone messed with the volume on my iPod, turning it up very loud. I started violently, sort of threw my arms up, and shouted a little. The cashier and the other people in line heard nothing of course, and even if they had known what was happening, I suspect my reaction was still over the top. I was very embarrassed.

reply to post by FortAnthem


Hi FortAnthem. What a fascinating OP. Here's another syndrome to add to your list:

Foreign accent syndrome



And here's the wiki:
wikipedia

reply to post by K-Raz


Wow, of all the disorders on the list, I thought this one was the least probable and outrageous sounding. It must be horrible having to live with this condition.

Are there any treatments that help out?


reply to post by jeanvaljean


That's incredible. I guess when the brain had to re-learn how to speak some wires got crossed or something.

I wonder if she ever considered moving to England where no one would notice her condition?



[edit on 18-2-2010 by FortAnthem]

I know it must be horrible for the sufferer. But I can't but finding the Jumping Frenchman funny.

reply to post by FortAnthem


Hi!

One from a while ago about a woman suffering from a condition called Objectum-Sexuality. She fell in love with the Berlin Wall but when it was demolished she started to have an affair with a fence..... honest!

www.telegraph.co.uk...

Peace!

Originally posted by The Wave
reply to post by FortAnthem

 

Hi!

One from a while ago about a woman suffering from a condition called Objectum-Sexuality. She fell in love with the Berlin Wall but when it was demolished she started to have an affair with a fence..... honest!

www.telegraph.co.uk...

Peace!

Wow! That is freaky.

It makes some of the stuff on my list seem tame.

reply to post by FortAnthem


Hi FortAnthem,

Apologies - I also meant to thank you for your thread!

Certainly I might now be able to better understand the the behaviours of one or two people I know via these syndromes!

Peace!

Oh, I cannot find it.

I cried I laughed so hard.

I read one just in the last month or two about a guy who was arrested becuase someone complained that the guy kept having sex with a lamp post.

Wait. It get better.

When they arrested him, they found he had videos of him having sex with all sorts of sign posts all over the city.

In BDSM gear.

That's the part that gets me. ] Oh man. I gotta find that one again. But seriously....you cannot make this stuff up.

Originally posted by FortAnthem

Originally posted by The Wave
reply to post by FortAnthem

 

Hi!

One from a while ago about a woman suffering from a condition called Objectum-Sexuality. She fell in love with the Berlin Wall but when it was demolished she started to have an affair with a fence..... honest!

www.telegraph.co.uk...

Peace!

Wow! That is freaky.
It makes some of the stuff on my list seem tame.

The Unburdeoned Mind is describing your average sociopath. I fit the description. SO do many very prominent people(most CEO or high ranking corporate officials, Bill Clinton ranks out as a sociopath, so does GWB, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods....)

We are everywhere

reply to post by K-Raz

Can I tell you sorry - and you accept it for a friend of mine?
We've lost touch but about 15 years ago I knew this guy who must have had the Frenchman problem too.

I'd never seen anything like it.

I walked around the corner of his apartment one day when he didn't expect me there and well... (Ah crud, here I go laughing again!)

I don't mean to I really don't mean to laugh but his reaction was soooo extreme - the jumping 2 feet in the air, the yelp, the arms flailing...

I can't imagine having to deal with this Frenchman thing and I truly mean it when I say I'm sorry - even if I'm laughing. Gawn I'm insensitive I guess.

Anyway, I have to admit I was tempted once or twice to sneak up on him but never did.

To this day when I think of his reaction? Well, I bet it will be enough to keep me laughing for the rest of my life.

Hang in there... I hope those around you are sensitive and don't push your buttons.

Nice Thread OP!

reply to post by silo13


Hi Silo13,

How insensitive... I mean... 'Boo'....to scare...'HI!'....someone like that and actually....'HI THERE!!!'...laugh at their reaction.... (supresses laughter).

Actually I once worked with someone who we all thought was 'extremely highly strung' and we used to have great fun suddenly appearing and making him literally jump. Now I understand and feel slightly (just slightly) guilty.

Peace!

reply to post by silo13

Anyway, I have to admit I was tempted once or twice to sneak up on him but never did.

I also apologise to all the jumping Frenchmen of Maine. The above quote triggered my own, as yet undiscovered, helpless laughter syndrome.

On a more serious note, people who laugh when they see the manifestations of the jumping Frenchman of Maine syndrome, are not necessarily insensitive. After all, we humans have a natural inclination to laugh when we see a spectacular, banana-peel-powered skid and tumble, head first into a lampost. And yet, such a fall could result in serious injury. Just my 2 cents...

I used to try to say I had no control over my hand...back when I was a teenager...usually in the back seat of a car. Sure wish I had known there was a name for it!

Either way, thanks for the heads up on the frenchman thing. I should stand further back when startleing people. I could get hurt!

Would be fun to see a "scare tactics" type show done with people that have a definative diagnosis already done though!

[edit on 18-2-2010 by rotorwing]