Off The Record
10 Bizarre Mental Disorders Our Brain Is Capable of Developing
The human brain is indeed mystifying! We can only imagine the undiscovered truths.
But here’s what we know – statistics indicate that every fourth person in the world is suffering either from the brain or behavioral disorder.
So, here are the 10 of the most puzzling disorders there are!
1. Quasimodo Syndrome
Otherwise known as body dysmorphic disorder, Quasimodo syndrome is a body-centered disorder where the victim gets fixated on a minor bodily defect – the flaw might even be imaginary. It seems much exaggerated to them and they can go to any extent to hide their shortcomings from the world. They will look at themselves at different angles, trying to figure out which one doesn’t amplify the defect. These people work excessively on their appearance, do not get their photo taken, have a lot of love-life problems and suffer from low self-esteem. Watch Contracuerpo and get more acquainted with the disorder’s absurdity.
2. Erotomania
Erotomania is a disorder classified by the victim’s surety that someone’s in love with them. This someone is usually of a much higher social status, for instance, a celebrity. The patient believes this secret admirer shows their affection through special signs, coded messages and telepathy. Even if this person clearly says “no”, the patient will perceive it a part of the secrecy which hides their relationship from the society. The movie “From the Land of The Moon” depicts it very accurately.
3. Capgras Delusion
Patient suffering from this syndrome is convinced that someone close to them or they themselves are replaced with a doppelganger. So, if they commit a bad deed, they will say it was their double. Often, schizophrenia exists along with this disorder. The feature film The Double, based on the novel of the same name by F. M. Dostoevsky, reveals the essence of this disorder.
4. Fregoli Delusion
Sufferer of Fregoli Delusion has opposite beliefs. They believe that people close to them are hiding under the masks of strangers to pursue them. They believe these closed ones are constantly wearing makeup and changing appearance for this purpose. To know about this syndrome further, watch Anomalisa, where the topic is partially revealed.
5. Adele Syndrome
Adele Syndrome is a recently recognized mental disorder whereby a person experiences pathological love affection. It is a seriously destructive disorder which compares to alcoholism and kleptomania. Patients suffering from this syndrome will show symptoms: persecution of a person, self-deception, delusive hopes, voluntary self-sacrifice, ignoring friends’ or other close people’s advice, reckless actions, and loss of interest in other topics and activities. You can watch The Story of Adele H to learn further about it.
6. Cryptomnesia
It is kind of a memory impairment whereby the patient forgets the source of information, unable to determine whether the idea belongs to them or someone else. The syndrome often goes along with “jamais vu,” opposite of déjà vu, implying that suddenly a well-known place or person seems completely unknown as if encountering them for the very first time.
7. Alice inWonderland syndrome
The syndrome takes inspiration from its name – Alice inWonderland. The patient has a distorted perception of their surrounding and space: these can be perceived as too small or too large, or they may seem too far away but also very close, in a peculiar way. The most challenging case is when the person perceives their own body improperly, unable to understand its shape and dimensions. It’s not like there’s something wrong with their sensory organs, it’s just their mental state.
Must read: Early Warning Signs of A Child With Mental Health Problems
8. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
There are two parts to this disorder – obsession and compulsion. The patient has obsessive anxious thoughts that aren’t under his control and the only way these thoughts stop is when they perform certain special actions, otherwise called rituals. It’s a vicious loop because anxiety won’t go away until these rituals are performed and thus, the continuous observation of these practices. The sufferer is quite aware of their rationality of their disorder. Observe Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in The Aviator to vividly learn about OCD.
9. Paraphrenia
When grandiosity and paranoid delusions come together, they account for Paraphrenia. Pseudo-hallucinations and false memories come along the patient’s delusional ideas. The patients believe they are rulers of the world, immortal or make claims that they wrote amazing books working under these pseudonyms. These people seem very arrogant and strange.
10. Multiple Personality Disorder
Multiple Personality Disorder, MPD or Dissociative Identity Disorder is just what the name suggests. The patient has impressions of several different personalities living in one body. These personalities can have different ages, nationalities, race, gender, temperaments, mental abilities and even illnesses. It’s a rare disorder which arises due to severe emotional trauma in childhood.You can read one of the most remarkable stories of a split personality in DanielKeye’s book. It’s about the rapist, Billy Milligan.
