Millions of people around the world suffer from different kinds of mental health conditions, and these mental conditions can range from anxiety to depression, bipolar disorder to borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia to obsessive-compulsive disorder, and many more. But these are the mental disorders that we know a lot about and information and treatment are readily available about them.
There are many rare psychological disorders that are truly terrifying, mind-boggling, and can make you do a double-take when you hear about them. It can really be a scary experience for the people who suffer from these psychological disorders because it can truly change the way they perceive their own lives and everyone and everything around them.
So are you ready to know more about these terrifying and rare psychological disorders?
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8 Most Terrifying And Rare Psychological Disorders
1. Erotomania
People suffering from Erotomania live under the delusion that someone else is in love with them, and the kicker is, this ‘someone’ is a celebrity or a famous person. They strongly believe that a person of higher status is madly in love with them.
This delusion can be impossible to break because they are so strongly convinced of the other person’s ‘love’. Even if their supposed ‘love interest’ denies any sort of romantic feelings towards them, they will refuse to believe the truth and will hold on to what they think is the real reality.
Sadly, not much is known about this disorder which is why treatment options are also terribly limited.
2. Mythomania.
Mythomania is a psychological disorder in which the sufferer tends to compulsively lie without any reason or motivation whatsoever. They lie because in their head they believe that what they are saying is the truth, and they come with more elaborate storylines to make their bluffs seem more believable.
One of the underlying reasons behind this psychological disorder is the need to impress people. No matter how much you might try to call them out on their lies, they will refuse to believe that none of what they are saying is untrue.
3. Stendhal Syndrome.
This is probably one of the rare psychological disorders. People suffering from Stendhal Syndrome tend to experience panic attacks, anxiety, hallucinations, confusion, and dissociative feelings whenever they come across beautiful or extremely beautiful art.
They feel a sense of elation and overwhelming happiness, but at the same time feel scared and anxious when looking at an impressive piece of art. Sometimes Stendhal Syndrome can also be triggered when someone is in the midst of beautiful and scenic nature.
There are quite a few people who suffer from this disorder, but doctors are yet to find the right mode of treatment for this.
Related: 3 Most Common Mental Health Disorders In Men
4. Capgras Syndrome.
Capgras syndrome also known as Capgras Delusion is one of those rare psychological disorders that makes someone feel paranoid because they are convinced that someone close to them (family member, spouse, friend, pet) has been replaced by an identical imposter.
Capgras syndrome normally happens to people who suffer from neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, and even bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. It’s a debilitating mental disorder that makes the sufferer think that the imposter is trying to hurt them or even kill them.
5. Alien Hand Syndrome.
This terrifying psychological disorder makes the sufferer think that one of their hands has its own autonomy and works on its own. Even though this is one of the most rare psychological disorders out there, people who suffer from this have exhibited behavior that shows their hand trying to work in a way that is completely different from their thinking.
Some sufferers have claimed that their hand has tried to choke them, rip off their clothes, slap them, scratch them and even gouge out their eyes. Alien Hand Syndrome is most often found in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s.
6. Clinical Lycanthropy
Clinical lycanthropy is one of those terrifying and rare psychological disorders that makes a person think that they have turned into an animal, especially a wolf. People who suffer from clinical lycanthropy firmly believe that either they have transformed into a wolf or are in the process of transitioning into one. They even show signs of animal behavior such as growling, crawling, and howling in some cases.
Many experts believe that this mental disorder happens due to psychosis which leads to changes in one’s mind. Another interesting thing about this disorder is that it is not just limited to wolves only, many patients have had delusions of turning into other animals such as cats, dogs, foxes, birds, and even frogs.
Related: 17 Heartbreaking Statements From Mental Disorder Patients
7. Alice In Wonderland Syndrome
Also referred to as Todd Syndrome, this psychological disorder makes patients experience a warped sense of space, time, and their bodies in the environment they live in. People suffering from this disease tend to feel their bodies getting larger or smaller at times. Sometimes they even feel that their bodies are too big for the space they are in.
Alice In Wonderland Syndrome is most often seen in people suffering from brain tumors, migraines, and who indulge in drug use. This distorted sense of self-perception can take a heavy mental toll on patients.
8. Walking Corpse Syndrome
Walking Corpse Syndrome, also known as Cotard’s Delusion, is a horrifying psychological disorder that makes the sufferer believe that certain parts of their bodies are missing, or that they are dying, dead or they don’t exist at all. Some patients even believe that nothing exists anymore which is why they stop eating and even hurt themselves physically.
Even though not a lot of information is available about this syndrome, it has been associated with underlying conditions such as multiple sclerosis, migraine, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, brain damage, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, dementia, and substance abuse.
If you suffer from any of these rare psychological disorders then don’t feel ashamed to seek psychiatric help. Reaching out to your loved ones and undergoing the right kind of treatment can help you tremendously in dealing with this. Love yourself, have faith in yourself, and believe that you can overcome this and live a happier life.
Want to know more about rare psychological disorders? Check this video out below!
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