Mental Health: 8 Unusual Psychiatric Conditions You Have Probably Never Heard of

Numerous psychological disorders are uncommon, hard to accept, and rare. The majority of people are familiar with mental problems like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but other conditions are so uncommon that many psychiatrists may only see a small number of them in their careers. Here, Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University discusses five of the most uncommon and rare syndromes that are now recognised in psychiatry.

Seven uncommon psychiatric conditions you’ve probably never heard of:

1. Fregoli Syndrome:When someone has Fregoli syndrome, they think that different people are really the same person who has simply changed their look. Those who suffer from this syndrome frequently feel as though they are being harassed by spies. Leopoldo Fregoli, an Italian theatre performer renowned for his exceptional capacity to instantly alter his appearance while on stage, is honoured by having his disease bear his name. When someone has Fregoli syndrome, they think that different people are really the same person who has simply changed their look. Fregoli syndrome frequently co-occurs with other mental illnesses such schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Injuries to the brain and the usage of the Parkinson’s disease medicine levodopa can both contribute to it.
2. Cotard’s Syndrome:People who have Cotard’s syndrome, commonly referred to as “walking corpse syndrome,” have the misconception that they are dead and do not exist. Others think that there are missing body parts. People with such illnesses think they are dead and don’t exist. The French neurologist Jules Cotard, who originally described this illness, is honoured with the syndrome’s name. Risk factors for this syndrome include schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder. However, there is an extremely rare side effect of the anti-viral medication acyclovir. Mood stabilisers, electroconvulsive therapy, and antidepressants are typically used to treat the uncommon disorder.
3. Alien Hand Syndrome:One of the strangest neurological illnesses, where the person has the impression that their hands have free will and can act independently. The person feels as though their hand is not their own when they do this. People with alien hand syndrome usually struggle with sensory processing and dissociate from their hands’ motions. Tumours, seizures, incarceration sickness, and strokes can all contribute to the syndrome.
4. The Ekbom syndrome:A tactile hallucination known as Ekbom’s syndrome causes its victims to feel crawling objects under their skin and think they are parasitized. People who have Ekbom’s illness frequently believe they have parasite infestations and feel insects crawling under their skin. The illness was first described by a Swedish neurologist by the name of Karl Ekbom.
5. Alice in Wonderland Syndrome:Todd syndrome, often known as the Alice in Wonderland syndrome, is a condition where a person experiences distortions in their sense of touch, vision, hearing, and time and space. Those who have the syndrome frequently perceive things as smaller than they really are and perceive persons as larger than they really are. Or the converse occurs: individuals seem smaller and items appear bigger than they actually are. Feelings of paranoia could accompany these events.

Other Mental Disorders You Might Not be Aware of

1. Erotomania:An individual with this delusional condition believes that they are probably in love with someone of a higher standing. This is felt through means of telepathy, peculiar glances, and signals. The feeling is so intense that even if the delusional lover claims not to feel anything, the patient will still be sceptical and believe that he is trying to hide his love from the outside world.
2. Capgras Disorder:When you have capgras, a close relative or friend of yours seems to have been replaced by an identical imposter. People who have this illness believe their reality has been replaced. It can be brought on by ageing, migraines, or any other brain problem, and it affects women more frequently than men.
3. Synesthesia:A sensory stimulation may be confused with another sensation in a person with this disease. People may mistakenly identify sounds with colours, tastes with images, smells with sounds, or all of the sensations with each other, leading to what is known as the “union of the senses.”