There are several phenomenons that have been ingrained into our society, such as the likes of Stockholm syndrome or the Mandela effect. However, there’s a huge variety of even rarer syndromes that have been documented throughout history, some that still occur, even today. This is a list of five rare psychological phenomenons that you have probably never heard of.
1: Cotard’s Syndrome.
Cotard’s Syndrome, known as walking corpse syndrome, makes the person believe that they are dead or do not exist. Causes for this illness are usually a neurological side effect to diseases such as dementia, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease. It can also show up in severe cases of anxiety, substance abuse, depression, and schizophrenia. Cotard’s syndrome was first coined by Dr Jules Cotard in 1880, describing a patient who had those similar delusions as having “le délire des negations” (the delirium of negations).
The treatments for this syndrome are often anti-psychotics, anxiety medication, or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), this kind of treatment involves sending small electrical currents through the person’s brain to change the chemical imbalance and alleviate symptoms. One of the more recent cases of Cotard’s Syndrome was in 2008, when a 53-year-old woman was admitted to a psychiatric ward after having delusions that she was dead, believing that she should be in the morgue.
2: Stendhal Syndrome.
Stendhal Syndrome is a recorded condition in which the patient experiences severe overwhelm and psychosomatic symptoms after seeing art. It was first reported on by French writer Marie-Henri Beyle (known as Stendhal).
In 1817, he described his experience, he said: “I was in a sort of ecstasy from the idea of being in Florence… I was seized with a fierce palpitation of the heart… the well-spring of life was dried up within me, and I walked in constant fear of falling to the ground.”
However, Stendhal Syndrome wasn’t classed as a psychiatric disorder until 1989 by Graziella Magherini, a psychiatrist based in Florence (where the syndrome was most prevalent). Magherini studied 106 tourist patients who experience the symptoms. The symptoms included dizziness, hallucinations, palpitations, and depersonalisation after seeing art. Works of art that often triggered these symptoms were paintings and sculptures, those particularly by Michelangelo and Botticelli.
3: Jerusalem syndrome.
Jerusalem syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which travelling to Jerusalem triggers psychosomatic symptoms such as religious delusion and psychosis. It goes in stages. Stage 1 is the intention of travelling alone without group or family, anxiety, discontent, nervousness, stress etc. Stage 2 is obsessive cleaning and self-hygiene. Stage 3 is when the patient starts preparing white togas made of bedsheets. Stage 4 is when the person has a strong desire to scream or sing aloud hymns or bible verses Stage 5 is marching to holy sites, while stage 6 ends in delivering a sermon, appealing to people to adopt a simpler way of life. It is strongly advised to take the patient away from the site as soon as possible. A more severe intervention would be administering tranquillisers and psychotherapy as additional treatment.
4: Folie A Deux (Shared Psychotic Disorder).
Folie a deux is a phenomenon in which a person presenting severe mental health symptoms (such as paranoia and delusions) transmits their delusion to someone close to them. It often occurs with partners living together or family members. Folie a deux usually refers to two people, however, it can extend to three, four, or even an entire family household.
Treatment for folie a deux often includes separating the patients to deescalate the symptoms. The patients often need medication such as antipsychotics as well as intensive therapy to overcome and break the cycle of folie a deux.
5: Lima Syndrome (counterpart of Stockholm syndrome).
Lima syndrome is a response in which a captor develops a bond with a victim. The captor often starts to become empathetic toward the victim, gaining an emotional connection with them and regretting kidnapping them. It originated from a 1994 hostage situation in Lima where many members of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement took people hostage at the Japanese ambassador’s residence during an event. This lasted over several weeks, during that time, many of the captors felt immense sympathy and guilt over their actions, deciding to release majority of the victims due to the emotional connection.
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