5 Rare Mental Conditions You Never Heard Of

Millions of Americans are affected by mental conditions, and most of them are still unknown to the public because they are not very common. Schizophrenia or bipolar disorders are well-known because they are recurrent, but what about the other conditions that still exist but lack recognition?

You will be surprised to know that depression is the 4th cause of hospitalization among 18 to 44 in the United States.

Here are five rare mental conditions that you never heard of;

1. Khyâl Cap

Cambodians call this “wind attacks” or Khyâl cap because khyâl, or wind, rises in the bloodstream. In addition to panic attacks and psychosis, it can also lead to bodily sensations.

This condition has similar symptoms as panic attacks, dizziness, shortness of breath, cold extremities, etc.

Bear in mind that Khyâl cap is a cultural syndrome, which means it happens to a particular group of individuals in the same communities or groups. For example, the Khyâl cap can be found only among Cambodians living in the U.S. or Cambodia.

2. Clinical Lycanthropy

Lycanthropy is a mental condition where the affected person believes that they can transform into animals. It is often associated with turning into a wolf or werewolf; the syndrome’s name originates from the mythical condition of lycanthropy or shapeshifting into wolves.

People with clinical lycanthropy think that they can take the form of any particular animal. During this delusion or hallucination, affected individuals will act like an animal. For instance, people may act like wolves and be found in forests and wooded areas.

3. Depersonalization

People with this disorder feel detached from themselves or their surroundings most of the time. They feel as if they are looking at themselves from the outside of their body. Time may feel distorted, speeding up or slowing down.

Depersonalization can be on its own, or it can be caused due to the side effects of medication, drugs, or other mental health conditions.

4. Alien Hand Syndrome

An individual who suffers from the alien hand syndrome believes that one’s hand does not belong to them and has their own life. The sufferer may specify that body part as a separate entity. Some people may even hurt themselves, and they may think that it will oppose the whole body.

5. Alice In Wonderland Syndrome

The Alice in Wonderland Syndrome is also known as the Todd syndrome. You may be asking yourself why this weird name, but as you know, the film was inspired by a novel by Lewis Carroll. The author confesses to being on opium when writing the novel.

Just as in the movie, the little girl’s distorted vision of reality, with a talking cat, hallucinations distorted perception of body image, time, and space. The symptoms themselves have nothing to worry about, but some patients can be triggered by panic and fear responses due to the distorted reality. Todd syndrome is often accompanied by drug use as a coping mechanism that makes things worse, migraine and brain tumors. Studies have found that cases are more prominent in children between 5 to 10 years old.

How To Treat Rare Mental Health Conditions

To treat a mental condition, you should know to be able to understand the condition first. Most of the time, rare mental health conditions are more difficult to diagnose; it requires extensive hours of therapy, brain scans in some, and other medical tests. No matter the conditions, it is important to have the appropriate treatment, as it may seem meaningless at first, but it can trigger panic and lead to other harmful actions. Let us know in the comments if you know about the mental conditions mentioned above…