Mental illness can be difficult to live with or to understand. Most of us are familiar with common ailments such as depression. However, some
rare mental disorders can make someone feel like they are losing their minds! They are more than just paranoid, they truly believe others are
out to harm them or zombies are real. Some eat paper from books or other bizarre behaviors.
A small number of people are affected by these 15 scariest mental disorders of all time. It doesn’t mean they aren’t substantial or they can’t
create a harsh world for them to live in. 1 in 4 households has someone with a mental illness in it, and this can be anything from depression to
one of these rare conditions.
The mental illness can be mild, moderate, or severe. It may be genetic or due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Mental illness can result
after a traumatic experience or a brain injury. Over 450 million people in the USA have some form of mental illness they deal with. This doesn’t
include their loved ones who also see it all unfold. The ones mentioned here may be rare, but they are scary and they really happen!
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome
Alice in Wonderland is a story or movie most people have either read or watched. There are plenty of out of this world, bizarre stories woven
into that framework. The goal of the book or movie is to entertain. Nothing is entertaining though about Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. You
may also hear it referred to as Todd Syndrome.
When a person has this mental disorder, ordinary things all around them are distorted. Noises can seem much louder or significantly quieter
than they really are. Objects in their environment don’t look the right sizes. They appear much larger or tinier than they truly are. It can be hard
to define texture and other materials for the environment they are in. This can be scary as well as terrifying for someone experiencing it.
When a person takes drugs such as LSD, they often see things distorted, almost like another dimension. They remain calm through it though
because the drugs give them a feeling of euphoria. That feeling of euphoria is lacking when someone has the mental disorder Alice in
Wonderland Syndrome. It can be hard for them to distinguish reality from distortions. It can be hard for them to calm down.
For most with this disorder, their own body being distorted such as huge hands or tiny feet can cause them to become irrational and upset. This
mental health disorder is extremely rare. It tends to be found in those who have used illegal drugs often and/or in high doses. It can also be a
sign of a brain tumor.
Alien Hand Syndrome
Aliens are part of entertainment, science fiction, and even conspiracy theories. When a person has Alien Hand Syndrome, it is more than just
an interest in aliens. The person will lose control of a limb, usually one of their hands. It will be part of actions the person says they have no
control over.
It can be violent too, such as choking someone or themselves with unbelievable strength! The person may tear off all of their clothing with no
regard to where they are or who is around. They may draw blood on themselves or others due to deep scratching and clawing. Such
individuals often have the onset of Alzheimer’s. Others have it due to the two sides of the brain being divided due to an injury or surgical
procedure.
This mental health issue can be alarming and cause someone to harm themselves or others. It can take time to learn how to live with it since
there is no cure. Keeping the hands busy and lowering stress can help reduce outbursts of harmful behavior. Some patients have to hold down
the out of control hand with the one they can control to manage Alien Hand Syndrome.
Apotemnophilia
You may hear this scary mental health disorder called Body Integrity Disorder or Amputee Identity Disorder. This is a mental health issue
where the person constantly thinks about removing or mutilating their own body parts. There is nothing wrong with these body parts. They
aren’t damaged or hurting, but the desire doesn’t go away. lt is rare that a medical professional will remove a healthy limb for someone with
such a disorder, but it has been done.
This is to prevent the person from dangerously attempting that amputation on their own. This can result in serious damage to the nerves or
death from bleeding. It can result in an infection setting in due to the method used to try to remove the limb on its own. Individuals with
Apotemnophilia have an issue in their right brain lobe, it is so detracting they have a hard time focusing on basic tasks or day-to-day
communications.
Boanthropy
lt may seem funny at first, but Boanthropy isn’t amusing to those with this rare mental health disorder. They believe they are cows rather than
people! They will engage in behaviors to reflect the life of cows. They may moo, walk on all floors, and even be found in pastures grazing and
eating grass! They often mingle with other cows like they belong in the herd!
There is some mention of something similar to this in the Bible, and some feel those with Boanthropy have been chosen by God. The research
into this tends to lean towards a person with nightmares or under hypnosis. In earlier times, such individuals were believed to be under the
spell of a witch.
Capgras Delusion
Relationships with others are important. It helps us stay connected and to feel safe. Individuals with the mental health disorder Capgras
Delusion doesn’t feel that way at all. They believe those around them are imposters. taking the place of real people. They don’t feel safe
anywhere they go and it often comes across as unreasonable paranoia.
it’s scary because they can believe others in their home or their workplace have been replaced by an entity trying to harm them. They can
become defensive, may harbor weapons, and may not wish to be alone with people they have had a relationship with for years. Individuals with
Capgras Delusion tends to have a brain injury, epilepsy, dementia, or schizophrenia.
Clinical Lycanthropy
This mental health disorder is similar to Boanthropy, but it isn’t about thinking you are a cow specifically. Clinical Lycanthropy applies to a
person that thinks they are an animal. Most believe they are a wolf or even a werewolf, but it can be many other types of animals too and still
fall under this same category of scary scenarios. They tend to act like the animal they feel they are.
Those that believe they are wolves or werewolves, tend to isolate themselves from others. They don’t want to risk hurting someone they
care about. They may live in isolated areas such as the woods. A few have tried to find wolf packs in the wild to be accepted into but that
doesn’t occur.
Cotard Delusion
Zombies are the core of various hit movies and the sensational Walking Dead series. With this mental health disorder, a person believes they
are actually a zombie or a ghost. They don’t think they have any internal elements such as blood in them anymore. They tend to avoid eating
because they don’t think zombies or ghosts need food to survive. They often talk about death and feel trapped on Earth but that they have
already died.
Cotard Delusion in severe form can result in a person starving to death. Others engage in risky behaviors because they are trying to get out of
the purgatory they feel trapped in between life and death. Severe depression is a large part of this type of mental health disorder.
Diogenes Syndrome
We all know someone who could be called a hoarder. There are even popular reality TV shows about the topic. The correct terminology for this
type of mental health disorder is Diogenes Syndrome. When a person has this concern, they are emotionally attached to items in their home.
They don’t see anything wrong with their habits and they tend to put their own needs and health at risk. They may not shower regularly or have
a clean space to cook meals.
Diogenes Syndrome is more common in those who experienced neglect or trauma at some point in their lives. The lack of stability can trigger
this unrealistic need to hold on to everything they come into contact with. They are often socially withdrawn and may have the onset of
dementia. The feelings of happiness they get with hoarding more override relationships and all other needs for them.
Dissociative Identity Disorder
This mental health concern is sometimes referred to as Multiple Personality Disorder. It is very scary for those that live it. and hard for them to
identify what is real and what isn’t. They struggle with jobs and relationships because of their behaviors at times. There are tons of movies and
books about Dissociative Identity Disorder, but few dive into the fear and disconnect such individuals experience.
Most with this order have two or three personalities, but it is possible to have more. When it is properly diagnosed. an institution is usually
where they are placed. There is no way to cure it and treatment without the person being in a controlled environment is almost impossible.
Factitious Disorder
Some people worry about being sick, but others have a mental health disorder where they always think they are sick. Itis more than being a
hypochondriac. It is known as Factious Disorder and they do all they can to become sick and to stay sick. They may hop from one doctor to the
next because they don’t want a solution. They want attention from being ill. and they may report symptoms they don’t have when they do see a
doctor.
In most of these cases, the individual did have a serious or chronic illness at some point. For others, it is the result of trauma. They don’t
necessarily want to self-harm, but they do have a need for medical care and ongoing attention. It can be helped with counseling if the disorder
is minor but most people with Factitious Disorder don’t benefit from such treatment.
Kluver Bucy Syndrome
This mental health disorder takes things to an extreme. Such individuals may desire to have sex with objects that aren’t possible such as a
vehicle they love! Others eat pages and pages out of books rather than reading them! Most people diagnosed have some type of major trauma
to the brain. There is no cure for it and such individuals are often labeled as being eccentric or crazy. Kluver Bucy Syndrome is extremely rare,
so it can be hard for experts to diagnosis it too.
OCD
We all know people with OCD, technically known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It can range from small routines to it being a major
barrier to them functioning and interacting with others. While many of us laugh about it, even when we are the ones with it, others have a severe
case of OCD. It stems from anxiety and fear. Those with it try to control everything around them by sticking to a harsh routine. Their fears aren’t
rational, but when something is out of place they can’t handle it and their anxiety goes through the roof. A chemical imbalance is often at the
core of OCD.
Paris Syndrome
Visiting Paris is on the bucket list of many travelers. It is often a destination for a honeymoon or for a couple wishing to spend some time
together in a new location. Paris Syndrome only affects a small number of people, but it can be scary. It involves hallucinations, severe anxiety,
and a feeling that they are going to be harmed while they are in Paris.
Most of the people with Paris Syndrome are of Oriental descent. Experts believe language differences, time differences, and feeling out of their
element can increase the chances of someone experiencing Paris Syndrome. Many of those diagnosed with it also have some other type of
mental illness, some diagnosed, and others haven’t been yet.
Reduplicative Amnesia
This mental health issue is similar to Capgras Syndrome. With that one, a person thinks those around them are imposters. With Reduplicative
Amnesia, a person believes the location they are in isn’t real. Instead. it has been replicated to trick or trap them. Most people with this type of
behavior have mental health concerns, brain injuries, or dementia.
Stendahl Syndrome
This mental health problem is temporary, and often not diagnosed because it doesn’t linger. It can happen when someone sees overwhelming
amounts of art, landscaping, or beauty all around them and they are in complete awe of it. They may become confused and anxious when they
should be able to relax and take it all in. Some individuals also report hallucinations due to Stendahl Syndrome.