Table of Contents hide

1.1 What Are The 12 Major Psychological Disorders?

1.2 What Is The Most Undiagnosed Mental Illness?

1.3 What are some cool syndromes?

1.4 What are the 10 types of mental disorders?

1.5 What are the 7 disorders?

1.6 What is the most famous disorder?

1.7 Rare Mental Disorders Conclusion

1.8 Further reading

Rare Mental Disorders

Rare mental disorders. Mental disorders are illnesses that affect the mood, thought patterns and behaviours of the individuals affected. Studies show that 1 in 4 people in the UK will have a diagnosable mental disorder every year and more than 4 million people in the UK have a diagnosable mental health problem.

According to WHO, “a mental disorder is characterised by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation or behaviour. It is usually associated with distress or impairment in important functioning areas”. There are a variety of rare mental disorders that so many people have never heard of or even know to exist.

1 in every 8 people in the world is living with a mental disorder and 1 in 6 people experience common mental disorders like anxiety and depression. Most rare mental disorders have been known to be treatable and more recent studies also show that the number of people with mental health problems has gone up by more than 20%.

Anyone can have common mental health disorders or rare mental disorders which may arise from facing discrimination, going through traumatic experiences or facing inequality. There are many issues that make people find it difficult to cope mentally, but it is important that no matter the challenges a person faces, he/she should take care of their mental health.

When talking about mental disorders common disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar, eating disorders and more come to mind but there are many rare mental disorders that are so rare that some health practitioners may never come across them in their careers We will talk more about them as we go on.

There are many rare mental disorders, but we will look at 10 of these disorders below;

Alien Hand Syndrome

Also called Strangelovian hand, Dr Strangelone Syndrome or Archaic hand is a neurological condition and one of the rare mental disorders where a person’s hand acts of its own accord and is not in sync with the rest of the body. In this condition, the mind is unable to control the hand and is caused by the aftermath of a stroke, trauma or tumour.

Alice in wonderland syndrome

This is one of the rare mental disorders which is very common in young adults. This disorder causes them to have temporary episodes of distorted perception or disorientation. This disorder can cause a distortion in a person’s sense of reality and affects how they perceive the size of things they see around them.

Clerambault Syndrome

Also called Erotomania is one of the rare mental disorders and a form of psychosis in the category of delusional disorders where people believe that a figure who is not in their lives or they haven’t ever met like a celebrity is in love with them. It is usually a symptom of more serious mental conditions like Alzheimer’s, Bipolar and Schizophrenia.

Factitious Disorder

Affecting less than 0.5% of the world’s population is one of the rare mental disorders where a person intentionally attempts to fabricate signs of physical harm or illness to receive medical treatment and attention in a medical setting.

Stendhal Syndrome

Also known as Florence Syndrome is a psychosomatic condition where people experience panic attacks, rapid heartbeats, hallucinations, fainting, confusion and dissociation experiences when exposed to artwork, objects or any phenomena considered to be overwhelmingly beautiful. This is one of the rare mental disorders caused by visuals and architectural arts.

Capgras Syndrome

Also known as imposter syndrome or Capgras delusion is a mental condition that causes people to believe that someone who plays a significant role in their life has been replaced by an imposter which makes them accuse the person of not being who they are meant to be. It is also a symptom of Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Schizophrenia and Epilepsy.

Apotemnophilia Syndrome

Also known as body integrity disorder or amputee identity disorder. This is one of the main rare mental disorders which is somewhat scary as people with this condition have an overwhelming desire to amputate or damage healthy parts of their bodies which is referred to as self-demand amputation.

Visual Snow Syndrome

Also known as visual static is one of the rare mental disorders and describes a condition that will cause you to see continuous flickering white dots throughout your field of vision.

Folie a Deux

Also known as shared delusion or shared psychotic disorder and one of the major rare mental disorders is a condition where a mentally stable person takes on the symptoms of a psychotic disorder of someone close to them. It is a shared or induced mental disorder affecting two or more people.

Reduplicative Paramnesia

This is one of the rare mental disorders that are similar to Capgras Syndrome where a person feels that someone important in their lives has been replaced. However, the difference is that people with this disorder believe that their entire location has been duplicated. It is the belief that a place has been relocated to another location or exists in two or more places simultaneously.

What Are The 12 Major Psychological Disorders?

What are the 12 major psychological disorders? There are many psychological disorders that affect different aspects of people’s lives and these disorders can be divided into 12 categories which we will discuss shortly.

What are the 12 major psychological disorders?

The first category we will look at is Anxiety Disorders. Anxiety disorders are mental disorders in which one has feelings of anxiety, worry or fear strong enough to disrupt their daily activities. Everyone has some degree of anxiety and many are not aware of it. Let us look at some of the anxiety disorders people may have.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder is a long-term condition that causes excessive worry about a number of issues or situations in your everyday life, many of which are beyond your control.
Panic Disorder also called panic attack is a condition where you have sudden episodes of intense fear or panic which could be triggered by stressful or dangerous situations even in cases where there is no real danger or cause for it.
Agoraphobia is a mental health condition that causes excessive fear of being in a place or situation where you feel trapped and escape might be difficult or help will not be available if there is danger. The affected person will generally avoid places that he/she considers unsafe.
Claustrophobia is the excessive fear of being in enclosed spaces. People with this disorder usually do their best to avoid confined spaces such as lifts, tunnels, etc.
Social Anxiety Disorder also called social disorder is an intense fear of being watched and judged by others, especially in a social setting. It is mostly experienced by young adults or teenagers.

The next category to be considered is Mood Disorders. They are also known as affective disorders and refer to a type of disorder that affects a person’s mood or emotional state. Let us look at some common mood disorders;

Bipolar disorder also called manic depression a type of disorder where a person has extreme mood swings that can go from depression lows to mania highs.
Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder is also called complicated grief which refers to a situation where loss causes severe painful emotions that last so long that a person finds it difficult to come out of it and resume their normal life.
Clinical Depression also referred to as major depressive disorder is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is a type of disorder that causes a person to experience low mood, low self-esteem, or loss of interest in or inability to enjoy activities they would normally enjoy.
Depersonalisation-derealisation Disorder is a type of mood disorder which occurs when a person persistently has the feeling that they are observing themselves from outside their bodies or a sense that things are not real or both.
Self-Harm or Cutting is a type of psychological disorder that causes a person to intentionally harm his body either by cutting or burning as a way to cope with emotional pain, intense anger, stress or sadness.

Another one of the 12 major psychological disorders is Autistic Disorder. It is a psychological disorder that affects the development of the brain. There are two types of autistic disorders and we will discuss them shortly.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition that affects brain development and is characterised by some degree of difficulty in social interaction and communication and may have difficulty developing learning abilities.
Asperger Syndrome is a developmental disorder that causes a person to see, feel and hear the world differently,” says the National Autistic Society. They don’t have the learning disabilities that people with autism have but may have specific learning disabilities. They have fewer difficulties with speech but may still have problems processing and understanding language.

What are the 12 major psychological disorders?

Another category is the Behavioural, Self-regulation and Attention Disorders. Behavioural disorders typically develop in childhood or adolescence. This is a term that is generally used for disorders such as conduct disorders, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. We will look at some types of this disorder below;

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people’s behaviours. According to NHS UK, it is categorised into inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. People can seem restless, have trouble concentrating and may act impulsively.
Kleptomania Disorder is a disorder that causes an irresistible urge to steal things that one does not need and are of very little value. It is an impulse control disorder.
Attachment Disorder typically starts in childhood when a child has issues establishing a deep emotional connection or has difficulties connecting emotionally with others. This disorder affects a person’s ability to form and maintain relationships.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder is usually diagnosed in childhood and is characterised by a child being defiant and disobedient to figures of authority. Children with this disorder have frequent patterns of anger, irritability and defiance towards authority figures such as parents, teachers and other authority figures.
Pyromania Disorder is an impulse disorder where a person is unable to resist the urge to start fires. Despite knowing the danger of starting fires, they cannot resist the urge because starting fires is their only way to calm their anxiety, built-up tension or any kind of agitation they feel.

What are the 12 major psychological disorders?

Another major psychological disorder is Eating Disorders. Eating disorder refers to how a person’s relationship with food affects their physical, psychological and emotional well-being. This is a psychological disorder characterised by abnormal eating patterns that has a negative impact on a person’s physical and mental health.

Anorexia Nervosa is a type of eating disorder which is a serious mental condition. In this eating disorder, a person has an intense fear of gaining weight and has a wrong perception of weight. This disorder is mainly characterised by abnormally low body weight.
Bulimia Nervosa is a potentially life-threatening disorder in which a person consumes large amounts of food in one sitting and then gets rid of it through purge or vomiting in order to avoid weight gain.
Binge Eating Disorder is an eating disorder in which a person eats large amounts of food in a single sitting and lacks the ability to control the urge to eat or feels that their eating pattern is out of control.

Another category of the 12 major psychological disorders is Personality Disorders. According to NHS UK, “a person with a personality disorder thinks, feels, behaves or relates to others very differently from the average person”. There are various types of personality disorders, but we will look at a few of them.

Borderline Personality Disorder is a psychological condition that affects a person’s ability to keep their emotions in check or regulate them. People with this disorder have extremely unstable moods and fluctuations in their behaviours.
Dissociative Identity Disorder also called multiple personality disorder is a mental condition where a person has multiple distinct personalities. The person often feels and hears the voices of two or more people inside their head. There are other types such as antisocial personality disorder and avoidant personality disorders.

What are the 12 major psychological disorders?

Another category of major psychological disorders is Psychotic Disorders. These are serious mental conditions that affect the mind. A major psychotic disorder is Schizophrenia, which affects how people interpret reality. According to WebMD, this is a chronic mental disorder that affects the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality and relates to others.

Stress-related disorders are also part of the 12 major psychological disorders referring to disorders that occur as a result of anxiety or stress-related issues. There are two types of stress-related disorders;

General Adaption Disorder refers to the psychological process a person goes through when exposed to any kind of stressful situation whether positive or otherwise.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a psychological disorder that may be triggered by a person experiencing or witnessing a very terrifying event.

Another one of the 12 major psychological disorders is Sleep Disorders also known as sleep-wake disorder which affects changes in sleep patterns that can negatively affect a person’s health. There are two types of sleep disorders which are;

Insomnia Disorder is a disorder that makes it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep or wake up too early and not be able to fall asleep again.
Sleep Terror Disorder also called night terror is a type of parasomnia where a person wakes from sleep with feelings of terror or panic.

Developmental Disorders are one of the 12 major psychological disorders that exist. According to CDC, developmental disorders are a group of conditions due to an impairment in physical learning, language or behaviour areas. Some examples include Asperger syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Development Disorder which is a form of mental retardation.

Another category of psychological disorder is Ipseity Disturbance. According to Wikipedia, this is a psychological phenomenon of disruption or diminishing of a person’s minimal or basic self-awareness. Some types of Ipseity disturbance include;

Gender Dysphoria is also known as gender identity disorder and refers to the discomfort or distress that occurs in people who have a different gender identity from their assigned gender
Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a mental condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about the flaws in their appearance. Other types of ipseity disturbance are Dissociative Identity Disorder and Depersonalisation-derealisation disorder.

The last category of the 12 major psychological disorders is Substance-Dependence Disorders which is a condition that affects a person’s mental and physical ability to control the use of legal or illegal drugs or medicine. The types of this disorder include;

Hypersexuality disorder is a mental condition that affects a person’s ability to control their sexual urge. Other types include cannabis dependence disorder and cocaine dependence disorders.

What Is The Most Undiagnosed Mental Illness?

What is the most undiagnosed mental illness? Mental illnesses often go undiagnosed. For many, these mental illnesses may never be diagnosed or treated throughout their lifetime. So many people who have mental illnesses often live in denial of those illnesses. We will look at some of the most commonly undiagnosed mental illnesses in this article.

What is the most undiagnosed mental illness? The most undiagnosed mental illness is Bipolar Disorder which is a mental condition that can cause extreme changes in a person’s mood or emotional state. This mental illness tops the list of mental illnesses that often goes undiagnosed because it is often mistaken for other mental disorders or shrugged off as having a bad day.

What is the most undiagnosed mental illness? Bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed because people suffering from this disorder often see a psychotherapist when they have a symptom of anxiety or depression during their extreme lows and this condition can be misdiagnosed as depression or an anxiety disorder.

What is the most undiagnosed mental illness? Misdiagnosis of Bipolar disorder is very common because, during the mania highs, it can be misdiagnosed as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The symptoms of Bipolar disorder are also similar to the symptoms of other mental illnesses.

What is the most undiagnosed mental illness? Bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed because patients often have other mental conditions such as anxiety disorder, eating disorders or substance dependence disorders which can be the root cause of misdiagnosis.

What are some cool syndromes?

What are some cool syndromes? According to the American Psychological Association people who have the Machiavellians Cool Syndrome experience intense feelings but have problems expressing their emotions. They generally have a cold attitude and emotionally detach themselves from situations.

What are some cool syndromes? There are many syndromes that are known and unknown to people. The cool syndrome is a range of mental conditions that make people act cold, distant or emotionally detached from other people. Let us look at some of the cool syndromes commonly affecting people.

What are some cool syndromes? Paranoid Personality disorder is a type of cool syndrome in which people are overly suspicious about their surroundings without any good reason which makes them unable to form close relationships as they are always cold and distant. People with this disorder believe that people are trying to harm or threaten them.

What are some cool syndromes? Schizoid Personality Disorder is another cool syndrome where people are often cold or distant because of the fear of closeness or intimacy. People affected by this disorder often avoid social activities and shy away from interactions with others because they lack the skill or desire to form close relationships.

What are some cool syndromes? Schizotypal Personality Disorder is a cool syndrome which is similar to Schizoid Personality Disorder and also has some similarities with schizophrenia, which is a mental condition that causes people to behave in odd patterns with disordered thinking, perception and poor communication skills.

What are the 10 types of mental disorders?

What are the 10 types of mental disorders? The world is moving so fast and more people are finding it difficult to cope with it. Many people have developed mental illnesses due to this difficulty, which may be influenced by different experiences they may have at one time or the other.

What are the 10 types of mental disorders? Mental health problems are real and more rampant these days. Let us look at the 10 mental disorders that commonly affect people today, many of which remain undiagnosed and others probably escalated because the person suffering from them did not take quick steps to take care of themselves or they lived in constant denial.

What are the 10 types of mental disorders?

Borderline Personality Disorder according to Mental Health Centre Los Angeles is a condition that makes a person unable to maintain positive social relationships because they are unstable, impulsive and have a damaged self-image.
Schizophrenia is usually characterised by distorted awareness and thinking making it difficult to think clearly, make decisions, control your emotions and have relationships with others.
Obsession-Compulsive Disorder cannot be left out when looking at: what are the 10 types of mental illnesses as it is a mental condition that where that are patterns of unwanted intrusive thoughts and fears which lead to repetitive behaviours.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental condition that is triggered by witnessing or experiencing a traumatising event.
Eating Disorder is a serious mental disorder that deals with a person’s relationship with food. People with this disorder are often worried about their weight.
Anxiety Disorder is another type of mental disorder discussed when asked about what are the 10 types of mental disorders. This is probably the most common disorder with nearly every human experiencing some form of it.
Depression is a mental disorder that affects people in varying degrees from making a person dread starting their day to thoughts of hopelessness or suicide.
Dissociative Disorders are involuntary escapes from reality. People with this disorder often experience disconnection or lack of continuity between their thoughts.
Addiction and Substance Abuse Disorder is a mental disorder that causes people to lack control over the use of legal and illegal drugs.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a mental disorder mostly diagnosed in childhood and has to do with the child acting impulsively and having trouble paying attention.

What are the 7 disorders?

What are the 7 disorders? With the increasing cases of mental disorders, it has become a necessity to talk about it and raise awareness on the types of mental illnesses that exist so that people who are experiencing them can seek the help they need and not feel that they would be stigmatised which may stop them from getting the help they need.

What are the 7 disorders? Anxiety disorders are the first on this list because of how common they are today. More people have anxiety disorders today due to the rising problems in the world. Many people have developed anxiety because of the fear that war in other parts of the world may get to where they are.

What are the 7 disorders? Mood and Psychotic disorders are also critical disorders that people need to be enlightened about as they can affect social and interpersonal relationships. Many people with these disorders find it difficult to build and or maintain relationships even when they want to.

What are the 7 disorders? Eating disorders are also one of the major disorders that a good number of people suffer from today. Many people that experience this disorder may use the body image of celebrities as a yardstick for theirs or are constantly being body shamed mostly by people around them which is the trigger for this disorder.

What are the 7 disorders? Personality disorders, dementia and autism are the last three of the 7 disorders. A personality disorder is when a person has unhealthy ways of thinking, functioning and behaving.

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects a child’s social, understanding and learning abilities. Dementia is a term used to describe the impaired ability to think, remember or makes decisions in a person’s everyday life.

What is the most famous disorder?

What is the most famous disorder? The most famous mental disorder is Depression which research shows affects more women than men today. It is a disorder that causes a loss of interest in activities or a persistent feeling of sadness. It can lead to a number of emotional and physical problems if left untreated or undiagnosed.

What is the most famous disorder? Depression is a very serious mental condition that requires urgent attention as it has the tendency to lead to suicidal thoughts or committing suicide. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 280 million people suffer from depression. Over 700,000 people die from suicide each year and it is mostly due to depression.

What is the most famous disorder? Suicide has been found to be the fourth leading cause of death in 15 – 29 years old. Depression is one of the major reasons people become suicidal such that they no longer have an interest in living and they begin to see death as a way of escape from whatever they may be passing through.

What is the most famous disorder? Depression is a mental condition that requires an early diagnosis as it is treatable. The Most common types of depression are clinical depression, bipolar disorder and persistent depressive disorder, bipolar II disorder and post-partum depression which is depression that occurs after childbirth.

What is the most famous disorder? If you find yourself having frequent episodes of deep sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, feeling worthless, focusing on your past failures, self-blame, recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts or attempts, then you may be suffering from depression and it is important to talk to a therapist immediately.

Rare Mental Disorders Conclusion

Rare mental disorders conclusion. Mental disorders are fairly common these days and it is best to treat it or get a diagnosis early enough, because many times, these disorders can affect you in so many ways than you can probably know. So it is best to get an early diagnosis and treatment so you can take back your life and make the best of relationships with your loved ones.

Rare mental disorders conclusion. Depression is real and has taken a lot of lives, if you have any of the symptoms mentioned above, you should seek therapy. Beyond that, you need to take time to care for and protect your mental health. Filter what you hear and watch out for things that make you feel less of yourself, but most importantly, life is beautiful, enjoy it!

Further reading

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