Although medicine advances day by day, the yet undiscovered doors of psychology continue to surprise us. In particular, the veil of mystery surrounding some psychological syndromes has still not been lifted. A syndrome is a psychological disorder with unclear causes and symptoms. Here are a few selections:
Stockholm Syndrome
Most of you probably remember Stockholm syndrome from the TV show La Casa De Papel. However, Aristotle mentioned this concept before it is called Stockholm syndrome as “The worst thing about slavery is that the slaves eventually come to like it.” To describe, well… Exactly. Finding a definition more profound than Aristotle’s is quite challenging. However, let’s give it a shot. Stockholm syndrome describes the psychological condition in which a victim sympathizes with and identifies with their captor or abuser and their intentions. As the primary goal of every living being is to survive, in this case, the victim actually tries to cling to life by adapting to the traumatic environment. This syndrome took place in the literature when a woman, who spent six days as a captive of a bank robber in Stockholm, Sweden, developed an emotional bond with the perpetrator. After being freed, she not only stood up for the thief but also broke up with her fiancé to be with the bank robber and waited for him to be released.
Foreign Accent Syndrome
As the name suggests, Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS) is a syndrome in which one’s speaking patterns change in a way that the accent is perceived as ‘foreign’ to others. FAS occurs primarily because of the left frontal brain lesions, and the number of people reported to have suffered from this disease to date is 65; thus, we can say that it is scarce. The first reported case is from Norway in the 1940s. The woman who was hit in the head with shrapnel during the war suddenly started speaking German! Another woman from the USA, Texas, began to speak English with a British accent after a complication in surgery!
Peter Pan Syndrome
Peter Pan syndrome is observed in children who are afraid of growing up and those who act as a child even though they are adults. You’ve never experienced Peter Pan like this, have you? Believe me, I didn’t either. Dan Kiley, the psychoanalyst who first described Peter Pan Syndrome, suggested that this syndrome was caused by the mother’s pressure and the father’s weak authority. He categorized this syndrome into different age groups.
10-15 years old: The child’s connection with the world weakens due to fear, shirks from duties, and gets lonely.
16-22 years old: Arrogance and machismo arise.
23-25 years old: Feelings of unhappiness and distress intensify.
26-30 years old: The syndrome and symptoms deteriorate.
From 45 years old: Adult display frantic actions while feeling gloomy and tries to be a child again.
Othello Syndrome
Jealousy is a state that occurs in many relationships and that we generally see as usual, but unfortunately, like everything else, the dose can be poisonous. We refer to state of extreme and pathological jealousy as Othello syndrome. This syndrome is a mental health disorder characterized by intense and unproportional jealousy, usually towards a romantic partner. It includes obsessive, intrusive, and delusional thoughts, such as expressing an unhealthy focus on the fidelity of a partner without any realistic evidence and constant accusations. Likewise, it might be caused by other mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and drug abuse.
Fun fact: This syndrome is named after a character in a Shakespeare play, Othello, who murdered his wife due to the mistaken belief that she was cheating on him.
REFERANCES
Baş, B. (2023, October 30). Stockholm Sendromu Nedir? Stockholm Sendromu Belirtileri Ve Tedavi yöntemleri Nelerdir?. Medical Park. https://www.medicalpark.com.tr/stockholm-sendromu/hg-3235#:~:text=Stockholm%20sendromu%20olan%20kişilerde%20uykusuzluk,dalgalı%20duygu%20durum%20sıklıkla%20gözlemlenmektedir
Daily Sabah. (2019, June 9). Peter Pan Syndrome: When men refuse to grow up. https://www.dailysabah.com/health/2019/06/10/peter-pan-syndrome-when-men-refuse-to-grow-up
Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS). The University of Texas at Dallas. (n.d.). https://sites.utdallas.edu/fas/#:~:text=Foreign%20accent%20syndrome%20(FAS)%20is,stroke%20or%20traumatic%20brain%20injury.
Turkuvaz Medya Grubu. (2019a, July 8). En ilginç 15 Psikolojik Sendrom. Fikriyat. https://www.fikriyat.com/galeri/yasam/en-ilginc-15-psikolojik-sendrom
Yaygın Psikolojik Sendromlar. Kim Psikoloji. (n.d.). https://www.kimpsikoloji.com/yaygin-psikolojik-sendromlar/
