Crazy comes in many different flavors. And let’s face it, some forms are funnier than others. Thankfully, some of the strangest mental conditions are the ones that don’t seem to occur too often.

Below are a few of the craziest of crazy―10 of the weirdest, most unique mental disorders.

Objectum Sexuality. Folks with this disorder develop serious emotional attachments to inanimate objects. These feelings may even include sexual arousal brought on by certain objects. So you might want to keep people suffering from objectum sexuality away from your favorite teddy bear, lest your stuffed pal become the object of a very one-sided love affair. The size of the item being emoted upon isn’t always practical, either. One woman who suffers from this condition believes she is married to the Eiffel Tower. So perhaps it’s time to start worrying about your friend who talks incessantly about the love he has for his 50-inch plasma screen television.

Gamomania. If you’ve ever had a random stranger walk up to you and ask you to marry her, then it sounds like you’ve probably met someone suffering from gamomania, a mental disorder that causes people to make sudden, outrageous marriage proposals. If you accepted, then hopefully you two are happy. Although it’s unlikely, as your spouse undoubtedly brings home a new fiancé every day. Gamomaniacs have such an intense desire for marriage, they usually tend to lean towards a polygamous lifestyle.

Aboulomania. You know that conversation you have sometimes that goes like, “What do you want to have for dinner?” “I don’t know, what do you want to have?” Multiply that times a thousand, and you can imagine what living with someone who suffers from aboulomania could feel like. This mental disorder causes extreme indecisiveness, which must be really annoying for not only the sufferers, but for their friends and loved ones. It does make you wonder how an aboulomaniac can ever leave the house in the morning, since such a severe inability to make a decision on anything must make picking out the day’s outfit even more challenging than it already seems to be for so many non-sufferers.

Doromania. If you don’t have a friend who has been diagnosed with doromania, perhaps you should hop on down to your local psychiatric ward and find one. Doromania in an obsession with giving gifts, which really makes the illness sound less like a horrible disorder and more like a characteristic of a wonderful friend or a favorite aunt. This is assuming, of course, that your favorite doromaniac actually gives good gifts, and not just random items from the dollar store or cans of cat food wrapped up with a bow.

Alien Hand Syndrome. Folks with alien hand syndrome apparently lose control over the actions of one of their own hands. But the hand doesn’t just hang there limply. It takes on a life of its own, seemingly under its own power, regardless of what the hand’s owner wills it to do. While alien hand syndrome allows you to feel all sensations in your hand like normal, you just can’t tell it what to do anymore. It seems like having this bizarre particular mental illness could come in handy if you ever need an excuse for slapping someone in the face or shoplifting.

Cotard Syndrome. People with Cotard syndrome take hypochondria to the next level. Rather than just think they are sick, people with this illness believe they are dead. Well, sometimes they just believe they have lost some of their major organs, but it seems like that would quickly lead to death anyway. If you know someone who is still walking around looking like a zombie months after Halloween is over, your friend may be suffering from this sickness. It’s best to just ignore him, rather than shattering his belief that he has ceased to exist.

Capgras Delusion. If you travel home to visit family and it feels like your mother has been replaced by an entirely new person, you may be right. Or you may have been stricken by the Capgras delusion. This form of schizophrenia causes people to think their loved ones have been replaced by imposters. You could seek help from a medical professional, or you could just go with the flow, enjoy making a new friend and welcome the influx of a fresh presence at family dinners.

Synesthesia. People with synesthesia basically attribute unique characteristics to words. They may associate certain colors with letters and numbers, or think of a map or calendar page as a three-dimensional image. For some people, this mental illness can bring about more creativity and artistic inspiration. Others just use it to annoy their friends. Two people with synesthesia won’t always agree. One may think the letter “B” is green, while another may call it red. Putting the two in a locked room to duke it out would be cruel and also hilarious.

The Jumping Frenchmen of Maine. If you suffer from this wonderfully named illness, it means that you are likely to jump up and obey any command instantly, even if the command asks you to hit your mother in the face. Essentially a physical form of Tourette’s, Jumping Frenchmen is a rare but useful illness. If you’re looking for an always willing participant who will react quickly to your every command without question or hesitation, then seek out someone with this affliction. Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility … and enjoyment.

Body Integrity Identity Disorder. Ever felt the strong desire to cut off one of your own limbs? Of course not. That would be crazy. Or more specifically, that would be body integrity identity disorder. People with BIID truly believe that removing one of their healthy body parts would make their lives better. Luckily, most BIID sufferers do not remove their own limbs or have luck finding doctors who will do so for them. Instead, they often just pretend they are missing a leg or an arm, which seems difficult to do, and they should be applauded for sticking to their disorders with such dedication.

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If you are one of those individuals who find it difficult to remember names don’t worry, you are not alone.  Most of us have had this experience, and there is no reason to be embarrassed or upset.  Odds are, the person whose name you forgot, has had the same thing happen to them at one time or another.
Because the ability to recall the names of people you meet in social or work situations will always be a benefit, here are some simple techniques to improve your memory of names and faces dramatically.

First, we need to adjust our priorities, realizing that every new relationship can be an advantage in one aspect of another.  Acknowledge every new relationship as a priority.  Once someone has introduced themselves, try to focus on the individual and repeat their name.  While doing this, try to make a mental connection between their name and something familiar.  When I met a woman whose name was Tiffany, I noticed that she was elegant, so I mentally linked her name with the upscale Tiffany store.  Try to stay in the moment, and not worry about what you are going to say next, and most important, relax, and focus on that person.

After the initial introduction, start using their name in a conversation during your introductory meeting or sometime shortly afterwards.  Ask them a question about themselves or their business and be sure to use their name in the process. Three times should be enough to remember. Be sure to act as natural as possible and not to overdo it.

Another method may be association.  As humans, we are naturally programmed for face recognition, so it just takes a little extra effort. Take time to study the individual and become aware of any physical image or mental characteristic that might you help remember their name.  Is the person small or large, heavy of slim?  How about hair color or posture.  It might even be easy to associate a person with a picture. The more you study a person, the easier it will be to recall their name.

It might be a good idea, when you get home or back to the office to write down the names of the people you’ve met along with a few facts or characteristics about them.  Some suggest to write down their names a few times a week for at least the first month, as a highly effective device for face and name recognition.

It might be interesting to know that human faces are not processed by the human brain in the same way as other information, in fact, the human brain contains many different areas, each which are responsible for a different purpose.  While some areas of the brain are able to take over the functions of other areas should they be damaged, the region dedicated to facial recognition is not one of them.  Should this area be damaged, an individual will actually lose the ability to associate faces with names, even those of close friends or relatives.

So when meeting someone new, either in a work situation or a social situation, make a conscious effort and commit to remembering their names using the easy steps outlined above.  It is the best way to make a lasting impression.

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Your short term memory is good for more than just cramming for tests, or preparing a speech or presentation. Developing your memory will help reduce your risk of mental degeneration as you age, and work to delay problems like Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Here is a quick guide on how to help prep your brain to remember everything you want to remember.

The first rule for improving your memory skills is to pay attention to the task at hand. Attempting to block out anything that can distract you will increase your focusing abilities and make learning easier. Televisions, loud music and a hectic environment will only complicate the memory process, causing your brain’s processing speed to go down. You need to focus, blocking out distractions.

It just takes a little practice, but it’s possible for you to remember just about anything you want. And remember, the harder the task, the more concentration you’ll need.

Another way to improve short-term memory is to use a variety of physiological cues, whether it be visual, auditory, or even linking a certain memory to a similar experience. If you have trouble remembering names, try to find an association of something or someone familiar to you. Who do they remind you of? Do they look like someone or someone that you already know , like a celebrity, or a relative? Perhaps the sound of their voice reminds you of something. If none of those are working, try using repetition by repeating their information. This helps create a specific neurological pathway in the brain that makes information easier to recall.

A great way to improve short term memory is by association. This can be applied to names, places, vocabulary, and a variety of other things. If you have trouble locating your car in a large parking lot, try to associate the aisle number with something that is familiar to you. Look around and see if there is anything in the immediate area that is recognizable. And, if all else fails, take a picture of the aisle and row location with your camera phone! Numbers can be especially hard to remember, but there are even tricks to lock those into your brain. For instance, you can turn the rhythm of the spoken numbers into a jingle or a rhyme to help you remember. If your social security number is the same number of syllables as the words in a tune you like, sing the numbers to that tune. You’ll never forget them!

As we get older, repetition and focus becomes more important. The processing speed of your brain begins to slow down. As we age our “working memory” which is mostly short-term memory, is never fully stored and never becomes a part of our permanent memory making it easily replaced by another bit of information that takes the same pathway as the first. Because our brain size decreases, we lose the efficiency of our brain functions, and facts that were easy to remember when we were younger, take more effort, and practice. Simple tasks such as the placement of keys, or the name of a new acquaintance take extra effort. Just as exercising the body make you physically stronger, exercising the mind will make you mentally stronger.

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Science can’t always explain human ailments and illnesses, and even more often it cannot explain human behavior. Some of the world’s strangest people are those who have done extraordinary things, and other are those who are medical marvels. Some of the most baffling medical conditions and new technologies lead us to believe that there is much in the medical world that we just don’t understand.

It is important to take a deeper look into these incredible people and the situations they have had to go through to get them where they are today.

1- The Girl who doesn’t age

One of the most astonishing stories is about Brooke Greenberg, the girl who doesn’t age. This 16 year old is barely larger than a toddler and still exhibits the same physical characteristics as a normal 16-month-old girl. However, Brooke’s condition is completely baffling to the medical community. Brooke’s aging inconsistencies and lack of brain development has made her stay a toddler for 16 years, however she has never been diagnosed with any genetic diseases or chromosomal abnormalities which would help to explain her condition.

Brooke’s condition has been evaluated by numerous doctors with no greater understanding for her health state. Some doctors explain that Brooke’s body has not yet aged past 8 years old, and her body as whole is not aging as a coordinated unit. They go on to explain how her body is somewhat disconnected, with different parts aging at different rates which may help to explain her lack of normal growth. Brooke is able to recognize sounds, but at the age of 16 still cannot speak.

Brooke’s lack of aging has given some hope for a “fountain of youth”, but does Brooke really hold the secret to everlasting youth? Scientists and doctors alike are still mystified by her condition. Time may be the only factor that can tell whether Brooke will start aging normally, or if she is to forever be an adult trapped in a child’s body and mind.

2- Non-Stop Hiccups for 15 months!

Another case of bizarre medical enigmas is the case of Christopher Sands. Have you ever had such a bad case of hiccups that traditional remedies such as a glass of water or holding your breath won’t cure it? Well, Christopher has been suffering hiccups for more than two years.

How does this happen? Medical science is still baffled. Christopher states that he’ll go into 14 hours of hiccupping nonstop, or he’ll not be hiccupping but always on the verge of starting a new attack. His hiccups keep Sands from sleeping and eating and performing many other normal activities. He’s tried countless home remedies trying to battle his hiccups with no success. These remedies have included hypnosis, yoga, and herbal medications, all of which never cured his hiccupping problem.

Doctors claim that hiccupping is normally a problem with the diaphragm, but Christopher’s diaphragm showed no cause of his frequent hiccupping. Mr. Sands is still searching for solutions to his chronic hiccupping and is stated to soon be traveling across America looking for the cure.

3- “The Iceman”

The next case of strange people showcases Mr. Wim Hof, a man who never gets cold. Mr. Hof holds the Guinness world record for immersing himself in ice for over an hour. This strange trait has allowed him to run a marathon in the Arctic Circle in his bare feet and dive under ice at the North Pole.

Now Hof has scaled Mount Everest in his shorts, withstanding extremely frigid temperatures without the protection of cold-weather clothing. Hof states he started his fascination with withstanding very cold temperatures many years ago by trying to swim in icy water. He enjoyed it so much that he did it every day.

Scientists predict that Hof can merely control his reaction to the cold and uses this control to withstand temperatures most other humans cannot. Whatever the cause, Hof is certainly know as the man who never gets cold.

4- Dead or Alive?

This next case of strange people is about a man who was claimed as officially dead from 1976 until 1994, despite all of his efforts to fight the Indian government to prove otherwise. Lal Bihari is a farmer from Uttar Pradesh, India. Mr. Bihari found out in 1976 while trying to apply for a loan that he was considered officially dead by the government. It seems that Mr. Birhari’s uncle has bribed government officials to register Mr. Bihari as dead so that he could claim Bihari’s land.

During his fight against the government trying to claim the fact that he was alive, Bihari found out that at least a hundred others had been in a similar situation and considered dead when they were not. He tried to use his unique situation to his advantage by organizing his own funeral and demanding a widow’s compensation for his wife. He founded the Mritak Sangh for those who were in danger of being killed over their properties. This association now has over twenty thousand members all over India. In 1994, Bihari had his official death annulled after a very long struggle to prove he was alive.

5- Musicogenic Epilepsy

What happens when the mere thought of a certain song will send you into an epileptic seizure? One young lady by the name of Stacey Gale was experiencing that exact occurrence. One evening while Stacey was enjoying a cookout with friends, she experienced a seizure when the song “Temperature” was playing. Stacey also had a similar experience at a restaurant. It became so bad that Stacey had to get a part of her brain surgically removed to try and control her seizures.

Scientists claim that seizures caused by something like a certain song playing may be triggered by the part of the brain that processes emotions. Certain types of music can overlap with the parts of the brain that causes seizures.

Most people who experience seizures can control them through medication. If that is not effective, however, doctors may consider brain surgery as the only way to control outbreaks. In Stacey’s case, she could only find relief in surgery, as even the thought of the song started to trigger seizures.

6- First-Ever Face Transplant

One of the most extraordinary cases of medical miracles is the case of Connie Culp. She was the very first recipient of a full face transplant in the United States. Connie’s story is a sad one. In 2004, Connie’s husband shot her in the face and the turned the gun on himself. Connie’s face was mutilated, bone fragments and shotgun pellet embedded in her face. It took over 30 operations to get her where she is today. The doctors used parts of her ribs to reconstruct her face and cheekbones and she had her upper jaw fashioned from one of her leg bones.

In a 22-hour operation, doctors used the muscles, nerves, blood vessels and bone from another woman who had just died. This surgery was a success, and now Connie is able to breathe and eat on her own again, as well as smell.

7- Allergic to Water!?

This last case is one that would baffle anyone. Imagine not being able to take a soak in the tub or get your hair wet. The girl who is allergic to water, a rare skin disorder called Aquagenic Urticria, can’t enjoy things like swimming or showering. Ashleigh Morris, a 19 year old Australian teenager, breaks out every time she sweats because of her skin’s extreme sensitivity to water.

The welts that Ashleigh experiences when she comes into contact with water are very painful. Many people wonder how she bathes. Though she is allergic to water, she must wash herself and takes showers for minutes at a time since it is such a painful experience. She stays indoors for hours after each shower just to allow the rash to subside before going out in public.

Ashleigh states that her condition was found after she had a particularly bad case of tonsillitis. After taking a large dose of penicillin, she noticed that she would get painful rashes after she swam or took showers. Her dermatologist studied her condition and found that the penicillin may have altered the histamine levels in Ashleigh’s body, causing this allergic reaction to water. Ashleigh has lived with this condition since she was just 14 years old and continues to live with this very rare skin disorder today.

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