Jerusalem syndrome

From the youtube summary: 

The Jerusalem syndrome is a group of mental phenomena involving the presence of either religiously themed obsessive ideas, delusions, or other psychosis-like experiences that are triggered by a visit to the city of Jerusalem.
It is not endemic to one single religion or denomination but has affected Jews, Christians, and Muslims of many different backgrounds.

Rare and Unusual Psychiatric Syndromes

Great find by Deb!
http://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/rare-psych?src=mp&spon=25

Number 2 explains Capgras syndrome, a disorder which is characterized by a person's delusional belief that an acquaintance (usually a spouse or close family member) has been replaced by an identical looking imposter.

Here's a clip of a patient with Capgras syndrome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqBGzkz1oDU
David even believed the house he was living in was an imitation of his real house!

Telepsychiatry in Australia

Telepsychiatry is the use of communications technology to provide psychiatric services from a distance. 

Its application has provided a tremendous boost in mental health services to remote communities. 

Here, you get glimpse of telepsychiatry in Australia, an international leader in the field. The limitations and advantages of using telepsychiatry were well explained here (click the red title to access it)

Daniel Tammet- The boy with the incredible Brain

Here’s part 1 of 5 about Daniel Tammet. He is one of a handful of prodigious savants in the world. It’s remarkable what he’s able to do. He’s able to learn a language in 1 week. He was also able to recite “pi” from memory to 22 514 digits. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbASOcqc1Ss

Daniel suffered from epilepsy as a child and also has Asperger’s syndrome. He says that researchers believe that his seizures and autism combined have caused him to have these exceptional mental abilities. 

Here he is on David Letterman talking about being a savant:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXG-1YLGAS0

Interview with Professor John Nash

This is an interview with Professor John Nash, the man who was the inspiration behind the film “A Beautiful Mind.” He speaks a bit about his experience with paranoid schizophrenia and his son with schizophrenia. 

Interesting to note that his son (John Nash III) was also a mathematical genius who eventually received a phd in math. During his battle with schizophrenia however, he lost his ability to think rationally and only received his phd after subsequent treatment. 

Expert on Mental Illness Reveals her own Fight

Here's another great video & article from Deb. 


Marsha M. Linehan works with seriously suicidal people, having faced the same struggles when she was younger. She has developed new ways of treating the most serious of suicidal patients.


Marsha was diagnosed as having borderline personality disorder when she was younger. 


Personally, I know someone with BPD with most of the classic signs of cutting, suicide attempts, chronic emptiness, impulsive behavior, etc. Unfortunately, I've seen first hand how this disorder, like most mental illnesses, can destabilize an entire family. With a strong support system, psychotherapy, and medication, these patients can often have a significant reduction in symptoms. 


Borderlines are perhaps the most difficult patients to deal with in medicine, mainly due to a lack of understanding and patience from the healthcare professional. Some shrinks even give up on them entirely.

Married to a mannequin

This is a great find by Deb. Ned is married to a mannequin whom he met 25 years ago, when she was just a head. He then built her a body. To Ned, his relationship with his mannequin wife is as real as any relationship gets.