Unusual and Rare Psychological Disorders

Brian A. Sharpless, PhD, is an associate professor of clinical psychology at The American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, Washington, DC. He has authored over 35 publications on various topics related to psychopathology, psychotherapy, and the history and philosophy of clinical psychology. His previous book, Sleep Paralysis: Historical, Psychological, and Medical Perspectives, co-authored with Karl Doghramji, MD, is also available through Oxford University Press.

"It's often the case that we can learn more from exceptions to the established order of things than from generally accepted principles, and this fascinating book edited by Brian Sharpless proves that old adage once again. With substantial implications for classification and nosology of psychopathology, as well as for clinical practice, readers will be intrigued to learn about 'Jerusalem syndrome,' 'exploding head syndrome,' as well as somewhat more familiarsyndromes such as 'isolated sleep paralysis.' The fact that isolated sleep paralysis, to take one example, was misconstrued for so many years as evidence of abduction by aliens should be enough toconvince all clinicians and students of psychopathology to become aware of the clinical presentations in this valuable and compelling book."--David H. Barlow Ph.D, ABPP, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry Emeritus, and Founder and Director Emeritus, Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, Boston University"Undergraduate and graduate students find the study of psychopathology to be among the most interesting of their courses. Sharpless has brought together in this volume some of the more intriguing and unusual forms of psychopathology. The text is serious and thoughtful. Many of the chapters within this text would provide useful and instructive supplementary reading for a graduate or undergraduate abnormal psychology course."--Thomas A. Widiger, Ph.D., T.Marshal Hahn Professor of Psychology, University of Kentucky"This volume offers easy, interesting, and scientifically solid reading about a range of disorders. The parallel structures of the chapters help the reader consider and compare these different disorders using common frames. The intended audience seems to be a broad population of diagnosticians, ranging from medical and clinical psychology students through practicing clinicians. The book may alert its readers to unusual symptoms and syndromes in ways that will increase their clinical awareness and help improve their overall assessment of psychological disorders." --PsycCRITIQUES

• Foreword by Peter TyrerAcknowledgmentsAbout the EditorContributors 1 Introduction Brian A. Sharpless SECTION I: SLEEP DISORDERS 2 Isolated Sleep Paralysis Brian A. Sharpless and Dan Denis 3 Sexual Behaviors in Sleep Elena del Busto, Frederick R. Stoddard II, and Jourdan S. Cruz 4 Exploding Head Syndrome Brian A. Sharpless and Jacob A. Zimmerman SECTION II: VARIATIONS OF PSYCHOSIS 5 Capgras and other Misidentification Syndromes Arthur Sinkman 6 Attention Deficit Disorder Psychosis Jan Dirk Blom, Marieke Niemantsverdiret, Anke Spuijbroek, and Sandra Kooji 7 Cotard's Syndrome Hans Debruyne SECTION III: SEXUAL DISORDERS / DISORDERS OF DESIRE 8 Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder David Goldmeier and Shalini Andrews 9 Necrophilia Sara G. West and Phillip J. Resnick 10 Frotteurism Richard McAnulty 11 Autoerotic Asphyxia and Asphyxiophilia Stephen Hucker SECTION IV: CULTURE-BOUND DISORDERS 12 Koro - A Genital Retraction Syndrome Petra Garlipp 13 Taijin Kyofusho Brian A. Sharpless, Amy L. Balko, and Jessica L. Grom 14 Brain Fag Syndrome Peter O. Ebigbo, Chimezie Leswas Elekwachi, and Felix Chukwunenyem Nweze 15 Jerusalem Syndrome and Paris Syndrome: Two Extraordinary Disorders Eliezer Witztum and Moshe Kalian 16 Dhat Syndrome Rocío Martín-Santos, Ricard Navinés, and Manuel Valdés 17 Ataques de Nervios Roberto Lewis-Fernández and Irene López SECTION V: MISCELLANEOUS DISORDERS 18 Alice in Wonderland Syndrome Jan Dirk Blom 19 Factitious Disorders Brenda Bursch and Robert Haskell 20 Diogenes Syndrome Brian O'Shea 21 Pseudologia Phantastica - Pathological Lying Petra Garlipp 22 Body Integrity Identity Disorder Anna Sedda Index