Not so Trivial Brain Seizure Trivia

When you smell a unique food item (when there isn’t any of said food item around)—such as the SpaghettiO’s my sister smelled when she was hiking this January—as you are outside doing extreme exercise, you are having an olfactory hallucination considered by the experts to indicate a loss of body temperature (a.k.a. hypothermia).

But when you smell toast burning (and there isn’t any toast burning), or you smell something else burning (when nothing else is burning) when you are having a stroke, the pros identify this as an olfactory hallucination occurring as part of an epileptic phenomenon.

In the same respect, then, does one having an epileptic episode smell anything out of the ordinary? Two of my dearest friends have acute [my word] epilepsy, and never mentioned this sensory phenomenon. Then again, two cases do not a neurological disorder epidemic make, or ample evidence provide, considering how, according to the WHO, at any given time around the world, as many as 50 million people have epilepsy.

Equally fascinating are the numbers of brain disorders in the -lepsy (seizure/attack) categories—among them the following [with word origin and/or definition where possible]:

ablepsy: attack of blindness

analepsy: [1913] species of epileptic seizure (a phrase I am aware is redundant)

anosognosic epilepsy: disorder with attacks the sufferer is unaware of experiencing

catalepsy: attack(s) of uncharacteristic bodily or facial positioning (as in catatonic schizophrenia)

diabolepsy: attack of devil-possession

epilepsy: from Greek, epilambanein, “to seize/attack”; repeated attacks of severely increased electrical activity in brain

gelotolepsy: attack of muscle tone loss brought on by sudden/excessive laughter

hypnolepsy: disorder characterized by sudden/recurrent attacks of drowsiness/compulsion to sleep (see narcolepsy)

hysterocatalepsy: composite of attacks of “hysteria” and attacks of catalepsy

hysteroepilepsy: composite of attacks of hysteria and epileptic fits

hysteronarcolepsy: composite of attacks of hysteria and sudden sleep

matutinal epilepsy: attacks of epilepsy which occur in morning (upon waking)

narcolepsy: attack(s) of uncontrollable drowsiness or compulsion to sleep

nympholepsy: [ancient] attacks of hysteria/frenzy, purportedly induced by nymphs

psycholepsy [a.k.a. psychic seizure]: sudden attack of depression/feelings of hopelessness

pyknolepsy: recurrent series of attacks of absence episodes [associated with grand mal and petit mal seizures in prepubertal, epileptic children]

theolepsy: sudden attack of deity possession/inspiration

And while organolepsy is in the science world and has to do with plants and whatnot, it also suggests something to do with the nose and mouth organs and their sensory functions…, so I trust it may make it into the -lepsy nomenclature any day now.


References include but are not limited to the following:

MedicineNet.com. MedTerms.

WordInfo. …Words for Our Modern Age.

World Health Organization [WHO]. Fact Sheet. Epilepsy: Aetiogy, Epidemiology, and Prognosis.

Own Your Phobia

*Dedicated to my friend Jack, who is convinced the squirrels are out to get him.


Fear is a good thing. It is a protective device held over from the first biological imperative--fear of the mastodon made early human protect him- or herself and others. It motivates--fight or flight, you move when you are afraid. It discourages sloth--fear of losing lends itself nicely to productivity.

Then again, fear exacerbated can inundate, overwhelm, paralyze. Irrational fear, that is, a.k.a. phobia, can issue forth a well of anxiety that stymies even the most active of thinkers and doers.

PHOBIA NAME PREFIX ORIGIN IRRATIONAL FEAR OF

acrophobia…………….. Gr., acron…………………………. height (heights)

agoraphobia………….. Gr., agora……………………….. marketplace
(place where escape is less or impossible

algophobia ……………. Gr., algos…………………………. pain

androphobia………….. Gr., andros………………………. man (men)

aquaphobia……………. L., aqua………………………….. water

astraphobia……………. Gr., aster (star).........….. lightning

autophobia…………….. Gr., autos (self)…………….. being alone/by self

aviophobia…………….. L., avis (bird)……………….. flying

bacillophobia………….. L., sing. bacterium………. (germs)

claustrophobia……….. L., claudere………………….. to shut (closed space)

coitophobia…………….. L., coire, fr. coitus……….. to come together
(have intercourse)

dentophobia…………… Fr., L., dent, dens…………. teeth (dentist/dental)

equinophobia…………. L., equus……………………….. horse (horses)

gephyropbia…………… Gr., gephyra………………….. bridge (bridges)

gynophobia……………. Gr., gyno………………………. woman (women)

homophobia…………… Gr., haima…………………….. blood

nyctophobia………….. Gr., nyx………………………… night

phonophobia…………. Gr., phono(s)………………. sound

xenophobia…………… Gr., xenos………………….. stranger (foreigner)

zoophobia…………….. Gr., zoion……………………. animal (animals)

A relatively cheesy anecdote (or allegory) tells of how Fear knocked on the door and when Love answered, Fear ran away.

I get this in the most pragmatic of terms: if you are afraid, say, of giving that speech, focus on the topic of your speech. If it is something you love, you will get so into it that you will forget you are afraid.

Exaggerated, irrational, fear of public speaking, though, I can’t offer any tricks.

But a good [not made-for-TV] therapist can.


For more definitive lists or information, check out the following:

Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADDA). To Check for a Specific Phobia/Phobic Disorder.

BehaveNet Clinical Capsule. DSM-IV and DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria for 300.23 Social Phobia.

MedlinePlus. Phobias.

OjoHaven. The Phobias.

Runck, Betty. Useful Information on Phobias and Panic. Hopkins Technology.

Manic Shmanic

A Mania for Everyone






Woman so weary, the sweet cause in vain/You make love, you break love/Its all the same.
~Jimi Hendrix, "Manic Depression

I'll take mania any day:

ablutomania: excessive need for washing oneself
aboulomania: excessive indecisiveness
agromania: excessive desire to be out in the open/in open spaces
andromania: (allegedly a synonym for nymphomania, but if andro=man, this is more accurately excessive devotion to men)
anglomania: excessive fondness for England/English culture/English people
anthomania: excessive fondness for flowers (synonymous with florimania)
aphrodisiomania: excessive interest in sex/sexuality
arithmomania: excessive devotion to numbers
balletomania: excessive devotion to ballet
bibliomania: excessive love of books/reading books
bruxomania: excessive habit of grinding one’s teeth
cacodemomania: excessive concerns is possessed by an evil spirit catapedamania: excessive desire for jumping from high places
chinamania: excessive devotion to collecting china
choreomania: excessive devotion to/practice of dancing
clinomania: excessive desire to stay in bed
copromania: excessive preoccupation with feces
cytheromania: excessive sexual desire (synonymous with nymphomania)
dacnomania: excessive preoccupation with killing
demonomania: excessive belief that one is possessed by demons
dinomania: excessive fondness for dancing
dipsomania excessive desire for alcohol
discomania: excessive fondness for disco music
doramania: excessive concern with owning fur(s)
doromania: excessive habit of gift-giving
drapetomania: excessive desire to run away from home
dromomania: excessive desire to leave, travel, and start anew with new identity, job, etc. (a.k.a. traveling fugue)
ecdemomania: excessive desire to wander
egomania: excessive concern with self/belief in self-superiority
eleutheromania: excessive desire for freedom
empleomania: excessive concern for holding public office
enosimania: excessive preoccupation with having sinned
entheomania: excessive belief that one is divinely inspired
epomania: excessive inclination toward writing epics
ergasiomania: excessive desire to work (synonymous with ergomania)
ergomania: excessive desire for/practice of working (synonymous with ergasiomania)
erotomania: excessive propensity for high sex drive
etheromania: excessive desire for ether
ethnomania: excessive devotion to one's own culture, people, race, group
eulogomania: excessive fondness for eulogies
flagellomania: excessive appreciation of flogging/whips
florimania: excessive love of flowers (synonymous with anthomania)
Francomania: excessive preoccupation with/fondness for France/French culture/French people (see gallomania)
gallomania: excessive fondness for France, French life, etc. (see francomania)
gamomania: excessive habit of issuing “odd” marriage proposals
Graecomania: excessive preoccupation with/fondness for Greece, Greek culture, Greek people (see Hellenomania)
graphomania: excessive fondness for/preoccupation with writing
gynaecomania: excessive sexual preoccupation with women
habromania: excessive tendency toward gaiety
hagiomania: excessive desire for sainthood
Hellenomania: excessive fondness for Greece, Greek culture, Greek people (see Graecomania)
hexametromania: excessive need for writing in hexameter
hieromania: excessive propensity for religious vision, delusion, revelation
hippomania: excessive fondness for horses
hydromania: excessive preoccupation with/desire for water
hylomania: excessive tendency towards materialism
hysteromania: excessive sexual desire by a woman (see nymphomania)
iconomania: excessive fondness for icons/portraits
idolomania: excessive fondness for/devotion to idols
infomania: excessive devotion to accumulating facts
islomania: excessive fondness for islands
Italomania: excessive fondness for/preoccupation with Italy, Italian culture, Italian people
jumbomania: excessive fondness for mammoth proportions
kleptomania: excessive tendency toward/habit of stealing (synonymous with klopemania)
klopemania: excessive habit of stealing (synonymous with kleptomania)
logomania: excessive talking
lypemania: excessive practice/expression of mourning
macromania: excessive perception that things are larger than actual size
megalomania: excessive (grandiose) belief in one’s greatness
melomania: excessive devotion to music
methomania: excessive desire for alcohol
metromania: excessive desire for writing verse
micromania: excessive conviction one is of minuteness/small in size monomania: excessive preoccupation with a singular thought/idea morphinomania: excessive desire for morphine
musomania: excessive fondness for music
mythomania: excessive lying or hyperbole
narcomania: excessive desire for narcotics
necromania: excessive sexual desire for corpses
nosomania: excessive belief one is suffering from a disease
nostomania: excessive appreciation of nostalgia
nymphomania: excessive [woman’s] sexual desire
oenomania: excessive fondness for wine
oligomania: excessive preoccupation with just a few thoughts/ideas
oniomania: excessive habit of shopping/buying/making purchases
onomamania: excessive preoccupation with naming/names
onomatomania: excessive devotion to words/neologisms (new words, phrases, linguistic expressions) [or, repeating them]
onychotillomania excessive fingernail picking
opiomania: excessive desire for opium
opsomania: excessive love for a singular kind of food
orchidomania: excessive preoccupation with orchids
parousiamania: excessive preoccupation with the second coming of Christ
pathomania: excessive amorality
peotillomania: excessive propensity for pulling on one’s penis
phagomania: excessive desire for food/eating
phaneromania: excessive habit of biting one’s fingernails
pharmacomania: excessive desire to try drugs
phonomania: excessive (?) tendency to murder
photomania: excessive fondness for light
phyllomania: excessive [plant] production of leaves
phytomania: excessive preoccupation with collecting plants
planomania: excessive desire to wander/disobey social norms
plutomania: excessive fondness for/preoccupation with money
polemomania: excessive preoccupation with war
politicomania: excessive concern for politics
polkamania: excessive fondness for polka dance
poriomania: excessive need to wander
pornomania: excessive preoccupation with pornography
potichomania: excessive habit/practice of imitating Oriental porcelain
potomania: excessive desire for drinking alcohol
pseudomania: excessive propensity for lying
pteridomania: excessive fondness for ferns
pyromania: excessive desire to start fires
rhinotillexomania: excessive nose picking
rinkomania: excessive devotion to ice skating
satyromania: excessive [male’s] sexual desire
scribbleomania: excessive need for scribbling
sebastomania: excessive religiosity
sitiomania: excessive aversion to food
sonnettomania: excessive love of sonnets
sophomania: excessive belief in one’s own intellectual superiority
squandermania: excessive practice of reckless spending
stampomania: excessive practice of stamp collecting
syphilomania: excessive preoccupation with/belief that one has syphilis technomania: excessive fondness for/preoccupation with technology
Teutomania: excessive fondness for Teutonic/German people, places, things
thanatomania: excessive belief that one has fallen ill because of a curse/death magic
theatromania: excessive fondness for theatre going
theomania: excessive belief in self as a god
timbromania: excessive devotion to postage stamps
tomomania: excessive preoccupation with performing surgery
toxicomania: excessive desire for poisons
trichotillomania: excessive pulling out of one’s own hair
tulipomania: excessive fondness for/preoccupation with tulips
typhomania: excessive delirium brought on by typhus fever
typomania: excessive need to publish
uranomania: excessive appreciation for [or desire for?] celestial power
verbomania: excessive fondness for words
Whitmania: excessive fondness for Walt Whitman
xenomania: excessive desire for foreign objects [and people?]
zoomania: excessive love for animals

*hypermania = severe mania
hypomania = minor mania
polymania = a composite of many manias



Questions, though:
Who decides what is manic or excessive?
Isn’t it excessive to have more than one word with the exact same mania meaning?
Why is it that only a select few manias have remained active in our lexicon—which we can discern by the number of red squiggly lines made by the MS Word spell-check function (though you can’t always trust that)?
What’s the word for excessive list-making? Catalogomania? Commentariensomania? Conscribomania?
Was the person who compiled the list of manias to start with a manic?
And how many more times could I have used the word “excessive” without being accused of it myself?