The name for this disease...

[Mehrgan]

Hi,

Is there any name for the disease when one suffers from periodic bouts of insanity? It may also be used informally to refer to Sb who's quick-tempered.


Thanks...

[emsr2d2]

Hi,

Is there any name for the disease when one suffers from periodic bouts of insanity? It may also be used informally to refer to Sb who's quick-tempered.


Thanks...

Well, before it was understood better, people used to use "schizophrenia" as the name for the problem where people seemed to sometimes be completely sane, and sometimes not. However, these days (especially with political correctness being so high on the agenda) it is deemed inappropriate to call someone schizophrenic if they haven't actually been diagnosed as such.

I believe bi-polar disorder can show itself with the sufferer having periods of extremely irrational behaviour, mixed with periods where they seem to behave "normally".

It really depends on what you mean by "insanity". There are plenty of people who behave in an insane manner some of the time, but it's just part of their personality and could simply be called eccentric.

I can't think of a word that would describe an actual disease, but would also be used for someone who is simply quick-tempered.

[Raymott]

I can't think of a word that would describe an actual disease, but would also be used for someone who is simply quick-tempered.

I agree. I can't think of any names for mental diseases involving insanity that also mean quick-tempered.
"Impulse control disorder" comes to mind as a clinical diagnosis.
"Insanity" is a legal definition. So someone with an impulse control disorder could plead temporary insanity in a court. But it's the type of slippery diagnosis that any prosecuting lawyer's psychiatrist would probably refute.

[Tdol]

Unstable is about the closest I can think of offhand.