XLI:The MANIACS

We talked about CELEBRATION in the last post. The other end of CELEBRATION is DEJECTION, DEPRESSION, or MELANCHOLY. CELEBRATION x DEPRESSION When people fall into DEPRESSION regularly, it becomes a psychological problem. A psychological disease can be either a NEUROSIS or a PSYCHOSIS. If one is NEUROTIC, one is still in touch with reality. A neurotic has just a problem of MALADJUSTMENT. He/she can be adjusted to reality. However, a PSYCHOTIC is completely out of touch with reality. Therefore, it is impossible to bring such a person back to reality. SCHIZOPHRENIA is a form of psychosis. It is the experience of SPLIT-PERSONALITY or DUAL PERSONALITY. Another form of psychosis is PARANOIA. A PARANOID suspects everything around him. He\she lives in the DELUSION (untrue belief) that everyone is there to PERSECUTE (chase and punish) him/her. Hence, PARANOID: SUSPICIOUS IDOLATROUS: DEVOTED When our suspicion grows to a mad extent, we become paranoid, just as, we become idolatrous (image-worshipping), when our devotion grows to a mad extent. SCHIZOPHRENIA and PARANOIA are MANIAS. Mania we generally use to mean MADNESS or CRAZE. Technically it is an OBSESSION ( mad concern). As APPREHENSION grows into PANIC (great fear), CONCERN grows into MANIA or OBSESSION. APPREHENSION: PANIC CONCERN: OBSESSION Different people are obsessed with different things; some are obsessed with money. We call that mania PLUTO- MANIA or CUPIDITY (madness for money). Some others are mad for food. We call that mania GLUTTONY. Yet some others are obsessed with sex. We call them EROTOMANIAC. (When a woman is erotomaniac we call her a NYMPHOMANIAC.) When it is a mania for alcohol, we call it DIPSOMANIA. Hence, MONEY: CUPIDITY SEX: NYMPHOMANIA FOOD: GLUTTONY ALCOHOL: DIPSOMANIA