Mania is a medical condition often associated with some types of depression, particularly manic depression. Manic depression (also known as bipolar disorder) is characterised by alternating cycles of euphoria and despair, often accompanied by unusual thought patterns, strange ideas and a high degree of creativity.

The term mania when used as a suffix in a word denotes an irrational, intense and abnormal preoccupation, fascination or obsession with something. For example, we may have heard of pyromania; which is a compulsion to set things on fire, or kleptomania; a pathological compulsion to steal, or even nymphomania; which describes an abnormally intense desire to have sexual relations. No one really understands what causes mania but one or more of genetic, environmental, psychological, social and biological factors are believed to play a contributory role.

The following list represents ten of the most unusual or bizarre types of mania.

1. Mythomania

Mythomania is a pathological desire to tell stories that are just not true, or in other words, compulsive lying. Sometimes the person believes their own lies to such an extent that they can even fool lie detector tests. Sufferers will also make up more and more "facts" in order to justify their original stories, so for them, lying simply becomes a normal way of life. Quite often the lying starts out as a way to impress people or to boost their own confidence but once it has begun it becomes more and more difficult for them to stop. The hardest part of treating someone with this type of mania is getting them to admit they have a problem in the first place as they simply don't believe there is anything wrong with what they are doing.

2. Aboulomania

We have all experienced situations where it was difficult to make up our minds about something, but imagine not being able to make even the simplest of decisions, life would surely become unbearable. Aboulomania can be defined as pathological indecisiveness or an inability to make up one's mind about anything.

3. Clinomania

There is nothing wrong with wanting to have a long lie, particularly on cold, wet wintry days. For the Clinomaniac though, the desire to stay in bed is overwhelming and irresistible and could persist for days on end, particularly when it is raining or snowing.

4. Gamomania

Gamomania can be described as a bizarre obsession with asking people to marry or issuing outrageous proposals to different people at the same time, which in many cases results in polygamy.

5. Sophomania

If you suffer from Sophomania then you are under the delusion that you are highly intelligent or even a genius when it is simply not the case, a situation that is maybe obvious to everyone else apart from you.

6. Doromania

This type of mania is a pathological and bizarre desire to give gifts, often extremely elaborate gifts, for no apparent reason at all and even to complete strangers.

7. Cartomania

Maps can be useful items to own, particularly if you are a frequent traveller or are interested in Geography. Cartomania is much more than that, it is an obsession for owning maps and collecting maps that goes far beyond what we could consider normal with the sufferer often paying a small fortune and going to great lengths to get their hands on rare or ancient maps.

8. Aeluromania

Many people love cats and will have one, two or even three or four as pets. However, Aeluromaniacs don't stop at that, they have an absurd desire to have dozens of cats around them, even if they live in a small house or flat.

9. Agrizoomania

There are some people who love nature and wild animals and there is nothing abnormal about that. For the Agrizoomaniac however, the obsession with wild animals goes a lot further, they may even choose to live amongst the wild animals in order to be as close as possible to them.

10. Infomania

This is one type of mania that is becoming increasingly common in the 21st century and is rapidly becoming a normal state of being for many people. Originally, Infomania was defined as a pathological compulsion to accumulate facts; however, more recently the term has also been used to describe a type of "information overload" brought about by technologies such as computers, the Internet and mobile phones where a huge amount of information needs to be processed on an ongoing basis. This information overload is often compounded by numerous interruptions and distractions such as phones ringing, emails arriving in the inbox, text and instant messages that need replied to.

The infomaniac has an obsession-like desire to check and re-check emails and messages to the extent that it disrupts day to day life and causes them to neglect their loved ones, their friends and their work. Symptoms include constantly checking emails whilst on a day off, at the weekend or on holiday, or interrupting meetings and social occasions to reply to text messages or to answer mobile phone calls, or an uncomfortable feeling of being "disconnected" when the Internet connection is down or they are required to switch their phones off.