The English suffix -mania denotes an obsession with something; a mania. The suffix is used in some medical terms denoting mental disorders. It has also entered standard English and is affixed to many different words to denote enthusiasm or obsession with that subject. Cambridge Dictionary has defined mania as “a very strong interest in something that fills a person's mind or uses up all their time” Britannica Dictionary defined mania as a mental illness in which a person becomes very emotional or excited.

Psychological conditions edit

A edit

  • Aboulomania – indecisiveness (aboulo- (Greek) meaning irresolution or indecision)
  • Andromania – human sexual behaviour and desire towards males in females (andro- (Greek) meaning man, men, male or masculine) Can be replaced by hypersexuality, nymphomania, cytheromania, hysteromania or aphrodisiomania.
  • Anglomania – England and a passion or obsession with the English (i.e. anglophile) See also anglophobia.
  • Arithmomania, arithmomania – numbers and counting (arithmo- (Greek) meaning number)
  • Ablutomania - Mania for washing oneself
  • Agromania - Intense desire to be in open spaces
  • Anthomania - Obsession with flowers

B edit

  • Bibliomania – books and reading (biblio- (Greek) meaning books)

C edit

  • Choreomania, choromania – dancing (choreo- (Greek) meaning dance)

D edit

E edit

  • Egomania – obsession with oneself and self-worship (ego- (Latin) meaning I, first person and singular pronoun)
  • Ergomania, ergasiomania – work (ergasio- or ergo- (Greek) meaning work)
  • Erotomania – sexual desire or sexual attraction from strangers (delusional conviction) (eroto- (Greek) meaning sexual passion or desire)
  • Etheromania – addiction to diethyl ether (ethero- (Greek > Latin) meaning upper air or sky)
  • Eleutheromania – an intense and irresistible desire for freedom

G edit

  • Graphomania – writing or making lists (grapho- (Greek) meaning to write)

H edit

  • Hypermania – severe mania—mental state with high intensity disorientation and often violent behavior, symptomatic of bipolar disorder (hyper- (Greek) meaning abnormal excess)
  • Hypomania – mild mania—mental state with persistent and pervasive elevated or irritable mood, symptomatic of bipolar disorder (hypo- (Greek) meaning deficient)

K edit

L edit

M edit

N edit

  • Nymphomania – an obsolete term for female hypersexuality

O edit

P edit

R edit

S edit

  • Satyromania – excessive, often uncontrollable sexual desire in and behavior by a man (satyr- (Greek > Latin) meaning a woodland deity, part man and part goat; riotous merriment and lechery)

T edit

Other edit

See also edit

References edit