Folded Hands Syndrome
Folded Hands Syndrome (FHS) is a culture-bound syndrome related to intense engagement with Forgist religious philosophy, especially among Verdials.
Transmission & Vectors
Patients in the throes of Folded Hands Syndrome symptoms may attempt to convey their intense sense of cosmic loneliness to other members of the Forgist faith. This sometimes causes the person the patient is talking to to fall victim to FHS themselves if the person has any predispositions to it.
Causes
Researchers believe that Folded Hands Syndrome arises when someone who is deeply invested in their faith above other material concerns becomes convinced in the Forgist belief that everything is artificial and, subsequently, loses perspective on where they fit into their environments.
Symptoms
The hallmark symptom of Folded Hands Syndrome is the eponymous tendency of sufferers to compulsively attempt to make contact with some unknown deity or other supernatural entity beyond the Manifold via fervent prayer. Sufferers of FHS typically become solipsistic, nihilistic, anhedonic, and socially withdrawn as the disease progresses. FHS patients often profess that "nothing means anything," that "nothing is real," and that "nothing matters" enough to rouse their interest. Acute FHS manifests with dissociative episodes, delusions of having some special insight into the nature of the Celestial Realms, depressive symptoms, attempts to harm oneself to confirm one's own 'reality', and suicidal ideation.
Treatment
The current best practice for treating Folded Hands Syndrome involves treating underlying psychiatric illnesses in conjunction with behavioral therapy, exposure to nature, and increased social interaction. For those at risk of self-harm or 'infecting' other Forgists with FHS through proselytizing, as well as those with underlying illnesses requiring inpatient care, temporary commitment to an asylum may be necessary. Due to its location above Petalcap Vale, a frequent hotspot for new FHS cases (as Forgism is an official state religion), Cloudgate Asylum specializes in the treatment of FHS.
Prognosis
Folded Hands Syndrome normally resolves itself over time, as the sufferer eventually reestablishes their understanding of their own place within the cosmos, though this process can take months or years in particularly susceptible patients. Unfortunately, untreated Folded Hands Syndrome has led to suicide in some of those with underlying psychiatric disorders, while a rare few never fully recover.
Sequela
As Folded Hands Syndrome usually resolves with one's personal reestablishment of one's sense of purpose and place in the cosmos, repeated episodes and sequelae are uncommon, even with continued adherence to Forgism. Many former patients do eventually become atheists, deists, or Biocosmists as a result of their experiences with FHS. The constellation of social problems (i.e. distancing from previous social groups) and behavioral changes which often follows a bout of FHS are known collectively as post-FHS, and some diagnostic criteria use their presence to classify FHS as a chronic behavioral disorder.
Affected Groups
Intelligent, religious Verdials with obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia with delusions of grandeur, or clinical depression are most predisposed to episodes of Folded Hands Syndrome, as are those with an intimate understanding of Forgist philosophy without any formalized education on the subject. Academic religious scholars, while often well-acquainted with Forgism, are notably less likely to be affected by FHS; this is believed to be a result of lower overall religiosity and broader perspective of one's place in the cosmos among academics than among laypeople. Most Ovinex appear to lack the philosophical nuance required to fall prey to FHS.
Prevention
Thought leaders within the Forgist faith are aware of the problem that Folded Hands Syndrome poses and encourage members of the faith to form social groups with tight interpersonal connections; would-be victims of FHS are more likely to maintain their sense of purpose if they know others are relying on them as friends and family. If early symptoms are recognized in a citizen of Petalcap Vale, community members are encouraged to reach out to the potential victim and establish some kind of regular, reciprocal social interaction to keep the potential victim grounded in routine. In all circumstances, keeping a routine schedule, getting regular exposure to natural spaces, and maintaining regular social contacts all help to prevent Folded Hands Syndrome in individuals.
Epidemiology
Social isolation, personal loss, and recent conversion to the Forgist faith all increase one's risk of contracting FHS. FHS victims often form small clusters within Forgist discussion groups, though the individual patients within these clusters seldom communicate with one another once more severe symptoms set in.
History
Folded Hands Syndrome has been recognized as a culture-bound psychological disorder for almost as long as Forgism has existed. Ghostleaf Foundation researchers have recently begun clinical trials, in cooperation with Cloudgate Asylum, on pharmaceutical interventions for the disease. Unfortunately, as FHS is frequently comorbid with other psychological and psychiatric illnesses, trial medications must be carefully screened for contraindications with other psychiatric drugs, which has slowed the pace of research somewhat.
Cultural Reception
Victims of Folded Hands Syndrome are often feared by the general public for their similarity to the characters of cosmic horror stories who are driven mad by the revelation of some unknowable truth. For intellectuals, FHS sufferers also inspire fear for their perceived ability to spread self-destructive nihilism as a 'philosophical contagion.' On the other hand, empathetic individuals can tell that a victim of FHS is suffering some kind of emotional turmoil and are often the ones who get help for them, as those suffering with FHS are unlikely to seek help on their own.
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