Distemper (noun)

1. A state of being out of balance or control; disorder.
2. A contagious and often fatal disease of dogs and other carnivorous mammals, caused by a virus and characterized by fever, coughing, and thickening of the mucous membranes.

Origin:

From the middle english "distempre" which means "disorder".

Examples:

1. The country was in a state of distemper after the recent political upheaval.
2. The dog had to be put down because it was suffering from distemper.
3. The economy was in distemper after the recession.
4. The country's political distemper was reflected in the frequent changes of government.
5. The patient was suffering from a distemper of the mind.