This Disorder Makes You Think That Someone’s In Love With You When They Obviously Aren’t
Erotomania is a rare mental health condition where someone believes that another person is in love with them.
The other person is often inaccessible, famous, wealthy, or of high status. It’s kind of like having a crush but taken much further.
This delusion is also known as De Clérembault’s syndrome, after the French psychiatrist who first described it as a disorder in 1921.
A sufferer of erotomania is convinced the imaginary romance is real, even though there is no clear evidence to support the other person’s love for them.
In most cases, the sufferer has never met or made contact with the object of their affection. They may believe the person they’re fixated on is sending them secret messages, whether through the news or telepathy.
Erotomania can start suddenly and persist for a while. The condition is rare and typically affects women more than men. It can be associated with other mental health disorders that involve delusions or manic behaviors.
Symptoms
Erotomania is characterized by an individual’s false belief that someone is deeply in love with them. Yet, the other person may not even be aware of their existence.
A person with erotomania might talk about the other person constantly and may even be obsessed with trying to communicate with them.
sonyachny – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Some common symptoms include feverishly consuming media related to the person they’re fixated on, repeatedly sending letters or gifts to the other person, making constant phone calls, and being convinced of secret communication between them and the other person through covert glances, gestures, or coded messages in the news, social media, TV shows, or movies.
In addition, a sufferer of erotomania might come up with elaborate but false scenarios in which the other person is trying to pursue them.
They may also feel jealous of the other person’s unfaithfulness and even harass them in public.
Cases And Examples
In 1980, a woman believed that multiple men were in love with her and obsessively pursuing her at different times. Her case of erotomania lasted for eight years before it was successfully treated.
In 1995, a man named Robert Hoskins stalked the famous singer, Madonna, believing she was destined to be his wife.
He climbed a wall outside of her home more than a few times and made violent threats toward her. Eventually, he was tried in court and sent to prison for 10 years.
In 2016, a married woman in her 50s believed her former boss was in love with her. She also thought her husband was getting in the way of her being with her boss.
Treatment
Treatment for erotomania focuses on the psychosis or delusional symptoms. Classic antipsychotic medications, such as pimozide, are often prescribed, while nontraditional antipsychotics, such as olanzapine, clozapine, and risperidone, have been used along with therapy or counseling.
If the erotomania is a result of an underlying condition like bipolar disorder, treatments for this illness may be used. Overall, treatment for erotomania should be tailored to the specific needs of the affected individual.
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