Othello syndrome, which is also called monosymptomatic delusions of jealousy receives its name from William Shakespeare’s drama “Othello, the Moor of Venice”, where the character develops endless suspicions about his partner’s supposed infidelity until he murders her and commits suicide.
This story describes how obsession and obstinacy dramatically destroy the ability to evaluate reality to the point where other people are harmed. Next we will see the characteristics of this delusional disorder.
Steve Wood is a newly married man who has already reached his thirties. Every time he comes home he undergoes the same ritual. His wife, Debbie, is waiting for him on the living room sofa with a look of distrust and an electronic device in her hand. Without blinking an eye or showing any sign of opposition, he undergoes the same process daily: his wife makes him go through a lie detector.
We are facing “the most jealous woman in the world,” says Debbie Wood herself, who married Steve Wood just a year ago. This is only one of the many manifestations of Othello syndrome, a delusional disorder based on jealousy.
This disease is characterized by totally irrational behavior. What does this mean? Than jealousy they go beyond the real explanation or reason.
Evidence and logic don’t matter. The person affected by Othello syndrome sees what he wants (or does not want, rather) to see. Normally, the illusion causes you to detect patterns in your partner’s behavior that lead you to think about a change in habits on his part.
There are those who suffer from feeling deceived and not being able to prove it. since in the vast majority of cases they are irrational perceptions and totally out of context. The person who experiences Othello syndrome assumes that he is the victim of a conspiracy and feels betrayed by his romantic partner or by other individuals who, in some way, he believes belong to him.
Symptoms of Othello syndrome
When we talk about Othello Syndrome, normally patients who suffer from it talk “about the other”, without having a defined face or clear characteristics. It is “a ghost”, an indefinite shadow with which the illusion is recreated over and over again without any type of real indication or a clear source of information.
The manifestation of symptoms It can be triggered by small variations in daily life or habits: changing clothes from one drawer to another, buying a different brand of food, or being a few minutes late from the usual arrival time. All this unleashes delusional thoughts and jealousy begins to emerge.
Unfortunately, Othello Syndrome often ends in gender violence or even homicide. So, At the first signs it is advisable to deal with a professional.
How to recognize Othello Syndrome?
Some aspects that characterize Othello syndrome are the following:
Causes of this delirium
Othello syndrome is a reality whose causes are a mix between biology and cultural aspects that enhance the importance of possessive love and based on strong exclusivity. In fact, the pathological jealousy experienced by people with Othello syndrome fits very well with the role of a dominant person who watches over their romantic partner and potential competitors.
However, regarding the genetic and biochemical causes present in the brain of those who experience this type of delusions, we still do not have much information about this phenomenon. There is little evidence on the physiological reasons behind this disorder, but it is not exclusively a question of behavior and internalized habits due to habit, at least according to the evidence. According to the latest research, jealousy has an emotional component based on self-esteem.
On the other hand, curiously, this phenomenon also happens among different mammals, where the word “self-esteem” ceases to have relevance. If we had to give a biological explanation to jealousy, it would probably be a consequence of what happens when the search for the preservation of family or offspring is taken to the extreme. added to the fear of loss.
Treatment
Psychotherapy has to confront the patient’s behavior and help you locate reality beyond your false beliefs about your partner’s infidelity. This process can be hindered when the patient is not aware of his illness or accepts the possibility of suffering from the syndrome.
In some specific cases, antipsychotic drugs can help restore impulse control. However, Othello Syndrome is a very complex disease and requires personal therapy. more than just taking medications which in any case should be consumed under medical indication and monitoring.
Furthermore, since these are extremely distrustful patients, the supervision of a family member is recommended for adherence to the treatment, since they frequently do not carry it out adequately or as the psychologist recommends. There are very few patients who voluntarily come for consultation or want to undergo treatment. The vast majority seek to rescue the damaged relationship with their partner.
