Delirium of pathological jealousy: disease, signs and treatment by a psychologist

The essence of the phenomenon

You need to understand that delusional pathology, despite its painful nature, is still a manifestation of jealousy. To find out the nature of this illness, you need to understand the essence of the sensory-emotional phenomenon itself.

Jealousy, regardless of its nature and intensity, is a phenomenon of a complex psychological nature, an emotional-sensual mechanism, a vivid product of the activity of the human psyche. This feeling refers to manifestations of: anxiety, neurotic need for love and psychological mechanisms of defense against threats.

Jealousy is characterized by the participation of three persons:

the subject is the bearer of the emotional state;
object - a loved one to whom the emotional state is directed;
object - a potential competitor, of whom the subject is jealous.

All of the above characteristics relate to the sphere of human psychology, therefore, in an extremely strong form, jealousy develops into psychological pathology.

The zealous state is generated by a large number of reasons and has many forms of manifestation. A person is jealous for the following reasons:

fear;
mistrust;
low self-esteem;
lack of self-confidence;
selfishness;
psychological trauma;
painful passion;
negative experiences in the past, etc.

The above characteristics can be conditionally attributed to the causes of a delusional state. But in reality, these factors cause mistrust, and other reasons lead to pathology.

According to the nature of its manifestation, jealousy can be of the following types:

aggressive;
passive;
reversed;
hidden.

For the first time, S. Freud identified a separate extreme form of aggressive jealousy, which turns into a state of psychological disorder. This form is called delusional jealousy. Later, Freud's views, based on hidden sexual impulses, were not developed, but the term itself took root, becoming the definition of mental pathology.

Jealousy is a complex condition that includes several fundamental feelings:

anger;
anger;
resentment;
fear;
pride;
suspiciousness;
envy, etc.

Pathological illness also manifests itself in the expression of a certain combination of these feelings. In a delusional state, they acquire extreme forms of intensity and lose touch with reality.

Now let’s summarize the above theses and try to define the concept of illness. In the process of development of jealousy, at a certain moment, under the influence of external and internal factors, the sensory-emotional state passes into the extreme stage of mental disorder. It has all the characteristic features of jealousy, with a predominance of extreme inadequacy, unreasonableness, obsession and aggressiveness.

Delirium of pathological jealousy is a disorder of the human psyche, which is expressed in severe attacks of jealousy, manifested in an inadequate and dangerous form. Often pathology is one of the signs of another mental illness.

It is worth distinguishing between delusional pathology and aggressive jealousy. Aggression is the result of character traits and personal primitiveness. And delirium is always a painful mental disorder, which is often accompanied by aggression.

How to deal with a jealous spouse

An interesting pattern, but the more a man assures a lady of his innocence, the less she believes him.
Persuasion and persuasion will not help here. In love, women behave illogically and irrationally. You can't lie to a jealous woman. Honest confessions, expressing real thoughts - all these actions can prove to the wife that there is nothing to hide from her. Trust in each other is one of the main feelings in a relationship.

If the wife is more or less adequate and listens to common sense, then you should just calmly discuss all the sensitive moments with her. Organize, as it were, an “outside view” - simply list the events, but do not start conversations on the topic “guilty or not of treason.”

You need to respect your wife’s experiences, but you shouldn’t try to make amends for your “imaginary” sins with sweets, flowers, or affection. This will only add firewood to the huge fire of her suspicions.

If your spouse is jealous of you for a specific object, then you should stop communicating with the woman your wife suspects. You need to tell your wife more often how much he loves her.

Causes and risk factors

If everything is relatively clear about the reasons for jealousy itself, then it is difficult to determine the origins of the development of a delusional state. A pathological disorder can develop in two planes:

as an independent mental illness;
as a symptom of another mental illness - schizophrenia.

The origins of the development of jealousy into an affective outbreak of paranoid delusions are not directly related to the reasons for the development of the emotional-sensory state itself. The causes of pathological jealousy lie deeper; they are caused by changes in the human psyche, a radical restructuring of the mechanisms of his brain activity.

Determining the moment when simple jealousy develops into pathology is quite problematic. The development of the disease occurs individually, under the influence of personality traits and general mental state.

Alcoholism is a risk factor for the development of pathology

The likelihood of developing a delusional state in a jealous person increases if there are certain accompanying manifestations. Risk factors for the development of pathology include the following conditions:

schizophrenia;
psychosis;
alcoholism;
increased emotionality;
heredity;
Features of family relationships, upbringing and childhood.

A separate factor in the development of a delusional state is a decrease in sexual capabilities and problems in this area. Inconsistency in bed leads to the idea that your partner will inevitably betray you.

Treatment of the disease

A set of procedures and classes for the treatment of delusions of jealousy is carried out exclusively in specialized psychiatric clinics. As a rule, the patient is placed in an inpatient facility, where he is constantly under the supervision of specialists.

The main directions in the treatment of the syndrome:

Medicines (neuroleptics, antidepressants).
Psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioral, psychoanalytic, family).
Treatment of alcoholism, if it was the cause of the activation of the state of delirium.
Treatment of mental illnesses, including schizophrenia.

Before being discharged from a psychiatric clinic, the patient undergoes a special commission.
There are cases when the desire to go outside the hospital is so great that a sick person hides the symptoms of the disease in every possible way. Psychiatrists carry out long-term and responsible work not only on treatment, but also on diagnosis and cure of the disease. A person with such a pathology is dangerous to society.

However, after passing the commission and diagnosing the cure, the person is registered with a mental health clinic for life. A special program for passing condition checks is being formed. In case of relapse, re-admission to the clinic is expected.

Process of development of the disorder

The danger of a delusional state lies in its progressive nature. Paranoid jealousy can intensify over time. If in the initial stages the panic state manifests itself in tolerable forms, then later the disease develops into behavior that is dangerous to others. It is important to detect pathology in the early stages.

Any manifestations of jealousy cannot be ignored. The slightest concern can develop into a dangerous disease.

Initial signs

It is difficult to identify pathology in jealousy in the initial stages, but there are a number of signs whose presence should alert you:

searching for other people's hair in the apartment, on clothes;
interrogations after a short delay at work;
categorical refusal to let you go to meet friends, arguing the decision with the inevitability of betrayal or deception;
endless calls with questions about whereabouts;
minor reasons for hysterics and quarrels, for example, a missed call;
the desire by all means to gain control over correspondence on social networks, telephone;
control of your partner’s social circle.

Worsening of the condition

As it develops, the signs of the disease become more obvious:

all representatives of the opposite sex are attributed to the desire for betrayal and deception;
total and meticulous control aimed at confirming the fact of betrayal - searching for traces on furniture and clothing, checking correspondence, etc.;
the lack of direct evidence of deception causes irritation;
scandals and interrogations of a partner for any deviations from expected, usual behavior;
control of the partner’s social circle, limiting communication with other people, even relatives and friends;
threats of all kinds - mutilation, murder, suicide, reprisals, etc.;
the desire to control your partner’s life completely.

Extreme forms

In extreme forms, the disease poses a threat to others. The delusional state in such situations is characterized by the following manifestations:

destructive, antisocial behavior, recklessness in actions;
paranoia, obsession, inability to think about other things;
lack of objective and adequate reasons, belief in unconfirmed facts, at the same time the imagination paints a person with terrible pictures of betrayal, all these fantasies and nightmares are perceived as reality, proof of betrayal;
complete inability to control your emotions;
guidance of irrational thoughts and feelings, thinking is completely subordinated to jealousy;
confirmations are found in events and things that have nothing to do with the problem of betrayal or deception;
evidence of the innocence and innocence of the object of jealousy does not serve as arguments for the patient, all objective and adequate arguments are rejected, the jealous person finds new reasons and confirmations;
adjusting events and facts to suit your beliefs;
lack of awareness of the consequences of one's actions.

Normally, jealousy is generated by convincing and visual evidence that confirms the guesswork of the partner’s behavior regarding a third person. When the jealous person is presented with evidence refuting the presence of such behavior, he reacts adequately - he calms down. With delusional pathology, such a rollback does not occur.

The dominant delusional thought in the disorder is sexual infidelity of a partner. A jealous person poses a clear danger to others.

Delusions of jealousy as a symptom of other abnormalities

Pathological delusions of jealousy are often symptomatic of another mental illness or disorder. There are 3 characteristic features of pathological jealousy when it accompanies another mental illness.

In a mental disorder, other mental disorders manifest themselves first, and jealousy develops later, rarely at the same time.
Pathology is associated with the underlying disorder. The reasons lie not in jealousy, but in mental illness.
Anxiety and suspicion never have any real basis. The real infidelity of a partner, if present, is not associated with a pathological condition.

What is pathological jealousy

This is a special form of expression of emotions in the subject, which manifests itself in the person’s absolute confidence that his partner is cheating on him or wants to cheat on him.
More often than not, an individual’s fears are groundless and do not correspond to reality. Excessive jealousy will cause a break in relationships or make communication with a jealous person unbearable.

Find the answer

Are you having any problem? Enter “Symptom” or “Name of the disease” into the form, press Enter and you will find out all the treatment for this problem or disease.

Once it begins, this painful condition develops and the symptoms progress. The jealous person begins to work out in detail the schemes of possible betrayal, to monitor the object of his attention.

A person in such a state does not accept any arguments, and is 100% sure that his partner is telling a lie, trying to lull attention. The disease develops more often in men than in women.

There are 3 forms of this disease, depending on the ideas expressed by the patient. These will be delusional, obsessive or overvalued ideas.

Danger of pathology

Uncontrolled manic jealousy leads to unpleasant consequences.

Aggression towards the object of jealousy. Instilling fear in competitors is aimed at protecting the partner from all kinds of threatening contacts.
Physical violence. A jealous person can cripple a partner so that he is no longer of interest to competitors. Such actions are simultaneously punishment of the partner.
Self-violence, which often results in suicide attempts. Causing harm to oneself is insanity - a person seeks to punish his partner with his death. These actions can also be in the nature of repentance and feelings of guilt. A person begins to get confused in his feelings. He understands the danger of his condition, but cannot do anything about it, and sees the way out as leaving life.

How to provide first aid for alcoholic psychosis

It is impossible to get rid of alcohol psychosis on your own.

If a disorder is suspected, the help of a psychiatrist-narcologist is needed. In most cases, those suffering from mental disorders are physically unable to go to the hospital, so it is better to call a doctor at home. The doctor will carry out the procedures necessary to stabilize the patient’s condition, and then arrange for hospitalization at the clinic.

During an attack of psychosis, before the doctor arrives, you need to provide first aid:

the patient must be laid on a flat surface and secured in case of violent or aggressive behavior;
do not leave an alcoholic unattended;
close windows and doors, remove potentially dangerous objects from the access area. A person in an unbalanced state is capable of causing harm to himself and others;
control temperature and pressure.

It is strictly forbidden to give the patient any medications or alcohol to alleviate the condition. All appointments are made by the doctor after examination. Self-treatment will only worsen the patient's condition.

Gender difference in symptoms

Statistical studies have found that delusions of jealousy are more common in men. The disorder occurs in young people aged 28 to 42 years.

Assault and aggression do not always indicate the presence of pathological jealousy in a man. The use of force often serves as an expression of the primitiveness and underdevelopment of a person’s personality. For such a man, violence serves as a normal mechanism of interaction with other people.

But senseless pathological jealousy in men is more often directly associated with violence and aggression. A crazy jealous person is often physically superior to his partner, and the use of force is seen as the simplest means of coercion and proving that he is right. This is the danger of male pathology. Representatives of the stronger half of humanity in a delusional state are more likely to commit crimes.

Men

How delusions of jealousy manifest themselves in men:

the use of brute physical force - beatings, beatings for no reason or for far-fetched reasons;
strict restriction of a woman’s freedom of action - limiting her social circle, prohibiting visiting certain places, etc.;
absolute control - surveillance, the need to report on any occasion;
suspicions out of nowhere;
regulation on issues of behavior, choice of clothing, makeup, hairstyle - a man often seeks to “hide” the attractiveness of his companion.

Pathological jealousy turns life into a nightmare

Women

Pathological delusions of jealousy are less common in women. It has its own characteristics, which are determined by physiological and psychological specifics. In a delusional state, a woman who is physically inferior to her partner cannot influence her partner with direct violence. To achieve her goals, the jealous woman resorts to other methods.

Features of groundless delusions of jealousy in women:

attempts to indirectly manipulate your partner - portrayal of illness, pregnancy, etc.;
elimination of “competitors” through deception;
increasing your own sexual attractiveness in all possible ways;
hidden violence - poisoning, involvement of third parties, pouring acid, etc.;
hysterics and scandals;
children's involvement;
blackmail with suicide, murder, divorce, children, etc.

Long road to healing

Unfortunately, this disease is insidious in nature and can take many years to manifest itself. Long-term therapy and the involvement of partners in the treatment process can be a serious claim to success.

Through common efforts, you will be able to recover if you talk to your partner and be able to hear him. It is necessary to understand what motivates a person, what is the main reason for such behavior. After all, behind all this is the need to be loved. A loving person will definitely do everything in his power to maintain the relationship.

Methods of counteraction

Diagnosis and treatment of the disease in question falls within the competence of psychotherapists or psychiatrists. If to eliminate jealousy it is enough to neutralize the cause that gave rise to it, then in the case of pathology this is not enough. It is necessary not only to eliminate the source, but also to normalize the mental state that was distorted during the development of the disorder.

Diagnostics

Pathological jealousy is diagnosed by:

analysis of patient behavior for a certain period;
personal conversation with a psychotherapist;
collecting information through questionnaires, questionnaires and tests;
interviews with relatives and friends.

Based on a summary assessment of all collected data, the specialist makes a diagnosis. If the symptoms of a delusional state are proven, it is necessary to begin treatment immediately.

Therapy

Treatment of extreme forms of pathology often requires hospitalization. Given the patient’s condition, compulsory inpatient treatment is often prescribed. To eliminate the threat to others, the jealous person is placed in departments with strict or enhanced surveillance.

Treatment methods for causeless jealousy are divided into two groups.

Medication.
Psychotherapeutic.

SSRI antidepressants are used to treat morbid jealousy.

Drug treatment for delusional mental disorders does not play a major role. Medicines eliminate the visible symptoms of the pathology, but do not remove the factors that caused the development of the disease.

To effectively get rid of the disease, it is important to combine medication and psychotherapeutic methods. Psychiatry recommends the use of cognitive therapy. This method of treating causeless delirium is aimed at eliminating obsession in thinking; a person learns to identify and control his emotions. Regular sessions of relieving psycho-emotional stress help treat attacks of delirium.

Prevention

A complete recovery from a delusional state will require a lot of effort and time. It is easier to prevent the development of the disease. The key factor in avoiding sensory anxiety in any of its manifestations is absolute and mutual trust. If partners can overcome the problem at the stage of ordinary emotional and sensory anxiety, then the pathological disorder can be avoided.

Recommendations for preventing unreasonable jealousy:

building completely open, trusting relationships;
avoiding ignoring and hushing up negative states in a partner;
prompt constructive resolution of controversial emotional situations between partners;
establishing clearly defined rules of conduct;
joint response to any disturbing conditions of partners.

Properly built relationships between partners will help avoid the development of pathological states of anxiety. Even if a person is prone to mental disorders, a well-structured relationship in a couple will help cope with the illness. It is important to remember that a person is jealous because of misunderstanding and mistrust.

Diagnosis of the disorder

If you notice symptoms of delirium in your partner, you must promptly seek professional help. It is important to try not to get into disputes and not to lead the situation to aggressive dialogues and proceedings.

One of the most common methods for diagnosing the disease is an intravenous test based on ethyl alcohol. After the administration of the composition, the patient with the syndrome begins to express himself with stories about his partner’s infidelities. Alcohol intoxication activates a disorder of consciousness, thus demonstrating the severity of the pathology stage.

However, such a test is not the main and only diagnosis of delusions of jealousy. Specialists collect a complete psychiatric history. Conversations are held not only with the person being diagnosed, but also with his partner. It turns out how delusional the accusations of infidelity are, whether there have been similar cases before, and heredity also appears.

When diagnosing the disease in women, much attention is paid to assessing the situation from the point of view of suicidal feelings. In this case, it is important to prevent irreparable actions on her part.

When examining men, psychiatrists attach special importance to the degree of his aggressiveness: how dangerous a person with Othello syndrome is to his loved ones. Have there been fights in his life, have there been attacks of aggression before? In situations where a person is capable of cruel treatment due to disorders of consciousness, it is important to protect the spouse and children (if any) from serious consequences.

It is important to note that the disease manifests itself in most cases at the age of 30-40 years. This type of disorder is not diagnosed among children.