Othello syndrome. What disease is jealousy a symptom of?

One of the topics of the program “About the Most Important” was diseases with fabulous and literary names. Sleeping beauty syndrome, Rapunzel syndrome and others. Each of them has certain features. So, for example, drowsiness is characteristic of the Sleeping Beauty Syndrome, and Rapunzel is biting her hair. There is also such a pathology, the symptom of which becomes pathological jealousy – this is Othello’s syndrome.

What is such a syndrome and why is it dangerous, told psychologist-diagnostic Anna Sukhova. According to her, “Othello’s syndrome” only sounds beautiful, and its manifestations are not at all rosy. The person suffering from them is characterized by the following actions:

1. Follows his partner in social networks, controls the phone, and even the most complex password systems are not a hindrance for him.

2. From the very morning, he already checks what time his other half was online when the partner (-sha) entered or left the messenger.

3. He checks potential rivals and competitors, regardless of their age, and also controls all friends / girlfriends who can provoke him / her, according to the jealous person, to treason.

4. He catches every movement and glance, looking for hidden meanings in them, suspecting that the decision on potential infidelity has already been made, and always has “indisputable” facts.

5. A banal “ok” in response to correspondence in a messenger or an SMS message is not suitable for him – he will require detailed and accurate answers.

All these are signals of paranoid jealousy, when reality has long been mixed with fiction. The British psychiatrist John Todd first spoke about Othello’s syndrome in the 1950s. According to his observations, the syndrome arose spontaneously or against the background of other already present personality disorders.

Experts identify the following signs that indicate pathological jealousy. Among them:

• hysteria and fits of causeless jealousy;

• the presence of an underlying mental illness;

• jealousy is especially pronounced during periods of exacerbation of the disease;

• lack of common sense and real grounds for jealousy.

Recognizing a person with Othello syndrome is quite simple, in his arsenal will be present:

• obsession;

• manipulation;

• emotional blackmail and psychological pressure;

• increased control.

“He/she knows everything better than you, and the only possible chance to resolve the conflict is to agree with his crazy ideas. At the same time, the main overvalued idea is built on the desire to possess you in full and in full, ”says Anna Sukhova.

The psychologist calls Othello’s syndrome “an undeniably dangerous and toxic interaction strategy.” “The person next to you turns into a detective and categorically cannot control himself. A person with such a problem always behaves aggressively and in every possible way tries to achieve recognition of infidelity. There is a desire for manipulation by any means. And most importantly, a person becomes dangerous not only for others, but also for himself, ”the doctor notes.

What to do in this difficult situation?

Pathological jealousy is a mental illness that must be treated with medication or cognitively, by a specialist using special techniques. A partner suffering from Othello’s syndrome should think about whether he needs such a relationship.

If everything in a relationship is not so clear and categorical, and this is ordinary jealousy, then there are several recommendations that will save the psyche of both the jealous person and his partner (s).

1. We must stop doing what we used to do, categorically and harshly. It’s worth starting at least with an attempt to pause the habitual pattern of behavior.

2. It is necessary to act in a way that, it would seem, should not work. Usually the behavior is from the impossible and brings the best results.

3. Go to a consultation with a specialist to adjust all new ideas and action plans, as well as get individual methods and practices for psychological self-help.

“If we are talking about the real Othello syndrome, it is unlikely that you will be able to cope on your own – you need specialized treatment under the supervision of a specialist. But if this is just jealousy, which cannot be called pathological, it is worth taking control of it so that it does not progress and does not drive you crazy, ”advises Anna Sukhova.

In preparing the material, the following sources were used:

About the most important