overview
Erotomania is a rare mental health condition that occurs when someone is thinking that another person is intensely in love with them. The other could be someone famous, rich or of high social status. This condition is also known as De Clérambault syndrome.
Thinking about being loved by others is considered an illusion because it is not based on reality. In most cases, the person hasn’t even met the person they’re attached to. Some people with this syndrome may believe that a stranger they have just met is in love with them.
One person with this condition may believe the other is trying to send them secret messages. They may believe this is happening through news or thoughts (also known as telepathy).
They may find it impossible to let go of the belief that others love them, despite a lack of evidence that this is true. Erotomania may be associated with other mental health conditions related to delusions or manic behavior.
Symptom
The main symptom of Erotomania is the illusion of being secretly loved by someone else. There is often no evidence of someone else’s love. Others may not even be aware of the existence of a person with erotomania.
One person with this condition may talk about the other constantly. They may also become obsessed with trying to meet or communicate with this person so they can be together.
Common symptoms include:
- Go crazy about other people’s social networking sites if they’re a celebrity or a public figure
- Constantly sending letters, emails or gifts to others
- Constantly calling the other person
- Assuming the other person is trying to communicate secretly through eye contact, gestures, or encrypted messages in news, TV shows, movies, or social media
- Creating complicated but false situations in which the other person is chasing them, following them, or trying to contact them
- Feeling jealous due to the belief that the other person may be in contact with other “lovers” or may be unfaithful
- Harassing others in public, sometimes to the point of arrest by law enforcement
- Loss of interest in activities other than talking about others or doing activities that involve them
Psychosis
Erotomania can happen over a long period of time or only in short episodes known as Psychosis. Psychosis is a common symptom of other mental health conditions. The illness is associated with delusions or other psychotic features. They can occur in disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Other manic symptoms of bipolar disorder include:
- There is an abnormal amount of energy
- Can not sleep
- Talk quickly about many different topics in a short amount of time
- Having many thoughts in a short period of time
- Displays dangerous behaviors, such as spending a lot of money at once or reckless driving
Cases and examples of erotomania
In a case study from 1980, a woman mistakenly believed that several different men at different times were obsessively in love with her and pursued her. This woman’s case of erotomania lasted for eight years before it was successfully treated.
A 2012 story in Psychology Today discusses the case of Robert Hoskins. In 1995, Hoskins obsessively pursued the famous singer Madonna. He believed that she was destined to be his wife. He had climbed a wall outside her home several times. He also violently threatened her before being tried in court and sent to prison for ten years.
In 2016, a married woman in her 50s was examined at a psychiatric clinic because she believed her former boss was in love with her. She also believes her husband is preventing her from hanging out with her boss.
Treatment
Treatment of erotomania usually resolves the psychosis or delusional symptoms. This often involves a combination of therapy and medication. Your doctor or therapist can guide you through counseling or psychotherapy before making a diagnosis.
Classic antipsychotics, such as pimozide, are often used with success. Antipsychotics, such as olanzapine, risperidone, and clozapine, have also been used in conjunction with therapy or counseling.
If erotomania is the result of an underlying condition, such as bipolar disorder, treatments for the condition may be used. Bipolar disorder is usually treated with mood stabilizers, such as lithium (Lithonia) or valproic acid (Depakene).
Complications and related conditions
Erotomania can cause someone to exhibit dangerous or aggressive behavior. In some cases, this behavior can get the person arrested for stalking or harassment.
Erotomania is often associated with bipolar disorder. It is also associated with other conditions including:
- Anxiety disorders
- Addiction to drugs or alcohol
- Eating disorders, such as bulimia or anorexia
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
