Othello Syndrome (OS), also known as "fatal jealousy" or "delusional jealousy", is a psychotic disorder characterized by "infidelity" or "the illusion of extreme jealousy". These people have obsessive thoughts that their partners or sexual partners are unfaithful to them, although there is no evidence or basis for their hands. But in this syndrome, these people not only have these thoughts, but are also socially unacceptable (beating their wives, committing murder, etc.) and abnormal behavior (constantly being nervous, following their partners, etc.) also exhibits. For this reason, Othello Syndrome is considered a subcategory of delusional disorders.
At the heart of this disease is the resulting inadequacy caused by the discrepancy between what the patient wants to be and what he really thinks is happening.These people over-value a certain idea, but extremism here means "valuing an idea that is originally acceptable or understandable in a dimension beyond the limits of logic; inability to resist the idea; attributing an existential importance to research that idea; trying to maintain and prove the loyalty of the partner at the expense of causing great harm to the partner". Overvalued ideas are ideas produced in one's own mind and have a nature (egosintonic) that is compatible with what one's ego demands or one's self-esteem; they can actually be replaced by rational questioning, but the individual usually avoids doing this questioning.
Often, it is one of the most common psychosis paranoid conditions, which can occur as a symptom of another resident psychotic illness. That is, an emotional psychosis can occur as a feature of psychopathy and some medical, psychiatric or neurological disorders, such as epilepsy, dementia and alcoholism, as well as organic conditions. If Othello Syndrome, i.e. delusions of infidelity, occurs in relation to another mental disorder, such as schizophrenia, depressive illness, or an organic psycho-syndrome, the symptoms of the underlying disease are also seen as present. Suicidal thoughts are common, especially in this type of fatal jealousy.
Signs and symptoms
When doubts arise about the partner's loyalty, they soon become the only thing the patient thinks about. Is your partner questioning it again and again calls and surprise visits, stalking behavior on their partner at home or at work or setting up a private detective to spy recording devices, certain behaviors such as eclipse, is trying to determine whether a patient are displayed by infidelity. Jealous individuals, partner's clothes and belongings to search for logs and other communication methods (e-mail, short messaging) examine or sexual activity for evidence of bed linen, underwear, and obsessive, and even the sexual organs may take measures to examine as hard.
It is often difficult to distinguish because it has symptoms along with another disease, but it has some basic symptoms:
- The main feature of the disease is the illusion of infidelity of the sexual partner/partner. Although there is no consistent or valid cause, a patient with Othello Syndrome develops a series of irrational thoughts, feelings, obsessions, delusions, or combinations of these that are not based on concrete evidence of their partner's infidelity.
- Patients may practice verbal and physical abuse against their partner.
- The patient applies psychological violence to his partner. This violence can occur through behavior such as questioning and stalking your partner.
- Traits associated with Othello Syndrome include irritability and aggression, which is accompanied by despair.
- There is a high risk of violence towards the patient's partner and a high risk of other criminal acts. There is even a risk of murder and suicide.
- Although Prodromal has a history of minor jealousy, there is no need to have a history of mental illness.
- Doubts begin to increase over time, and symptoms become more and more pronounced.
Genes, causative factors and Risk Factors associated with the disease
Othello Syndrome is linked to Psychology, environment and personality. According to studies and studies conducted so far, it has not been possible to distinguish the effects between hereditary and environmental factors. But at least 30% of cases in the literature show a neurological basis for delusions of deception, although their biological basis is not fully understood. In addition, its biological cause is still being investigated, but no clear result has been obtained because it occurs along with many different psychological disorders.
Usually Othello Syndrome determines the cause of delusional jealousy, while frontal lobe dysfunction is questioned. In addition, it has traditionally been understood that pathological jealousy arises within a psychodynamic framework, and emphasis has been placed on the existence of a fundamental sense of inadequacy and a related sense of insecurity. According to Kretschmer's 1942 diagram of jealousy:
Diagnostic Methods
According to the studies conducted, diagnostic methods also differ. Othello Syndrome is difficult to diagnose because it occurs with different mental illnesses. For example, in 1990, Mullen described 4 characteristics of this disease as follows:
- With or before jealousy, a mental problem arises.
- This mental problem continues to manifest itself together with jealousy.
- The course of fatal jealousy is closely related to the course of the other underlying disease.
- Jealousy has no connection to reality.
Because it is usually focused on the diagnosis and treatment of other disorders, this syndrome can remain in the background or be overlooked. For diagnosis, minimal cues are used for the purpose of confirming the delusion. The patient takes great pains to test and analyze the partner. As with all diseases, it can only be diagnosed by professionals.
Treatments or administration methods
Before starting treatment of a patient with Othello Syndrome, symptoms should be measured in terms of frequency and severity. In this way, Othello Syndrome interventions are directed in different ways according to the patient's level of distress and the risk to patients and caregivers. If the patient has a risk of serious harm and the potential for murder or suicide associated with delusional jealous thoughts, early detection and aggressive treatment become mandatory.
Various psychosocial approaches, behavioral psychotherapy, combined therapy and drug therapy are available. According to studies, supportive approaches have been shown to alleviate anxiety and thus gradually help develop collaboration with the patient. Also, when non-pharmacological treatment fails to reduce discomfort, the guidelines recommend experimenting with antipsychotic drugs.
Incidence and distribution (Epidemiology)
There is no systematic research for Othello Syndrome, as the literature describing the problem in dementia patients is limited to individual cases. But to date, several cases have been reported and interpreted.
Although it is thought to be more common in men, according to studies, the prevalence of appearance in women and men has been reported to be equal. In one study, for example, 15% of both men and women reported that they had once been "subjected to physical violence at the hands of a jealous partner." The point at which they diverge is that women and men are concentrated in different symptoms. Pathological jealousy is a more dangerous condition in men. Aggressive behavior is more common in men than in women, and their behavior is more prone to murder and suicide. In addition, reports have concluded that it is more common in the elderly.
Etymology
The term "Othello Syndrome" was first coined in 1955 by Todd and Dewhurst to refer to psychoses dominated by delusions of infidelity. The name Othello Syndrome comes from the main male character named Othello in William Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice", which includes topics such as love, jealousy and betrayal. The name "Othello" was made because of the tragedy in which the protagonist's jealousy towards his wife's supposed infidelity eventually led him to the murder of his wife.
Other Titles
In any relationship where jealousy is observed, violence is also more likely. In other words, in order for the problem of violence in relationships to begin, jealousy does not necessarily have to be at a deadly level. Culturally, jealousy can even be used to" legitimize violence against partners." In many cases, victims in a murder case are already killed by current or former partners, and this applies to both women and men.
When a partner consistently rejects infidelity, this can lead to anger and extreme violence. On the other hand, a suffering partner can give up and make a false confession in the face of these annoying accusations. This, in turn, will most likely lead to anger and violence in the jealous person.
The biggest problem with Othello Syndrome is that it hurts those around you (especially romantic and sexual partners) rather than the person himself. A 1998 study in the US, for example, identified 20 participants with Othello Syndrome, 19 of whom were men. Of those, 13 were found to have threatened to kill them because they thought their partner was cheating on them. Nine of those 13 men had physically assaulted their partner. Of the 20 people, three had used a gun in that attack, and 12 had harmed their wives.
Not just partners, but children have their share of these deadly bouts of jealousy and anger. Children living in a home where the parent suffers from morbid jealousy may suffer emotional and/or physical abuse as a direct result of the parent's actions. Children may also accidentally overhear arguments or witness physical violence between their parents. They can even be accidentally injured during attacks. The jealous parent with Othello Syndrome may use one child or more than one child to gather (i.e. "spy") information about the other parent. Unfortunately, a child with parents who experience this syndrome is also at risk of witnessing one of their parents kill the other or take his own life.
Unfortunately, Othello Syndrome is not fully understood and studies on the subject are ongoing. Over time, Literature will undoubtedly become clear and change. It is important to raise awareness of such psychological disorders both in Turkey and around the world, and people should be encouraged to treat them as early as possible. In particular, only one of the psychological factors underlying the murders of women we see in our country can be Othello Syndrome, and it is vital that people are conscious and take precautions against such disorders.