Othello syndrome is a delusional type disorder, which is characterized by the presence of pathological jealousy and the belief that the partner is committing infidelity. The name of this syndrome has its origins in the main character of the novel Othello: the Moor of Venice of Shakespeare, since he suffers from uncontrollable and unhealthy jealousy. If you want to discover more about this syndrome, keep reading this Psychology-Online article: Othello syndrome: what it is, symptoms and treatment.
What is Othello syndrome
What is Othello syndrome? Othello syndrome is a jealousy-based delusional disorder, so the central theme of the delusion is that the partner is being unfaithful. People with this syndrome suffer delusions and paranoid thoughts about the fact that their partner is cheating on them and, consequently, they suffer excessive and totally disproportionate jealousy.
The basis of thinking and beliefs about alleged infidelity is totally irrational and without any foundation or reason. Othello syndrome is also called celotype either jealous delusionsince morbid pathological jealousy, or of psychotic origin, is the main and defining characteristic of this syndrome.
Othello syndrome: when jealousy is a mental illness
Jealousy within a couple is an emotional reaction that develops when a person suffers from possessiveness over their partner and feels fear of a threat of loss or experiences a real loss. Jealousy as a couple can be classified as follows:
- Occasional jealousy: They are experienced momentarily, especially in the face of changes, but the person is capable of identifying these fears and rationalizing them.
- Reactive jealousy: They take place when a couple is actually infidelity or when they act in a way that causes insecurity and distrust in the other person.
- Pathological jealousy of non-psychotic origin: unfounded and unhealthy jealousy, the person who experiences it presents attitudes of suspicion and concern. They are based on control and possessiveness.
- Pathological jealousy of psychotic origin: refers to delusional jealousy, the most serious form of jealousy. The person who suffers from them builds a system of beliefs and behaviors around the idea of infidelity, without proof or foundation of any kind. Exists distortion of reality, paranoia and checking behaviors that become compulsive rituals. This is the type of jealousy present in Othello syndrome and .
Othello syndrome: symptoms
The symptoms that are frequently identified in Othello syndrome and characterize it are the following:
- Presence of extremely irrational jealousyexcessive, unhealthy and delusional about a couple’s supposed infidelity.
- At a cognitive level, we experience paranoid and intrusive thoughts constants based on the alleged infidelity. Likewise, people with jealousy unconsciously imagine unreal situations that continue to feed this delusion.
- At a behavioral level, there is a development of obsessive checking behaviors, with the aim of discovering deception on the part of the couple. Behaviors are also carried out in search of details and evidence that support and reaffirm their delusion. These behaviors take up most of the time of the person who suffers from Othello syndrome.
- On an emotional level, the person may experience depression, anxiety, frustration and in extreme cases aggressiveness. These beliefs generate high levels of suffering in people with this syndrome.
- It identifies a alteration in perceptionso unimportant details are considered evidence of infidelity, even if they are not based on logical interpretation.
- Presence of confirmation bias, this bias consists of a tendency to accept information that confirms one’s point of view and reject information that does not. This is a very common bias in delusional disorders, so the person only selectively attends to those data that feed their delusion and support their belief system and theory.
- Although there is a total lack of evidence, jealousy doesn’t go awaythe belief is held with absolute conviction and lived as an evident truth.
- People who suffer from Othello syndrome They believe they are victims of a conspiracyand you may come to think that other people know that your partner is cheating on you, and they are lying to you and hiding it from you.
- People with Othello syndrome are not able to control their symptoms nor do they try, since They are not aware of the falsity of their beliefwhich they experience as an absolute truth.
- The jealous delusion constitutes the central element of the life of the person with Othello syndrome, which is why a significant alteration in the rest of the spheres of life of the person.
Othello syndrome: treatment
Jealousy disorder presents complex symptoms; with cognitive, emotional and behavioral alterations. This complexity may cause you to not know how to help a person with Othello syndrome, but Does Othello syndrome have a cure? Currently, the intervention prescribed for the cure of Othello syndrome usually consists of both pharmacological and psychological treatment. Below we explain the treatment of celotype so that you know how to treat Othello syndrome from a psychological perspective.
Psychological treatment for Othello syndrome
- Behavioral techniques. Part of the intervention focuses on the application of behavioral techniques to address obsessive checking and evidence-seeking behaviors. This approach is carried out through the exposure and response prevention techniques together. The person with this syndrome develops, together with the professional, a hierarchy of anxiety-producing situations and gradually exposes himself to them through exposure in the imagination and live exposure. When exposed to these situations, the person will tend to exhibit checking and searching behaviors, so they will be trained in the response prevention technique, to prevent them from carrying out these ritual behaviors. In this way, with both techniques, a greater habit and tolerance to impulses is produced, anxiety is reduced and there is no reinforcement of jealousy behaviors.
- Cognitive techniques. Regarding cognitive techniques, the cognitive restructuring and own methodology. The first step is for the person to be aware of the automatic and intrusive thoughts they have, and how these affect their emotions and behavior. On the other hand, the person is encouraged to consider these thoughts as hypotheses and not as absolute truths, and to seek objective evidence for and against them in therapy. Likewise, there is a questioning dysfunctional beliefs through questions that allow the inconsistencies and contradictions of cognitions to be shown. Finally, it is recommended that the person make records of their thoughts, to be more aware of them, their emotional and behavioral consequences, and propose a more rational alternative thought.
- Couple therapy. One of the consequences of Othello syndrome is wear and tear and conflicts in the couple. For this reason, couples therapy is recommended, where objectives such as strengthening the bond, increasing trust and stability in the relationship are worked on. To do this, the couple is trained in problem solving technique and in the communication training technique. Through the first, the couple improves their skills when it comes to raising problems or difficulties that arise in the couple, planning different solutions and reaching an agreement on one of them. Finally, with communication training, empathy, active listening, the expression of feelings and needs, as well as understanding the other point of view, are encouraged. The goal of this is to reduce misunderstandings and defensiveness in the couple.
- Finally, it is necessary to work self-esteem and the myths of romantic love of the person with Othello syndrome. about what relationships should be like. That is why it is important promote self-concept and self-esteem of the person with jealousy, since it is usually diminished. On the other hand, we must carry out work on the conceptualization of couple relationships, in which a deconstruction of those behaviors that society has instilled in us as typical of a romantic relationship is carried out. Likewise, healthier relationship models based on trust and communication are presented.
In the following article you will find others.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Carlen, AM, Kasanzew, A., & López, AF (2009). Cognitive behavioral treatment of jealousy in a couple. Electronic Journal of Psychology Iztacala12(3), 173-186.
- Echeburúa, E., & Fernández-Montalvo, J. (1999). The pathology of jealousy: descriptive analysis and therapeutic proposals. Behavior Analysis and Modification25 (99), 5-25.
- Molero Segrera, M., Casado Méndez, PR, Fonseca, S., Salvador, R., Jiménez Almaguer, D., Iserns Rondón, D., & del Castillo Remón, IL (2017). Othello syndrome. Case presentation. Magazine of the Psychiatric Hospital of Havana13(3).