Erotomanic delusions: What happens when love stems from fantasy?

Erotomanic delusions have been sub-classified under the broad category of delusional disorder. These are fixed, false beliefs that are not based in reality. A person with this type of delusion is likely to believe that they are loved by a person of higher status. This connection by any means is not a rational one and exists only in the person's head.

Before we dive into understanding more about erotomanic delusions, we must be aware of falsely labeling individuals. Many individuals may go to erratic lengths to think about their love life, but it doesn't necessarily mean they have a delusional disorder. This discretion is often made with the help of a mental health professional.

These erotomanic delusions have been stereotypically isolated to women, which may not be the case. (Image via Freepik/ freepik)

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How to identify erotomania symptoms

Delusions can be complex to understand and difficult to identify. (Image via Vecteezy/ mikhailpalinchak4885)

The typical characteristic of erotomanic delusions is the intense belief that a specific person is in truly and madly in love with them. You may wonder what is so irrational about this.

Unfortunately, the tragedy of this delusion is that this specific person can be anyone on this planet who has utterly no connection with the individual. What is more important is that individuals with this condition are likely to rubbish any evidence that is contrary to the belief.

Erotomanic delusions don't look the same in every person. For some, it may be limited to intrusive dreams and images about the other person, but for others, it may result in establishing contact with the idealized figure. Many times, when this 'love' is not reciprocated, they may spiral and engage in threatening behaviors to themselves and others.

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Most common erotomania causes

The causes of this delusion are a blend of many factors. (Image via Vecteezy/ Myron Standret)

The causes of various types of delusions are a blend of biological and psychological factors, like any other mental health condition. One of the emotional factors that may give rise to this condition is extreme loneliness and social isolation.

Since the individual is left with their imagination, and with the fictional or non-fictional characters they view, they may start developing certain attachments. Although, this cause is less likely.

Most prominently, this condition is linked to psychotic disorders like schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and others. Sometimes, the ability to deal with reality becomes so low that we build a world of imagination. It becomes our comfort space that takes us away from who we are

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Erotomanic delusions examples

The examples of erotomania can give you an understanding of how it affects a person. (Image via Freepik/ Kamran Aydinov)

Individuals with erotomanic delusions operate from a space of fixed beliefs that can be very baseless. However, these can be deeply ingrained and influence a person's life on multiple levels. They are also often indicative of a psychotic break.

There can be various examples of such delusions, but the most common involves a celebrity. An individual with erotomanic delusions may believe that a celebrity has written a song for them or conveyed romantic messages in a movie scene exclusively for them.

Some individuals may also perceive ordinary behaviors and actions as being romantically inclined. This may include receiving a general fan greeting message as a personal declaration of love. Again, think of it as being starkly away from reality. Some individuals may go ahead and make future wedding plans, photoshop images of their children together, or invade their privacy.

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Erotomanic delusional disorder is a serious health concern. One thing about delusions is that the person experiencing them may have little insight into their false beliefs.

If you recognize someone with these symptoms, try to seek a professional consultation as soon as possible before the person further falls into the delusional world. While the treatment for erotomanic delusions is not very clear, there is hope for healing.

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Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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