Erotomania: A Fictional Love Story That Doesn’t End Really Well

Erotomania is a rare mental health condition that can hit anyone. It doesn’t really have a type. But it is mostly seen in people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This is so because erotomania is a type of delusional disorder and delusions commonly seen in schizophrenia and bipolar disorders.

Have you watched ‘He loves me, He loves me not’, a French film? If you haven’t, you definitely should. It is a perfect depiction of erotomania as a mental health condition which has a tragic end.

The protagonist falls in love with a doctor and later on realizing the doctor loves his wife, she falls into clinical depression and commits suicide. Want to know more about erotomania? Read on to find out…

What Is The Meaning Of Erotomania?

Erotomania is a type of delusional disorder wherein you feel like someone is madly in love with you. The catch here is that, that someone might not even know who you are. They pick up nonexistent signals and cues from that person’s body language, conversations, action, etc.

In most cases the fictional partner in the relationship is a celebrity, popular girl/boy in school, politician, or someone that you might know off. Stalkers also sometimes suffer from erotomania. Most of the time a stalker will claim that they and the person they are stalking love each other.

 What Are The Symptoms Of Erotomania?

The most common symptom of erotomania is that the person will have a false yet strong belief that the other person is madly in love with them. They might also retaliate strongly if someone states the obvious or tries to prove it otherwise.

Other symptoms may look like:

• Constantly rewatching videos and photos of supposed partner in the relationship
• Sending them gifts and messages all the time
• Creating fictional stories about how the supposed partner is trying to woe them
• Being extremely jealous if they saw their supposed partner with someone else
• Making multiple calls to that person, irrespective of multiple declines
• Strongly believe that the supposed partner is sending secret messages, codes and signals to them
• Doesn’t do anything else other than talking and thinking about that person
• They behave in such a way that it seems like harassment to the other if they ever happen to meet

What Are The Causes Of Erotomania?

According to experts there is no certain cause of erotomania. They say it can happen to anyone. But some studies do state that people with low self esteem may tell themselves such fictional stories to boost themselve which grows with time and becomes erotomania.

Stress also can play a role in developing erotomania. It is said that if you have lost someone you loved, you will try to find that comfort and support in someone else. Erotomania can give you that comfort and feeling of belongingness, even if it is fictional.

Another cause can be corrupted thinking because of a delusional disorder. Being delusional can interfere with how you interpret cues and signals. There’s a high chance that you might have misread or misunderstood someone’s words, actions or behavior.

Also read: Is Lovesickness Real? Here Are The Signs Of Being LoveSick

Is There A Treatment For Erotomania?

Fortunately the treatment for erotomania is available. The treatment plan is quite similar to that of a psychosis or delusional disorder. You will be treated through a combination of medicines and therapy.

Medicines that might help in reducing the symptoms of erotomania are:

• Typical antipsychotic drug
• Nontraditional antipsychotic

These two medicines are usually prescribed alongside some kind of therapy so that the results are faster and long lasting. It is for your doctor to decide what kind of medication and therapy you will be needing.

In some cases erotomania is an indication of underlying psychological illness. Therefore, you might need a treatment that and erotomania will subside on its own after the underlying condition is treated.

Endnote

Erotomania is a disorder of delusions and surrupted thinking. It makes you feel like someone is in love with you, despite them not even being aware of your existence. It is very important to get erotomania treatment because it can be dangerous for yourself and the person you might be obsessed with.

If you think you are suffering from erotomania or someone you know is, get them professional help as soon as possible. It’s not safe for them to be in control of such a mindset for a long time.

I hope this blog helped you understand erotomania, its symptoms and causes. Make sure to share this blog with those you think can benefit from it. Do comment and let us know if you would like to know about more such mental health conditions.

Thanks for reading.

Take care and stay safe!