Fregoli Delusion: Causes & Coping

Do you know what delusions are? Delusions are a set of false beliefs that one holds even when all evidence falls against it. Irrespective of what the reality is, delusional people swear by their false beliefs and impression of the world around them.

Being delusional can mess with your mind. It can make you believe in things that don’t exist and because of that, you can end up feeling overwhelmed for no reason at all. Delusions tend to keep you on your toes all the time.

You constantly doubt people’s intentions around you and it makes you live in fear. Imagine living in a fear of something that is just in your mind. It’s unfortunate to lead a life full of delusions.

Today we are going to talk about one such disturbing delusion, Fregoli Delusion. Have you heard of it before? If not, this blog is just for you…

Shall we begin?

What Is Fregoli Delusion?

Fregoli delusion is a psychological condition (a rare one) where one holds an idiosyncratic belief or impression that the different people, they’ve met are all one single person. Along with this belief, they also believe that someone (a stranger) is following them.

Now imagine living in the fear of being followed by a stranger! How petrifying is that Fregoli delusion can destroy your mental peace.  People with Fregoli have also been found accusing people of impersonating someone else.

So basically, Fregoli delusions form from a set of false beliefs that all encircle the assumed negative intentions of people they have been surrounded with. They are always afraid that people are not who they say they are and that some stranger is always following them for different people are just one person.

To understand Fregoli delusions better, let’s have a look at its causes…

Fregoli Delusion Causes

What causes someone to develop Fregoli delusions has not been found yet.  Since the time it was first identified by the French authors Courbon and Fail in 1927, it is believed that it does not exist alone. It always accompanies a mental health condition or can be a consequence of trauma to the brain.

Anyway, mental health experts have come up with a list of conditions that can foster Fregoli delusions. Let’s have a look at them;

1. Schizophrenia: it is a mental health condition characterized by distorted behavior, hallucinations, and delusions. It is very common for someone with schizophrenia to develop paranoid beliefs and Fregoli delusions.
2. Dementia: it is another brain health condition that makes some severe changes in your thoughts and beliefs. It is again very common for people with dementia to have delusional beliefs like someone is constantly following them.
3. Traumatic brain injury: a lesson or injury can induce some changes in the way one thinks and perceives things. Traumatic brain injuries can easily trigger delusions in a person, especially Fregoli delusions.
4. Other mental disorders: various mental health conditions distort the thinking process of a person. These mental health conditions can also cause Fregoli delusions such as bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, etc.

Ways To Cope With Fregoli Delusion

Delusions like Fregoli delusions can snatch your mental peace away. It is indeed very difficult to judge between a delusion and reality because your brain makes you believe in your delusions. If you think you have fallen victim to Fregoli delusions here’s what you should be doing;

• Visit a professional: delusions are not something that can be treated on your own. You need proper treatment such as psychotherapy or clinical drugs to control your delusional thoughts. Once that is done, you can do a few things on your own to speed up the process.
• Learn about your condition: the best way to cope with conditions like Fregoli delusion is to educate yourself about them. The more you know about your condition the better you will become at tackling it.
• Have a support system: it’s very important to stay connected with people you love and trust. Have a support system that can help you during your paranoid phase and help you differentiate between a delusional thought and reality.
• Focus on self-care: at this point, it is very important to give yourself the love and attention you need. Not many people realize that self-care can make your journey to recovery not only smooth but also quick.

That’s All Folks!

I hope you found this blog about Fregoli delusions informative, helpful, interesting, and thought-provoking. Do share this blog with your friends and family and especially with those people who are dealing with a mental health condition.

Thanks for reading.

Take care and stay safe.