What Leads To Erotomania Disorder & Is There A Cure For It?

Erotomania is a kind of delusional syndrome wherein an individual believes that another person, is obsessive with them. It is a relatively rare condition and is characterized by a person’s delusions of another person being infatuated with them.

Today, erotomania is recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Erotomania is not a stand-alone psychiatric diagnosis. Erotomania sufferers may be identified with a delusional disorder in several instances. Erotomania is more common in women, studies show that this disorder affects women more often than men and the symptoms are long-lasting

Erotomania is often a warning sign of a mental disorder, that includes schizophrenia, schizo-induced syndrome, chronic anxiety conditions with psychiatric characteristics, and bipolar disorder. Based on the clinical analysis of a woman showed that she mistakenly believed that several men at various phases of our life loved her obsessively and also proposed her several times. Her condition endured for almost more than seven years until she was finally treated.

Their symptoms include frequent and unrelenting hounding and annoying activities (such as efforts to communicate the opposite sex through calling, messaging, offering gifts, sending letters and many more)

Erotomaniacs sometimes become threatening if they think that only the woman’s husband, [partner or a man’s wife] is intruding between them and their obsessive affair. Although normally a female disorder, male erotomania also ensues and homosexual occurrences, both male and female, have been noted.

The condition is an echo of many aspects of mental illnesses. Some of the typical factors causing this delusional disbelief are

• The loss of a loved one when the person is in full flight of passion or very compassionate towards their partner. The loss will be extremely painful to them and will have life-threatening repercussions.
• Managing extreme stress or trauma.
• Genetics also play a vital role in triggering the delusional disorder
• A person addicted to drugs or alcohols
• Eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia^1,2

Antipsychotic drugs are often effective in the treatment of erotomania. Medication is usually combined with psychotherapy

Psychological Therapy – There is growing interest in psychological therapies such as psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as a means of treatment. Psychological therapy for Erotomania disorder helps lessen the intensity and severity of symptoms.

Drug Treatment – Delusional disorder behavioral difficult to treat. Antipsychotic medications, antidepressants and mood-stabilizing drugs often help to treat this psychiatric disorder. The types of medication that clinical studies have shown to be very effective for Erotomania are antidepressants. They are widely used to treat depression, especially enduring or worst disorder, and mood-stabilizing in combination with cognitive-behavioral therapy.

The antidepressants help to relieve symptoms of depression person such as low mood and bipolar disorder. High doses are often needed for these drugs to work in most people. Some patients with severe disorders may take approximately three to five weeks to respond to the antidepressant. However, it remains unclear as to how these particular drugs help Erotomania.

• Apparently, there are few things to be considered before considering medication
• Before opting for drug therapy try several drugs to find one that works well.

Most antidepressants are generally safe however they carry a black box warning. Ensure you clearly study the warning before taking your medication³

All psychiatric medications have potential side effects. In some cases, the treatment doesn’t provide expected results. Therefore, Erotomaniacs often look for new treatments or try new approaches to improve the effectiveness of existing therapies. Some of the alternative treatments include

• Tranquilizers
• Lifestyle modifications
• Supplementing Behavior Therapy With newer medications
• Physical Exercise
• Deep Brain Stimulation exercises⁴

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