Clérambault syndrome or erotomania: the unrequited love syndrome
Clérambault Syndrome is a psychiatric disorder that should not be underestimated, despite the fact that it starts from a situation that we all, sooner or later, have found ourselves experiencing, namely that of unrequited love. However, if, after having suffered enough, one usually limits oneself to metabolizing the rejection and moving on with one's life, those who suffer from erotomania are unable to do so: they are convinced, in a completely unfounded way, that the " object of his desire matches his feelings.
This unfounded belief of being paid by those who actually do not have feelings towards us is at the basis of the erotomania disorder, also called Clérambault Syndrome: to be more precise, Clérambault Syndrome refers to the most common form of erotomania, that is the one in which one falls in love with a person who is difficult to reach because he is famous. This syndrome takes its name from the French psychiatrist Gaëtan Gatian de Clérambault, who lived between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In 1921 he published a treatise on the "subject entitled" Les psychoses passionelles ".
Attention, therefore: it often happens to use the term "erotomania" to refer to those suffering from a form of fixation for love and sex, but the most suitable terms to use in that case would be nifomania for women and satyriasis for women. men. Erotomania, as we have said, refers to unrequited love, when in short there are no small signs like these here ...
Unrequited love: what is Clérambault Syndrome?
A person suffering from Clérambault Syndrome cannot rationally accept the rejection of those he loves. On the contrary, he carries out a "work of self-conviction aimed at deluding himself that the other" reciprocates his feelings. This self-belief can even lead the patient to believe that he is in a relationship with that person, that he is living a real love story.
The patient thus closes himself in an imaginary world made up of false beliefs and, in the worst cases, the disorder can lead to a real schizophrenia. Those who suffer from it can in fact be convinced that the unfortunate person on duty sends him implicit signals and is able to read them everywhere, from the way he moves to unlikely messages sent through the media, if he is a famous person.
Who is affected by Clérambault Syndrome goes through a first phase, called "of hope", in which he does nothing but wait for the loved one to declare his love to him. It is a long phase, and often the patient remains imprisoned in it without ever moving on to the next phase, that of "disappointment". This phase follows the realization of a negative feedback from the loved one and can lead to depression, aggression, suicide attempts or, if you are lucky, repression. serious they could even physically attack the object of their love.
What are the causes and symptoms of erotomania?
The causes that most frequently can lead someone to suffer from this syndrome are traumas of a psychological nature related to situations of rejection, often occurring during childhood, although each case must be judged on its own. It is above all women who are affected, but even men are not exempt from it.
It is not easy to recognize an erotomaniac at first glance: the symptoms that characterize him are similar to those of other mental disorders and range from "irascibility to" aggression, nervousness up to an attitude of detachment from reality. Often their speeches are confused and show poor balance and coherence, combined with a marked self-centeredness.
Those who suffer from this syndrome try in every way to get in touch with the object of their desire, often in rather obsessive forms that become a real stalking. The result is a form of paranoia in which reality appears deformed because everything gravitates around. to the loved one and to the expectation or discovery of a signal on their part. This can lead to forms of verbal, physical or psychological harassment, such as frequent threats of suicide.
How to cure Clérambault Syndrome
Those suffering from Clérambault Syndrome need to be treated by a specialist. The first difficulty is to convince the patient that he is suffering from a mental disorder: it is very difficult for those who are sick to be able to accept it because it would mean realizing the rejection, and this is the key to the problem.
Therapy is the only viable way to get out of it in a healthy way, possibly even with the prescription - by the specialist - of psychotropic drugs, should they become necessary.
If you yourself are afraid of being affected by this disorder, contact a professional immediately: he can help you understand the true causes of the symptoms you are experiencing and help you get better and solve the problem. What then, fixes it for famous actors, better vent it on the sofa watching a good love movie:
