Aashna Parekh
Introduction to Morbid Jealousy
Morbid jealousy is a psychological condition in which an individual believes that their partner is being unfaithful to them without any shred of evidence as well as exhibiting social unacceptable behavior. It is a subtype of delusional disorder and some of the most common symptoms associated with these disorders are delusions and obsessions.
People that suffer from this condition have a clear correlation with harassment, cyberstalking, sabotage, or even abuse, unlike other psychotic disorders. It can be seen in the form of schizophrenia and delusional illness, such as bipolar disorder, but alcoholism and sexual dysfunction are also associated with it and have been documented (i.e. Parkinson’s) after neurological disease. In popular terms, it is also known as delusional jealousy and Othello syndrome.
The term “Othello Syndrome” derives from a character in Shakespeare’s play, Othello, who kills his wife because of a mistaken conviction that she was unfaithful.
Morbid jealousy manifests itself in various forms, varying from individual to individual.
FORMS OF MORBID JEALOUSY
- OBSESSIONS: In this the individual’s thought process is ego dystonic, i.e., behavior that is in conflict with your goals and values, and are often nonsensical and resistible. Jealous thoughts are often understood as invasive and excessive and compulsive behavior may follow, such as constantly checking up on their partner.
- EXTREME OBSESSIONS: In this, much of the individual’s time is taken up by jealous concerns and it is often with great difficulty that the individual is able to ease the concerns in their head. They try to limit their partner’s freedom and constantly check on their partner’s behavior. This can cause a huge strain in their relationship.
- DELUSIONS: In this the individual feels as if they might have been poisoned, given something harmful to eat by their partner or that their partner is cheating on them while they are sleeping. The thought process of the individual is ego syntonic in nature, i.e., their behaviour is in tune with their perception of their own ideal self-image.
CAUSES OF MORBID JEALOUSY
Several studies over the span of many years have laid down various causes for morbid jealousy. Such as:
- PSYCHOLOGICAL: For morbid jealousy to occur one’s memories are subconsciously altered and the actions of one’s spouse are misinterpreted to the point that the person is absolutely convinced of their partner’s disloyalty. According to a study conducted by Mullen in 1990, four features are commonly associated with morbid jealousy – an underlying mental disorder emerges, the features of this underlying disorder coexist with the jealousy, the course which the morbid jealousy takes is often in tune with the disorder and that the jealousy has no basis in reality.
- PERSONALITY: People who suffer from insecurities are more likely to doubt their partner’s loyalty towards them. Those who develop an insecure attachment style in infancy are also more likely to experience morbid jealousy.
- ENVIRONMENT: Some individuals may also assume that someone who is morbidly jealous may believe that he or she is being drugged or given some form of medication that may suppress their sexual vitality, or they may even be under the assumption that another person has somehow acquired a sexually transmitted illness from their significant other when the subject is unaware of it.
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN MORBID JEALOUSY
Several studies have shown that gender affects the level of intensity in jealousy. In research conducted by the Department of Neurology in Nara Medical College, Japan, it found that morbid jealousy is more common in men than in women and is more commonly experienced by middle-aged participants. The study also found that those suffering from other psychotic disorders or having a family of psychological disorders are more likely to experience morbid jealousy.
The trigger of men is sexual infidelity, emotional infidelity is the trigger for women.In the sense of reproductive relationships, an evolutionary approach can help to explain gender differences. Because of paternity issues, men are jealous of sexual infidelity.
There are ways in which people responded to jealousy – physical, mental, and cognitive. Women reacted more emotionally to jealousy. They are more likely to have higher levels of cognitive jealousy than men, finding out that females did not want to act on these feelings. Indeed, women’s actions may not reflect their perceptions, and they may also refuse to respond to such practices.
A higher number of men used physical aggression, threatened to kill, and eventually killed their partners, and used their hands instead of an object to kill their partners than women dealing with morbid jealousy.
TREATMENTS FOR MANAGING MORBID JEALOUSY
It is important for a person with morbid jealousy to receive treatment to cure it or prevent it as there are several risks associated with morbid jealousy. Dramatic steps may be taken by people who are jealous, such as searching the clothes and possessions of the spouse, digging through their diaries and other contact tools (email, text messaging), or checking bed sheets, undergarments and even genitals for signs of sexual intercourse. Suicidal thoughts, especially because of their correlation with depression and drug abuse, are prominent in morbid envy. It may also pose a physical risk to other individuals.
Violence is often justified as a response to jealousy and children that live in a household where either one of their parents suffer from morbid jealousy may have to deal with emotional or physical abuse.
Morbid jealousy spans multiple psychological states and relies on the signs that are experienced in the individual, the right way to handle therapy. Prognosis and effects also differ from person to person and depend on the situation and the dynamics of the interpersonal interactions that are studied.
Although psychotherapy may be an efficient means of treating morbidly jealous patients, when the essence of their condition is more serious, it is not enough. It should not be assumed that there is one type of therapy that is preferable to all those currently available. While this may be accurate, cognitive behavioral therapy has proved to be the most successful treatment. Individual therapy along with couple therapy and family therapy may also be helpful in treating morbid jealousy.
Physical separation of the two partners may also help ease the symptoms of morbid jealousy. Antipsychotic medication and antidepressants have also proven to be useful in treating the disorder.
In order to have healthy and loving relationships, it is important for the people in it to trust each other and be open to themselves and their partners. It is also important for the person experiencing feelings of jealousy to communicate with their partners or seek help if the feelings worsen.
