Erotomania Disorder:

Erotomania is a psychological disorder in which the sufferer has delusions that another person is in love with him or her. Very often, the person in question is a stranger, probably a famous and well known personality, and needless to say, this person nurtures no such affections for the patient. In some cases, the patient may actually pursue the person he believes is in love with him, and is simply unable to accept that there is no romantic relationship or interest. No amount of explanation would help the person get rid of erotomanic delusion. Erotomania is usually a symptom of some other psychological condition, and is not typically observed by itself.

Erotomania is a rare disorder, and not much is known about it. It is usually observed in patients who are known to suffer from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. However, other psychological disorders can also be accompanied by erotomanic delusions. In a few cases, erotomanic delusions may be the only symptoms of any psychological disorder.

Erotomania is different from several other similar psychological conditions such as nymphomania or mere obsessive love. Nymphomania is characterized by an excessive and unhealthy compulsion to engage in sexual behavior, and obsessive love involves simply being obsessed with another person or with the condition of being in love. In erotomania, on the other hand, the delusions are the main characteristic of the disorder. These delusions take on many forms, although the central idea is always that a particular person is in love with the patient. The patient may suffer from the delusion that a particular person sends him or her telepathic messages declaring romantic love, or possibly even hidden messages through public television. These specific delusions are actually called delusions of reference, and such delusions can occur in other psychological disorders too. Casual glances or conversations may also be misinterpreted as declarations of love. In response, the patient tries to reciprocate the perceived demonstrations of love in ways that are likely to be quite uncomfortable or even scary for the other person.

It has been noted that patients suffering from erotomania tend to be single and without much social interaction. Such people are also often unemployed. However, it is not clear whether the situation contributes to the condition or the condition causes the person to be in such a situation. Whatever the case may be, the prognosis is usually good, and most patients respond to regular counseling and treatment of the underlying cause.