Romantic Jealousy: Causes, Symptoms, Cures by Ayala Malach Pines Page B
Authors: Ayala Malach Pines
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way for the advent of delusional jealousy (Todd et al., 1971).
Similarly, delusional jealousy in elderly individuals was found to be related to such things as organic disease that rendered the older person housebound, disparity in age and health between the older person and the spouse, and previous infidelity (Breitner & Anderson, 1994).
In addition to psychological antecedents of delusional jealousy, studies found it to be related to a variety of organic causes including brain damage, organic psychoses, alcoholism, and alcohol psychosis, as well as such seemingly unrelated problems as hyperthyroidism and carcinoma.' Interestingly, in women, the ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle was found to increase sensitivity to jealousy (Krug et al., 1996).
However, delusional jealousy is best known for its relationship to a variety of severe mental disorders, especially schizophrenia and paranoia. It was also found in people diagnosed as suffering from borderline personality disorder and mental handicap.4
It should be noted that when researchers are talking about the prevalence of delusional jealousy in those psychiatric disorders, they are not talking about very high percentages. In one much-quoted study by Michael Soyka et al. (1991), case histories of 8,134 psychiatric inpatients were reviewed. The prevalence of delusional jealousy overall was only 1.1°/0. It was most frequent in organic psychoses (7O/0), paranoid disorders (6.79/6), alcohol psychoses (5.60/0), and schizophrenia (2.5°,o).
Since delusional jealousy in these psychiatric disorders is organic, cause(] at least in part by chemical changes in the brain, the treatment of choice for most psychiatrists and many clinical psychologists is pharmacological, which is to say, drug therapy.' Cognitive-behavioral therapists, many of whom oppose such chemical intervention, suggest instead cognitive techniques for the treatment of delusional jealousy.' System oriented therapists believe that it is the couple, not the individual, that should be treated in the case of delusional jeal- oUSy.7 The majority of psychodynamic therapists agree with Freud that delusional jealousy is a defense, or the result of a defense, against represses] memories, and thus it is best treated by individual psychotherapy.8
Having explored the psychodynamic explanation of delusional jealousy, and some of the approaches that have been used in treating it, we can return to Sam and Amalya.
Back to Sam and Amalya
After falling in love with a woman like his mother (both promiscuous and attractive) and suffering the painful jealousy such a relationship can generate, Sam chose to marry a woman he did not love and who, because of her dependence on him, was sure to be faith- fc►I. It worked. Throughout the years of his marriage Sam never felt the pangs of jealousy. The price was that he didn't feel the ecstasy of love, either-just a comforting sense of security. For a while this was enough.
Things were sure to be different with Amalya, an attractive woman who had had many sexual liaisons with other men, just as his mother had done. A relationship with her had to be both more passionate and more emotionally risky.
Sam's jealousy of Amalya was not entirely delusional-he was not harassing her about imaginary affairs with other men. His jealousy was of' men she had indeed had affairs with and, for all he knew, could have affairs with again. Yet Sam's jealousy wasn't rational, either; it wasn't congruent with reality. Sam knew Amalya loved him and was faithful, yet he couldn't stop imagining her with other men, men she no longer cared about.
Why would anyone imagine things that cause him pain? One of the factors contributing to Sam's jealousy was an unconscious mechanism called "split-off projection" The "split-off" part is a disavowed part of themselves that people project onto another person. They do this because it is easier to deal with negative features in another person than it is to deal with
Similarly, delusional jealousy in elderly individuals was found to be related to such things as organic disease that rendered the older person housebound, disparity in age and health between the older person and the spouse, and previous infidelity (Breitner & Anderson, 1994).
In addition to psychological antecedents of delusional jealousy, studies found it to be related to a variety of organic causes including brain damage, organic psychoses, alcoholism, and alcohol psychosis, as well as such seemingly unrelated problems as hyperthyroidism and carcinoma.' Interestingly, in women, the ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle was found to increase sensitivity to jealousy (Krug et al., 1996).
However, delusional jealousy is best known for its relationship to a variety of severe mental disorders, especially schizophrenia and paranoia. It was also found in people diagnosed as suffering from borderline personality disorder and mental handicap.4
It should be noted that when researchers are talking about the prevalence of delusional jealousy in those psychiatric disorders, they are not talking about very high percentages. In one much-quoted study by Michael Soyka et al. (1991), case histories of 8,134 psychiatric inpatients were reviewed. The prevalence of delusional jealousy overall was only 1.1°/0. It was most frequent in organic psychoses (7O/0), paranoid disorders (6.79/6), alcohol psychoses (5.60/0), and schizophrenia (2.5°,o).
Since delusional jealousy in these psychiatric disorders is organic, cause(] at least in part by chemical changes in the brain, the treatment of choice for most psychiatrists and many clinical psychologists is pharmacological, which is to say, drug therapy.' Cognitive-behavioral therapists, many of whom oppose such chemical intervention, suggest instead cognitive techniques for the treatment of delusional jealousy.' System oriented therapists believe that it is the couple, not the individual, that should be treated in the case of delusional jeal- oUSy.7 The majority of psychodynamic therapists agree with Freud that delusional jealousy is a defense, or the result of a defense, against represses] memories, and thus it is best treated by individual psychotherapy.8
Having explored the psychodynamic explanation of delusional jealousy, and some of the approaches that have been used in treating it, we can return to Sam and Amalya.
Back to Sam and Amalya
After falling in love with a woman like his mother (both promiscuous and attractive) and suffering the painful jealousy such a relationship can generate, Sam chose to marry a woman he did not love and who, because of her dependence on him, was sure to be faith- fc►I. It worked. Throughout the years of his marriage Sam never felt the pangs of jealousy. The price was that he didn't feel the ecstasy of love, either-just a comforting sense of security. For a while this was enough.
Things were sure to be different with Amalya, an attractive woman who had had many sexual liaisons with other men, just as his mother had done. A relationship with her had to be both more passionate and more emotionally risky.
Sam's jealousy of Amalya was not entirely delusional-he was not harassing her about imaginary affairs with other men. His jealousy was of' men she had indeed had affairs with and, for all he knew, could have affairs with again. Yet Sam's jealousy wasn't rational, either; it wasn't congruent with reality. Sam knew Amalya loved him and was faithful, yet he couldn't stop imagining her with other men, men she no longer cared about.
Why would anyone imagine things that cause him pain? One of the factors contributing to Sam's jealousy was an unconscious mechanism called "split-off projection" The "split-off" part is a disavowed part of themselves that people project onto another person. They do this because it is easier to deal with negative features in another person than it is to deal with
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