Family Shared Paranoid Disorder ( and sometimes “Community Shared…)

Family Shared Paranoid Disorder
November 10, 2020
Family Shared Paranoid Disorder is a shared psychotic disorder, use to be a rare psychiatric illness in which one member of a family, who does not have a primary mental health disorder comes to believe the delusions of another family member with an unnoticed not yet diagnosed psychotic disorder…

For example, a wife might come to believe the delusions of her husband, despite having otherwise good mental health. This psychotic disorder was first identified in 1860 by Baillarger. After years of research, nomenclature has evolved, came to be known with different terms. However, because of the secretiveness surrounding the paranoid behavior of the primary affected family member is common that many cases go unreported.

Unless the rare instances in which the primary person with the mental illness seeks help or acts out in a way that draws attention, like involving a whole community or a group of neighbors in their very elaborated delusional schemes, other family members unlikely do not look for help. This happens because neither person, the family members, the neighbors or even community members (specially closed communities, vulnerable because of the fertile Community Boards of Directors power struggle inherent issues), neither realizes that are delusions and of course,not real. Big apartment buildings, apartment complex, even small towns are fertile terrains in which people with this disorder are prone to emerge.

As a group phenomenon, it has been referred to as “folie a plusiers” or the “madness of many.” The most obvious example of this is what happens in a cult, if the leader is living with a mental illness and transfers their delusions to the group. In a larger group setting, this might also be termed mass hysteria.

Symptoms

Some features of the disorder that will be similar across cases.

History

The families or groups suffering under the delusions of a paranoid psychotic not diagnosed person can have disastrous consequences and effects on the physical, spiritual and mental health of all persons involved, the body’s inflammatory responses do to the considerable amounts of stress because of elevated blood cortisol levels, could have dangerous health impact.

Catastrophic anxiety and depression could and appears in almost every member of the family, groups or communities, due to prolonged stress, fear or simply triggered by inflammatory behaviors of this sick patients. Ideas of reference are one of the most common thought disorder found among paranoid affected persons, which translates in false believes that others are talking or having hidden agendas against them.

Due to the nature of the psychotic illness, both individuals may not be in touch with reality and struggle with aspects of daily living. In this cases,even their children are manipulated to believe in their “shared delusions, or their shared enemies”. Specially when the “ Psychotic Person” is smart, has some education, and is still working, which conveys more credibility.

Spouses are usually working, and commonly the ill person, lost his job, with a chain of losses, because of his at jobs paranoid behavior, finally becoming unemployed, staying at home, “ taking care of the children and home”, some of them despised the system, and convince their spouses of “ home schooling enrollment” ,which gives them another dimension of influence for their delusions. They maybe involved in community committees , showing their “good neighbor face”, making his disorder more difficult to diagnosed ( usually diagnosed after a tragedy or a huge crisis, and described by neighbors as a good, effective person)

Primary Symptoms

Neither the person with the primary mental illness nor the person who develops the same delusions has insight into the problem or awareness that what they believe is not the truth.

The others will generally develop the delusions gradually over time in a way that their normal doubt or skepticism becomes reduced. Influence by the constant proves brought by the primary psychotic person “carefully constructed schemes”, since others are already engaged in the ill saga, the sick one stays as the very inflammatory controller, involving others usually afraid of the sick one. Later describing his or her behavior as strange or bizarre, saying “ there was something strange on his behavior, but he was so smart and convincing, was a religious man, they were a church family, “ that was a strange family,etc.

“They can even convince others that their symptomatic behavior is part of his plan to “ discover or put his enemies in evidence, others historically following this share delusions”.

Depending on the nature of the primary illness, that individual may experience hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there) or delusions (believing things that are not true, even when shown evidence of that fact).

Delusions may be bizarre, non-bizarre, mood-congruent, or mood-neutral (related to bipolar disorder). Bizarre delusions are things that are physically impossible and that most people would agree could never happen, while non-bizarre delusions are things that are possible but highly improbable.

For example, a bizarre delusion might be thinking that aliens are conducting operations on you at night, while a non-bizarre delusion might be thinking that his neighbors has an agenda against him, tracking their movements.

Mood-congruent delusions match your mood (depressed or manic). For example, a person in manic state might believe that they are about to win a big sum at the casino. In contrast, a person in a depressed state might think that their relatives are going to die in a plane accident.

Below are some other possible examples of delusions:

Thinking that radiation is being transmitted into your home by a foreign country to cause the spread of a virus.

Believing that you will soon be awarded a large sum of money.

Thinking that the Neighbor’s Abnormal sneezing is “fake” and firmly believe that instead of sneezing he is “ loudly yelling “aaaaaaaasholessssss” to others.

Believing that “all people with white cars” are racist and believe they are superior.

That your your family is being followed,etc.

In general, both persons will act paranoid, fearful, and suspicious of others. They will also become defensive or angry if their delusions are challenged. They will try to convince others and unfortunately sometimes they could be very convincing. Those with grandiose delusions might appear euphoric.

The primary person in the relationship will not recognize that they are making the other person ill. Instead, they think that they are simply showing them the truth, because they have no insight into their own mental illness.

In terms of the secondary person, that person may exhibit dependent personality traits, in the form of fear and needing reassurance. These individuals are often susceptible to mental illness themselves in terms of having relatives with diagnosed illnesses.

Causes

What causes a secondary person to take on the delusions of someone with a psychotic or delusional disorder? There are several possible risk factors including the following:

Social isolation of the primary and secondary person from the outside world (when there is no social comparison, it becomes impossible to tell apart fact from delusion)

High levels of chronic stress or the occurrence of stressful life events.

A dominant primary person and submissive secondary person (the secondary person may agree at first to keep the peace, and over time come to believe the delusion)

A close connection between the primary and secondary person; usually a long-term relationship with attachment (e.g., family members, couples, sisters, etc.).

A secondary person with a neurotic, dependent, or passive personality style or someone who struggles with judgment/critical thinking.

A secondary person with another mental illness such as depression, schizophrenia, or dementia

An untreated disorder (e.g., delusional disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) in the primary individual. If you know a family or group like this, do not hesitate to contact family services or social services to anonymously inform of the situation. Usually schools are the first contact when troubled children are identified, but since most of the families affected keep their children isolated, ( remember,we are talking about an illness, home schooling is a very good choice,specially when it is well organized, and we support home schooling, it is not the problem).

Will continue…