Folie à Deux (shared insanity): the strangest cases

A psychotic disorder of which the most disturbing cases have been reported.

The Folie à Deux o shared psychotic disorder is one of those phenomena that are difficult to explain. How can it be that two people come to share a psychotic break? There are not many reported cases of this pathology, but its presence continues to surprise psychologists and psychiatrists around the world.

The oddity of the Folie à Deux has inspired several novels and movies. It has been made into a film with the movie Heavenly Creaturesin which two young girls suffer from the shared delusion that they need to murder the mother of one of them to stay together, and in the movie Intruders. In addition, in one of the chapters of the famous series X-Filesseries, an individual makes everyone think that his boss is a monster.

What is the Folie à Deux?

When we talk about what reality is, we are accustomed to understand it as the objective truth that always remains there, even if no one pays attention to it or reflects on it. Reality is, therefore, that which is objective, that which does not depend on points of view. Thus, it is easy for a person to develop a distorted view of reality, but it is understood that dialogue between different people allows us to approach a more realistic view of things. But... what happens when two or more people perceive reality in a totally illusory way? This is what happens in Folie à Deux..

This disorder occurs when two or more people share psychiatric symptoms, usually delusions.. Although in ICD-10 and DSM-IV-TR Folie à Deux is considered a type of psychotic disorder, in DSM V it is relocated and there is no specific distinction for this psychopathology.

Folie à Deux' means the madness of two.

The name 'Folie à Deux', which literally means madness of twohas a French origin because it was first used to describe the case of the marriage of Margaret and Michael. This couple experienced this shared psychotic disorder. The psychiatrists did not know which of the two started the cycle of psychosis, but both were immersed in a feedback loop that reinforced the couple's delusions..

They both thought their house was being targeted by different random people. These people never robbed them or tried to vandalize their home, but would scatter dust or bits of lint around the house, or walk around in the couple's shoes until they wore out their soles.

Who can suffer from Folie à Deux?

Generally, people who suffer from Folie à Deux tend to have a close relationship and a significant level of social isolation. For this reason can occur between partners in a marriage, between siblings or between parents and their children..

The case of the sisters Ursula and Sabina Eriksson

A case that became very famous occurred in 2008, when Ursula and Sabina Eriksson, twin sisters, were being arrested for attempting suicide by crossing the highway. After they rebuked the officers and paramedics and accused them of trying to steal their organs and that they were not real, cThey managed to cross the freeway and were hit by two vehicles..

Ursula was seriously injured after being hit by a truck, while Sabrina, after being hit by a car, recovered within a few days. After spending a night in jail for attempting to assault the officers, she continued with her delusions. The same day she went out on the street, she killed a man and again attempted suicide. She was sentenced to five years in prison. The event was recorded by police cameras. Be warned that the images are harsh.

Folie a Trois: another strange case of shared psychotic disorder

Another case that became famous is the one of three American sisters who starred in a case of Folie à Trois. None of them had been abused or had a medical history characterized by mental disorders. The disorder emerged suddenly when the three sisters became close, as the eldest sister needed help in caring for her children. The other two sisters moved into a nearby house, so they spent a lot of time together.

Over time, all three sisters had strong religious beliefs and the youngest began to question how there could be different interpretations of the bible. In their shared delirium, she was the one chosen to bring order to this situation. After three days of praying, without sleep, the sisters believed they should begin their work in a house that was not theirs. They went to that house and asked the owners politely to let them in. When they were refused, they tried to enter the house. Then the police showed up, which caused the three sisters to attack the officers..

Causes of Shared Psychotic Disorder

Although the origin of this disorder is not at all clear, a characteristic feature usually appears in these cases, in addition to the close relationship, is the social isolation of both members. In addition, a stressful situation can a stressful situation can trigger psychotic symptoms..

Experts think that among the actors of this psychopathology there is a dominant person who is the first to suffer the disorder, and a dependent person who is considered to be a person induced to the disorder.

Possible treatments for this disorder

The goal of treatment is to to separate the induced person and to try to stabilize the dominant person.. Therefore, there may be a different treatment for both affected.

Such treatment requires psychotherapy to help the patient recognize that he or she has the pathology. As well as to treat the emotional and relational problems that are present in the disorder. Pharmacological treatment is also necessary to act directly on the psychotic symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to administer antipsychotics to stabilize the patient with delusions.