Here’s what you need to know about the fatal consequences of emotional entanglement and shared trust. … [+]
We all know that couple who seems to do everything together. They share an Instagram profile, complete each other’s sentences, and seem to be “attached at the hip.” While many admire or flatter couples who spend as much time as they can in each other’s company, this tendency can, on rare occasions, hide something more sinister.
Couples who do not have separate lives outside of the relationship may suffer from a codependent mindset. Codependency It is an excessive emotional or psychological dependence on a partner. While mild codependency is common and usually not a cause for concern, sometimes the pendulum can swing too far.
One danger of a highly codependent relationship is the possibility of a psychological disorder called folie à deux. Directly translated, folie à deux means “madness of two“and involves the transmission of delusional beliefs within a close relationship. Codependent relationships and this type of shared psychosis are interrelated and coexisting phenomena.
Folie à Deux: a descent into shared delusions
One of the most famous cases of alleged folie à deux was the Deaths in Burari In India, a family of 11 committed mass suicide due to “shared psychotic beliefs” led by the matriarch’s youngest son. The shocking event gave rise to a Netflix documentary House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths in 2021.
The term folie à deux was first described by French psychiatrists Charles Lasègue, Jules and Falret in 1877. It refers to a rare psychiatric syndrome in which a symptom of psychosis, particularly a delusion, is transmitted from one individual to another.
In 1979, the book Rare psychiatric syndromes She explained that the disorder often occurs in close relationships where one partner, often seen as dominant, influences the other’s beliefs and perceptions. This can be dangerous when the dominant partner shows signs of mental illness and the secondary partner lacks the critical thinking to go against them. This can lead to the secondary partner engaging in irrational behavior.
The interaction between codependency and the madness of two
Codependent relationships can create an environment conducive to the development of shared delusional beliefs. As noted in a 2018 article study As noted, the problem arises with the secondary partner’s tendency to prioritize the dominant partner’s needs and accommodate his or her worldview, which creates fertile ground for the transmission of irrational thoughts.
In most codependent relationships, there is usually a leader and a follower. The “follower’s” low self-esteem, difficulty setting boundaries, and need for approval make him or her especially vulnerable to adopting the primary partner’s delusional beliefs, even if they are dangerous.
The fact that codependent partners live completely enmeshed with each other makes matters worse. The isolation of the two individuals can contribute to the maintenance of shared delusions. As partners become increasingly distant from external reality and social connections, they reinforce each other’s distorted views.
Treatment approaches and challenges
Treating folie à deux associated with codependency presents unique challenges, particularly when these conditions occur simultaneously. As explained in a 2012 article studyThe primary intervention is often to separate the partners to break the cycle of reinforcing delusions. This separation can be difficult for codependent people who derive their self-esteem from the relationship.
Pharmacological interventions, such as antipsychotic medications, are commonly used to address an individual’s primary psychotic symptoms. In the case of codependency, treatment focuses on addressing underlying psychological issues and promoting healthier relational patterns.
Not all codependent relationships lead to shared psychosis. The intersection of codependency and folie à deux represents a complex area of study. By examining these conditions, we gain valuable insight into the power of interpersonal influence on mental health and the potential dangers of becoming overly dependent on one another.
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