Othello syndrome unveiled: when jealousy turns into a psychological plot twist
Image: Facebook
We've all heard the saying, "Jealousy makes you nasty," but it can make you something far worse than that - you could be suffering from Othello syndrome (OS), a rare medical condition where you suspect your partner is cheating on you when there is no basis for it.
One such sufferer is Debbi Wood, a woman dubbed 'the UK's most jealous wife' for forcing her husband to take lie detector tests to make sure he wasn't cheating on her.
Wood, 43, from Leicestershire, appeared on Channel 5's 87 Stone: Fat Chance Of Work, where she spoke about the affliction where she would check her husband Steven's emails, phone, bank statements and even banned him from watching television in case he was allured by a woman on the screen.
Wood reportedly also struggled with bipolar and body dysmorphic disorders, but it was the disorder that gets its name from William Shakespeare's tragedy, "Othello", that caused all the trouble.
In the play, Othello, a respected military commander, is tricked by other characters into believing that his wife Desdemona is cheating on him, even though she is not. In the end, Othello tragically kills his wife and then kills himself.
Jealousy can spell disaster when it gets out of control.
Image: Marcus Winkler / Pexels
Othello syndrome, also known as morbid or delusional jealousy, is a mental health condition where a person has a powerful and irrational belief that their partner is cheating, despite a lack of evidence.
This belief is a delusion, meaning it is a false and fixed idea that is not based on reality. Individuals with Othello syndrome may exhibit controlling behaviours, verbal or physical aggression and even harm themselves or their partner.
It can occur as one type of psychosis with a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia but also result from alcohol and drug abuse or neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease or from suffering a stroke.
According to an article by Sebastian Ocklenburg, Ph.D., in "Psychology Today", much of the blame for the disorder can be associated with damage to the thalamus situated in the centre of the brain.
He said in a new study, published in the scientific journal Neurocase, which focuses on understanding the reasons for Othello syndrome, scientists Ghita Hjeij from the University of Casablanca in Morocco and the research team reported a neurological case study of a 50-year-old woman who had been in a happy marriage for more than 30 years.
That was until she had a stroke that damaged the thalamus which was detected by a scan. Two days after returning home following two weeks in hospital, out of the blue, the patient accused her husband of cheating with her sister, and later the daughter of a friend.
Her behaviour became erratic, she'd check her husband's phone, spy on him and wake him in the middle of the night to accuse him of cheating.
It got so bad that she attacked him with a knife on two occasions. Doctors were eventually able to help her with anti-psychotic medication.
Back to Debbi. She and Steven now spend a lot of time on their game consoles. She told "Daily Mail" that it helps her keep her mind off her illogical fixation that he's cheating.
"Spending so much time on the Xbox has helped me get some control over my jealousy. My mind has been able to focus elsewhere rather than obsessing over what my husband is doing," she said.
Mental health has become a key topic of conversation and is something not to be taken lightly, said Fatima Seedat from the South African Anxiety and Depression Group (Sadag).
If you suffer from Othello syndrome or know someone who is, there are many resources available for support. Organisations like FAMSA, Lovelife, Lifeline and Sadag are there to support you.
Sadag can be reached on 0800 21 22 23.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
Watch: Proud python putters on in KZN
A Southern African rock python that caused itself severe injuries while hunting five months ago was recently spotted in good health in its natural surroundings of Tembe Elephant Park, but it was once more chancing fate. Zululand Observer reports that a recent livestream from the game reserve's waterhole feed showed the 4m snake sunning itself in the company of several elephants drinking. However, the elephants carefully avoided stepping on the 23kg serpent. At this very waterhole in February, the snake attempted to consume an impala, but was impaled by the antelope's horns in the process. After a five-hour struggle, the snake regurgitated its large prey, splitting its lower jaw and being wounded on the tail from the impala's fight for survival. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife intervened, calling on snake expert Donald Schultz from Snake Pharm in Hluhluwe. With funding from WeWild Africa, the protected species received the care it needed and was released back to its home in early March. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zululand Observer (@zululand_observer) Watch: Biting off more than it could chew, a southern African rock python was severely injured when attempting to ingest an antelope recently. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tembe Elephant Park (@tembeelephant) Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!


The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
Runner dies after collapsing near finish line of Howick 10km race
Runner dies after collapsing near finish line of Howick 10km race A 57-year-old runner collapsed near the finish line of the Howick 10km race from Mpophomeni Shopping Mall to Howick West in KZN yesterday. The Witness reports that he was later declared dead at Hilton Life Hospital after receiving intensive care from Midlands EMS paramedics on the scene. Midlands EMS operations director Roland Robertson says crews were on medical standby at the event. The runner collapsed 'moments before completing the race', he says. Midlands EMS paramedics on site responded immediately and found the athlete in cardiac arrest. CPR was commenced without delay, and advanced life support (ALS) protocols were initiated. 'The patient was placed on a manual ventilator and received multiple shocks from a defibrillator in an effort to restore a heartbeat,' Robertson says. He adds that the sustained and intense resuscitation efforts resulted in the patient being stabilised. He was then transported, under continuous ALS care, to a nearby hospital, where he unfortunately died. 'Midlands EMS extends its heartfelt condolences to the athlete's family and loved ones during this very difficult time. Our thoughts are with you,' Robertson says. KZN Athletics president Steve Mkasi told The Witness that the organisation is awaiting a detailed report. He added that the next of kin has been contacted and that it was unfortunate that the man died while running, an activity that is part of a healthy lifestyle. He said the event organiser had taken all the necessary precautions by organising an ambulance, which responded promptly, and paramedics did the best they could to assist the athlete. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!

IOL News
7 hours ago
- IOL News
Othello syndrome unveiled: when jealousy turns into a psychological plot twist
Debbi Wood and her husband Steven got married but the delusional jealousy she suffered from continued unabated. Image: Facebook We've all heard the saying, "Jealousy makes you nasty," but it can make you something far worse than that - you could be suffering from Othello syndrome (OS), a rare medical condition where you suspect your partner is cheating on you when there is no basis for it. One such sufferer is Debbi Wood, a woman dubbed 'the UK's most jealous wife' for forcing her husband to take lie detector tests to make sure he wasn't cheating on her. Wood, 43, from Leicestershire, appeared on Channel 5's 87 Stone: Fat Chance Of Work, where she spoke about the affliction where she would check her husband Steven's emails, phone, bank statements and even banned him from watching television in case he was allured by a woman on the screen. Wood reportedly also struggled with bipolar and body dysmorphic disorders, but it was the disorder that gets its name from William Shakespeare's tragedy, "Othello", that caused all the trouble. In the play, Othello, a respected military commander, is tricked by other characters into believing that his wife Desdemona is cheating on him, even though she is not. In the end, Othello tragically kills his wife and then kills himself. Jealousy can spell disaster when it gets out of control. Image: Marcus Winkler / Pexels Othello syndrome, also known as morbid or delusional jealousy, is a mental health condition where a person has a powerful and irrational belief that their partner is cheating, despite a lack of evidence. This belief is a delusion, meaning it is a false and fixed idea that is not based on reality. Individuals with Othello syndrome may exhibit controlling behaviours, verbal or physical aggression and even harm themselves or their partner. It can occur as one type of psychosis with a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia but also result from alcohol and drug abuse or neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease or from suffering a stroke. According to an article by Sebastian Ocklenburg, Ph.D., in "Psychology Today", much of the blame for the disorder can be associated with damage to the thalamus situated in the centre of the brain. He said in a new study, published in the scientific journal Neurocase, which focuses on understanding the reasons for Othello syndrome, scientists Ghita Hjeij from the University of Casablanca in Morocco and the research team reported a neurological case study of a 50-year-old woman who had been in a happy marriage for more than 30 years. That was until she had a stroke that damaged the thalamus which was detected by a scan. Two days after returning home following two weeks in hospital, out of the blue, the patient accused her husband of cheating with her sister, and later the daughter of a friend. Her behaviour became erratic, she'd check her husband's phone, spy on him and wake him in the middle of the night to accuse him of cheating. It got so bad that she attacked him with a knife on two occasions. Doctors were eventually able to help her with anti-psychotic medication. Back to Debbi. She and Steven now spend a lot of time on their game consoles. She told "Daily Mail" that it helps her keep her mind off her illogical fixation that he's cheating. "Spending so much time on the Xbox has helped me get some control over my jealousy. My mind has been able to focus elsewhere rather than obsessing over what my husband is doing," she said. Mental health has become a key topic of conversation and is something not to be taken lightly, said Fatima Seedat from the South African Anxiety and Depression Group (Sadag). If you suffer from Othello syndrome or know someone who is, there are many resources available for support. Organisations like FAMSA, Lovelife, Lifeline and Sadag are there to support you. Sadag can be reached on 0800 21 22 23.