The Folie à Deux or shared psychotic disorder is one of those phenomena that are difficult to explain. How can two people 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 rarity of La Folie à Deux has inspired several novels and films. It has been taken to the cinema with the film Heavenly Creatures , in which two young girls suffered from the shared delusion that they needed to kill the mother of one of them in order to stay together, and in the film Intruders . Furthermore, in one of the chapters of the famous series X-File , an individual causes everyone to think that their boss is a monster.

What is Folie à Deux?

When we talk about what reality is, we usually 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, the objective, which does not depend on points of view. Thus, it is easy for a person to develop a distorted vision of reality, but it is understood that the dialogue between different people allows us to approach a more realistic vision of things. But… what happens when two or more people perceive reality in a totally illusory way? This is what happens in the Folie à Deux .

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

Folie à Deux’ means madness of two

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

They both thought their house was being targeted by different people at random. These people never stole from them or tried to destroy their home, but instead spread dust or lint around the house, or walked around in the couple’s shoes until they wore out their soles.

Who can suffer Folie à Deux?

Generally, people suffering from Folie à Deux tend to have a close relationship and a significant level of social isolation. This is why can occur between the members of a marriage, between siblings or between parents and 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 who were being arrested for attempting suicide by crossing the highway. After accusing the officers and the paramedics of wanting to steal their organs and that they were not real, c onsisted crossing the highway and being hit by two vehicles .

Ursula was seriously injured after being hit by a truck, while Sabrina, after being hit by a car, recovered after a few days. After spending a night in the dungeon for trying to assault the officers, she continued her delusions. The same day she went out on the street she killed a man and tried again to kill herself. She was sentenced to five years in prison. The event was recorded by police cameras. We warn you that the images are hard.

Folie a Trois: Another rare case of shared psychotic disorder

Another case that became famous is that of three American sisters who starred in a case of Folie à Trois . None of them had suffered abuse or had a medical history characterized by mental disorders. The disorder emerged suddenly when the three sisters strengthened their ties, since the older one needed help to care for her children. The other two sisters moved to a house nearby, so they spent a lot of time together.

Over time, all three sisters had strong religious beliefs and the little girl 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 that they should start their work in a house that was not theirs. They went to that house and politely asked the owners to let them in. When they were refused, they tried to enter the house. Then the police made an appearance, 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 often appears in these cases, in addition to the close relationship, is the social isolation of both members. In addition, a stressful situation may trigger the psychotic symptoms .

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

Possible treatments for this disorder

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

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