luciferlaughs: Imagine sitting at home when your spouse walks into the room—only that they are
luciferlaughs: Imagine sitting at home when your spouse walks into the room—only that they are not your spouse, but have been replaced by an exact duplicate. That’s exactly how sufferers of Capgras delusion feel. Those with this disorder hold delusions that familiar people to them, including their spouse, family members, friends, and even their pets, have been replaced by identical imposters. It is thought to be caused by head trauma and dementia, although it is most prevalent among those who have been diagnosed as schizophrenic. One very notable case of this delusional disorder is that of a French woman named ‘’Madame M.’’, who believed that her neighbors and family were all replaced by doubles. However, this woman’s delusion went far beyond the belief that her husband had one single imposter. In fact, she claimed he had 80 imposters, which would sometimes step in to replace another once the other left the room. In another case, a man with with this disorder, who also had schizophrenia, believed that his father was being cloned by a robot, so he decapitated him to look inside and try to find robot parts. No matter how much the loved one tries to convince the sufferer that they are their real, authentic self, they cannot be reasoned with. Capgras delusion is classified as a delusional misidentification disorder, which is described as a class of delusions involving false beliefs that the identity of a person or object has somehow changed. Those with Capgras delusion can fortunately be treated with the help of therapy and antipsychotic drugs. -- source link