Erotomania

Erotomania, also known as de Clérambault's syndrome, is an uncommon paranoid condition in which a person holds the delusional belief that another person, often someone of considerably higher social or financial standing, is secretly infatuated with them. The condition is classified in the DSM-5 as a subtype of delusional disorder, and it typically begins suddenly and then follows a chronic course. It is most commonly diagnosed in women who are described in the clinical literature as shy, dependent and sexually inexperienced, though men can also be affected. The person who is the object of the delusion is usually unattainable in some way, whether because they are already in a relationship, hold a much higher social or financial position, are simply uninterested, or in some cases because they are a public figure, a stranger, deceased, or even entirely imaginary. A frequent feature of the condition is delusions of reference, in which the affected person interprets ordinary, unconnected events, such as a particular license plate or the arrangement of items in a household, as secret coded messages from their supposed admirer.