Clerambault Erotomania

Kleramboerotomania

Author: Teacher of Perm State National Research University D.S. Kurashkina

Clairambault (1931 – 2013) put forward the interesting idea that sexual deviance should be distinguished from “evil vices,” as he calls them, since the latter are motivated by the desire to hurt, humiliate or destroy a partner.

So what are we talking about? Let's try to figure it out. Clerambault identifies erotomania and obsessive states with sexual perversions, including violations of one of the sexual attitudes that a person imagines as the most desirable. Thus, the patient may want to become a slave to a sexual partner, etc. Unlike perversions, which are universal manifestations of a neurotic nature, erotomaniacs are more specific. For example, if a person has exclusively thoughts about abducting animals (bestiality), then this may be a pure obsessive syndrome. However, if against this background thoughts of a sexual orientation appear, then erotomanic disorder occurs (a type of mental dependence). Unfortunately, differentiation is not always possible: disguised perversions are possible under some types of obsessive disorders. 80% of people with paraversive conditions and obsessive syndromes have disorders according to the 6th cluster classification of personality disorders. Sexual deviations are the most common of these. 25% of people are faced with a predominance of sexual overtones in situations of neurosis, which manifests itself very clearly. Up to a third of those examined reported being forced into incest, 0.2% of patients reported their secret diaries, in which they “expressed” their delusional ideas. It is this part that confirms the stereotype of obsessive phenomena as desires or obsessions, i.e. emphasizes their expression. For example, it is possible that these journals were used for self-reflection. According to most studies, patients feel very good and free. It can be assumed that journaling is a form of recording events that reflect feelings, dreams or secret fears that require relaxation. K. calls obsessive sexual sin a very special extreme form of selfishness; it sometimes manifests itself in women who are surrounded by an insensitive husband. For such “erotomaniacs”, one secret is important: a partner who is completely incapable of self-sacrifice, in contrast to a courageous husband with sincere, natural love. This is clearly illustrated by the description of a real patient made by a psychoanalyst: “Her husband wanted to live only with his wife, he did not need anything else... She will always be his temptation.” At the same time, under the significant influence of Freud, an extreme and supernormative approach to sexuality developed - a theory according to which sexuality can be “good” and even noble, and not so good. The attitude of researchers in this field for many years has embraced the coexistence of sexual asceticism and hedonism, strictly