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Indian Journal of Psychiatry logoLink to Indian Journal of Psychiatry
. 2022 Mar 24;64(Suppl 3):S546–S547. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.341565

Cyberstalking by a person with Delusional fixation – persecutory type

Amirthamani Ganesh 1, Ramachandra Babu 1, Jennifer Sangeetha 1, Venkatesh Mathan Kumar 1
PMCID: PMC9129601

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Stalking is generally defined as an intentional pattern of repeated intrusive and intimidating behaviours towards a specific person that causes the target to feel harassed, threatened and fearful. Motivations for stalking include a delusional belief in romantic destiny, a desire to reclaim a prior relationship, a sadistic urge to torment the victim or a psychotic over identification with the victim and the desire to replace him or her. Cyberstalking can be as distressing to victims as physical stalking if not more so, due to the concealment and anonymity afforded by electronic communication.

CASE REPORT

21 years old male patient had sleeplessness, hearing voices, easy irritability, harming self, breaking articles and sending threatening messages to an unacquainted celebrity actress for 5 months. He was distressed with the voices of the celebrity actress accusing him. He decided to threaten her and followed her social media activities and was cyberstalking for 4 months, sending threatening messages to her Facebook, Instagram and whatsapp accounts and she eventually sorted legal help.

While in stalkers, erotomanic delusions are the commonly reported delusions, other delusional fixations like persecutory type are rarely reported.


Articles from Indian Journal of Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of Wolters Kluwer -- Medknow Publications

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