What is erotomania and how should the legal system deal with erotomanics

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What is erotomania and how should the legal
system deal with erotomanics?
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iatrist.jpg
By Katherine Walker RHS Exhibitions 2004
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What is erotomania?

• Delusional disorder recognized by the American
  Psychiatric Association
• 10 of all stalkers
• Fantasy vs. reality
• Exact cause remains unknown
• Leads to stalking which is illegal in all 50
  states

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Why did I chose this topic?
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Who Are Erotomanics?

• Coherent but unrealistic thought patterns
• Low self-esteem, social loners, abusive families
• No former love relationships
• Socially immature

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How do erotomanics behave?

• Apparent adolescent mind state and level of
  interaction
• Prosaic occurrences hold reference to connection
• Rationalization of rejection
• Spiritual relationship vs. sexual relationship

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History of erotomania

• Asia, South America, Europe, Africa, Australia
  and America
• Hindu, Afro-American, Islamic, Jewish, Chinese
  and Greek cultures
• Roman physician Soranos

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Dr. Orion and Fran

• Fran referred as schizophrenic with suicidal
  tendencies
• Classic characteristic traits of erotomania
• Little assistance from the legal system
• Stalking continues to this day

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David Letterman and Margaret Ray

• Convinced to be wife and mother of child
• Stolen cars, repeated break-ins, sleeping in
  tennis courts
• 1993 Connecticut passes anti-stalking law

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s/david_letterman_150d.JPG
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Dr. Moore and Karen

• Clear and viable threats made in response to
  unrequited love
• 72-hour hold after threat with armed gun
• Judicial system subjects Karen to criminal
  prosecution due to inability to treat condition
• Felony stalking, assault with a deadly weapon,
  violations of restraining orders

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Stalking Laws

• First established in 1993 in response to murder
  of Rebecca Schaeffer
• Behavioral intrusion leading to reasonable fear
• Evolving or continual process
• Generally left unnoticed until violence occurs

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Law enforcement and intervention

• Power to intervene when deemed necessary
• Success is measured by prosecution
• Little or no regard to psychiatric condition
• Two main goals
• Keep victim safe
• Stop stalking behavior

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Psychiatry vs. Legal System

• Wide gap distancing psychiatric community and
  legal system
• Inadequate support for mentally ill criminals
• Nobody benefits from current situation

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Current situation

• 20 of imprisoned criminals are mentally ill
• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar disorder
• Personality disorders
• Little or no psychiatric services in prison
• Rare to receive adequate care

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Psychiatric concerns with criminals

• Criminals can be incarcerated despite presence of
  mental illness
• 72-hour or 14-day psychiatric holds believed to
  be sufficient
• Police lack training to make decisions on mental
  states

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Psychiatric care in prisons

• Prisons are not set up as psychiatric
  institutions
• Mentally ill are ostracized
• Solitary confinement regression
• In Maine one psychiatrist covers 2,000 inmates in
  5 facilities

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Christopher Flake

• Attempted manslaughter, convicted murder
• 1999 trial 5 psychiatrists diagnosed paranoid
  schizophrenia
• Court overlooked psychiatric condition because he
  was calm on the day before the murder
• Now in jail with no access to psychiatric care

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Andrea Yates

• 2001 arrest for murder of her 5 children
• Sickest woman seen by psychiatrists
• Unable to achieve insanity plea due to Texas law
• Currently in jail receiving no psychiatric care

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Suggested alliance

• Mentally ill criminals treated in mental hospital
• Supervised outpatient system
• Benefits to doctors, patients and society

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What about the cost?

• 22,000/year to house a criminal in jail
• 30,000-50,000 to provide mentally ill criminals
  with psychiatric support
• 10,000/year to house a criminal in a psychiatric
  institution

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In conclusion

• Nobody benefits from mentally ill going to prison
• Laws should be rewritten so mentally ill are
  treated humanely
• Stronger communications between psychiatrists and
  the legal system would allow more opportunities

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Works cited (images)

• Forensic Psychiatrist. No date. Online image.
  18 May 2004lthttp//www.forensic- psy
  chiatrist.com/forensicpsychiatrist.jpggt
• ER Cast. 1 Jan 2004. Online image. 18 May 2004
  lthttp//www.nbc.com/photos/Primetime/ER/1ERM
  aw03.jpggt
• Law and Order. No date. Online image. 18 May
  2004 lthttp//www.shopnbc.com/media/products/N
  /N60419_400.jpggt
• I Know You Really Love Me. No date. Online
  image. 18 May 2004 lthttp//images.barnesandn
  oble.com/images/1240000/1249882.gifgt
• Dr. Doreen Orion. No date. Online image. 18 May
  2004 lthttp//www.s-t.com/daily/09-97/09-06- 9
  7/twisted.jpggt

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Works cited (continued)

• David Letterman. 14 Nov. 1999. Online image. 18
  May 2004 lthttp//www.askmen.co.uk/men/entertainm
  ent/pictures/david_letterm an_150d.JPGgt
• Margaret Ray. No date. Online image. 18 May
  2004 lthttp//www.tvacres.com/images/margaret_ray2.
  jpggt
• Andrea Yates. No date. Online image. 18 May
  2004 lthttp//mindstar.org/images/NEWS/ANDREA20.YA
  TES/Andrea.Y ates.orange.jail.costume.jpggt
• Law Medicine Psychiatry. No date. Online image.
  18 May 2004 lthttp//www.forensic-psych.com/gifs
  /lawmedpsy.jpggt