My Id is Spider 1. In October of 2022 I suffered a right posterior circulation stroke as a result of atrial fibrillation. The physical effects were, in stroke terms, minor with the loss of some boundary vision in one eye and some walking difficulties in my left leg. My leg recovered but I had to surrender my driving licence due to my sight issues. Following some investigation into my mental condition it was decided that I had the symptoms of Othello syndrome. A portion of my brain was convinced that my wife was having affairs with other lovers. There was no evidence of this but my attitude to her is as if she is being unfaithful to me. This is having a very serious effect on our relationship.
I believe the occurrence of Othello syndrome is rare and I have been unable to find any group of fellow sufferers who could advise me on how to manage the situation or recommended treatments. I am turning to the Community to see if anyone has had a similar condition and can offer advice
@Spider1 - Welcome to the community. This is a community like no other I have known and it often or almost always comes up with helpful information, suggestions and advice on any number of topics and so I guess you are in the right place 
I have no idea about Othello syndrome but I see from a search on this forum, there have been two previous references to the term. You can see them in the below snapshot.
Having quickly scanned them, I feel that member @Matthew1798 may be able to offer some advice on this as he has commented on the subject in both posts.
I have tagged him and if he is still using this forum, he will hopefully respond.
I hope this is of some help.
Wishing you all the best.
Namaste|
I had not heard of this syndrome before but along the way, after stroke, I was diagnosed with BPD. The way forward for me was through DBT which you may find useful and can be accessed via mental health services or practised on your own. It is a practical form of mental rehabilitation and is good for those who find CBT and other psychological practices overwhelming.
Hi @Spider1 and welcome. This is just a short, answer for me (which is unusual for me😅) as I’m on my way out.
And I would strongly advise you take heed of the first reply in the above post. See your GP with your wife and get the proper support together, as a team.
You could also try Mind
https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/using-this-tool/
And another site a new member, @Zelda mentioned the other day is No Panic which might be able to help.
Lorraine
Hi @Spider1 Sorry to hear of your stroke but welcome to our community. So sorry to hear of the struggles you and your wife are facing. I have no personal experience of Othello Syndrome but I can see that others have given you some information and advice and hope that you will find this useful.
Wishing you and your wife all the best.
Regards Sue
@Spider1 hi & welcome to the community.
I have no experience of othello syndrome either but can see how it will be causing issues with your relationship. I see @EmeraldEyes has shared some links for you & hopefully these will be of some help. I have also found this link which may be worth a look.
Best wishes
Ann
Hi @Spider1
Welcome to the community, I’m sorry to hear about your stroke and the difficulties you’re facing with Othello syndrome.
I can see you’ve had some good responses that have shared different resources for you. I would also suggest calling our Stroke Support Helpline:0303 3033 100. They have a wealth of knowledge and may have spoken with other survivors about this and can point you in the right direction for getting support.
I hope you’ll find this community helpful for you recovery. If you need anything whilst you’re using the Online Community, please don’t hesitate to tag me using the @ symbol and my username.
Anna
Hiya
After everything you’ve been through following the stroke, after loosing your license and your independence I’m not sure it’s unexpected that you would feel insecure about everything in your life, including your marriage. Especially if you’ve been betrayed before in relationships, something like this could trigger old insecurities.
When my husband first came home from months in hospital/rehab he confided in me that he was terrified that I might look to others. A friend who happens to be male came over for dinner with us both, my husband seemed to enjoy his company and seemed keen to stay up later than usual to make the most of the visit , a bit of normality or so I thought at the time. Weeks later he hold me he was scared to leave us in case something happened. We had a conversation about it all -he stayed awake and present cos he was terrified that the friend was going to make a move on me. I was sad he didn’t feel he could tell me sooner and I reassured him that was the last thing in my mind, everything else aside I was too exhausted to consider anything like that anyway 
, the friend wasn’t my type AND if anything I appreciated and loved my husband more for surviving the stroke and getting home.
I’d be wary of accepting labels and syndromes but I’d suggest if you can’t work it out between you with a conversation and reassurance then it might be worth seeking a therapist who could work with you and your wife to find a way through it. Stuff like this happens in relationships and if you can find a way through it, everything gets stronger.
Good luck.
Hi Anna,
Yes I have had a number of responses and wish to thank the contributors. My response has been delayed and I am now unsure how I do this. Can you advise please.
Thanks
Spider1
Hi @Spider1
You have responded on this thread so the people who have contributed will be able to see your thanks. If you want to specifically ‘tag’ someone so they get a notification you can do that by using the @ symbol and the person’s username, like this 
@Anna_Moderator
I hope this helps and if you need any further help please do let me know
Anna
NHS 111 plus 2 after you’ve called. That will get you through to the mental health support line and they should help you follow up resources to assist with the condition. They will do an initial assessment and then you should get a follow-up call from a health professional who will go through an assessment. It is all confidential.
I was in a very unhappy marriage for 20 years, and rather than face the fact that i was unbearable to live with i suggested that my ex-husband had had an affair. He vehemently denies this and i have had to accept that i failed at being married to him. I’ve forgiven myself for failing at my marriage and more importantly i’ve forgiven him, i don’t know much about the syndrome, but i think we invent scenarios to explain our behaviour. Best ofluck with your recovery and marriage. Try not to be so hard on yourself or your wife. Paranoia is very prevalent in my family and many of us accuse our partners of infidelity, is there another underlying reason why you are accusing your wife of being unfaithful?