Fregoli Delusion

Fregoli delusion or the delusion of doubles, is a rare disorder in which a person holds a delusional belief that different people are in fact a single person who changes appearance or is in disguise. The syndrome may be related to a brain lesion and is often of a paranoid nature, with the delusional person believing themselves persecuted by the person they believe is in disguise.

A person with the Fregoli delusion can also inaccurately replicate places, objects, and events. This disorder can be explained by "associative nodes." The associative nodes serve as a biological link of information about other people with a particular familiar face (to the patient). This means that for any face that is similar to a recognizable face to the patient, the patient will recall that face as the person they know.

The Fregoli delusion is classed both as a monothematic delusion, since it only encompasses one delusional topic, and as a delusional misidentification syndrome, a class of delusional beliefs that involves misidentifying people, places, or objects. Like Capgras delusion (a disorder in which a person holds a delusion that a friend, spouse, parent, or other close family member has been replaced by an identical-looking impostor), psychiatrists believe it is related to a breakdown in normal face perception.

However, this kind of paranoid behaviour has become more prevalent since social media web sites have gained popularity, now not even a face is needed. Many accuse others of 'making fake profiles' in order to troll them, of course this does happen. But when it does it is normally very obvious. Those with this condition will accuse complete strangers of being someone they have a grudge with for whatever reason, and act very aggressively towards them. It has happened to me on more than one occasion when others have come to me and told me how someone attacked them and accused them of being me. Well I do have the ALL SEE EYE and I am always watching. ;)