Jerusalem Syndrome

Jerusalem syndrome is a rare mental illness and is characterized by pathological symptoms based on religious themes, accompanied by psychosis or delirium. Clinically, the disease was first described by Herman Heinz, an Israeli psychologist in the 1930s. Nevertheless, the first signs of the syndrome were described by the traveler Felix Faber during the Middle Ages. In addition, many cases of the syndrome were recorded among tourists of the XIX century.

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Epidemiology

According to the statistics of this hospital, almost 60 people enter the year, there are times when there are no vacancies in the clinic.

Religious delirium is subject to both men and women. The first identify themselves with Jesus Christ, the latter with his companion, the Virgin Mary.

Statistics are based only on those patients who have aggressively behaved in crowded places. Doctors believe that people who consider themselves Messiahs are many more, but their behavior does not threaten others and they are not placed in special institutions.

Causes of the jerusalem Syndrome

Many tourists can be affected by the syndrome. But, as studies have shown, some of the pilgrims who came to the meeting with the shrine had already had psychic problems before. There were about 90% of such people, and only 10% did not have such problems.

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Symptoms of the jerusalem Syndrome

Some of the pilgrims and tourists with a subtle psychic organization experienced extraordinary delight at the meeting with the Promised Land. A person, when sightseeing, completely penetrated the shrine, experienced an extreme stage of enjoyment. The Jerusalem syndrome is expressed by the fact that people proclaim themselves to be the messiahs and prophets, whom the higher powers sent to the Earth to perform special tasks. This demonstrates a specific behavior.

In Israel, a hospital has been established, where such patients enter. They become victims of their own excessive sensitivity.

In general, the symptoms of this pathology are found in people of profound faith, for whom the meeting with the city of dreams, where the biblical events took place, was particularly significant and long-awaited.

Deterioration can occur if the traveler is overexcited. Arriving in Israel, such a person can become a prisoner of religious ecstasy. Such a person who has arrived as part of the excursion group has no desire to contact other people and he is trying to seclude himself.

Another characteristic of religious obsession is the loss of appetite and sleep. The Jerusalem syndrome made itself felt when the travelers made a ritual ablution with disguise in special clothes. Then, returning to their room, they were often wrapped in sheets, and began to "preach".

This state does not last long, and after a few days, people could not remember what happened to them. Of course, the patient is embarrassed and ashamed of his behavior during the time when he performed his mission. First signs

The first symptoms of the Jerusalem syndrome, are the most diverse. A case is described when an American tourist decided that he was Samson. The Biblical hero, because of his superhuman strength, was called frantic. According to the biblical legend Samson defeated the mighty lion, tearing his huge jaw. He could defeat a huge number of enemies without weapons.

The excursionist, who called himself Samson, decided that he was given the same strength. As a training, he decided to remove a few stones from the Wailing Wall, believing that they were not positioned correctly.

As a result, the impostor was taken to a specialized clinic. Then he violently behaved in the mental hospital, the doctors made a lot of efforts for his calm and treatment. Thanks to adequate treatment, the patient fully recovered and went home.

The main symptoms of the Jerusalem syndrome include:

• isolation from people, the desire of one to visit the shrine;
• the creation of sacred clothing by wrapping white cloth;
• abstaining from sleep and eating;
• identification with the characters of the biblical stories;
• depersonalization;
• delusions associated with religious beliefs;
• excitation, hyperkinesia;
• seizures of megalomania;
• minimum of emotions;
• bouts of hysteria;
• derealization;
• vociferous preaching.

The greatest danger is the combination of schizophrenia in various forms with an individual's hysteroid personality and religious attitude.

Sufferers of schizoid states except delirium experienced hallucinations of a different nature, with hysterical faces there was aphonia with seizures with impaired motor activity.

The greatest number of such cases occurs at the Wailing Wall, where you can notice except the faithful who perform the prayer, and the people are hysterical.

Forms

The behavior of people suffering from the Jerusalem syndrome is provocative, demonstrating to the rest, its divine origin. They march majestically, to the place where sermons and prayers are read.

The State of Israel is visited by people of various religions, especially the Christian and Jewish faith. Experts distinguish three types of Jerusalem syndrome:

• psychotic;
• premorbid;
• discrete.

Representatives of the first type have psychiatric disorders .. Such people often have a history of psychopathology with outbreaks of religious delirium and mania.

The second kind is people who visited Jerusalem with faith in the miraculous power and the second coming of Christ. They can suffer from attacks of headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, mental arousal. Their behavior is demonstrative, but does not carry physical aggression. They are in a borderline state - not dangerous, but they are not quite adequate. Having made a toga from a white sheet, they march majestically to the holy places for preaching. Guides, hotel employees, police should not be afraid and attract psychiatrists these people are safe.

The third kind is people absolutely healthy without psychopathology. Nevertheless, in itself a presence on the sacred ground, causes them anxiety, overexcitation. Tourists fall into a state of hypnosis and begin to sing songs and read poems from the Bible.

The last stage of the Jerusalem fever is the most common. It quickly passes after returning home.

Diagnostics of the jerusalem Syndrome

The syndrome can be determined on the basis of the clinical picture and the above symptoms.

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Treatment of the jerusalem Syndrome

The Jerusalem syndrome shows treatment with antipsychotic drugs, the use of which stops after the disappearance of the described symptoms. Nevertheless, it is important to distinguish the syndrome from the onset of other diseases of the psyche, in which there is a need for prolonged maintenance treatment.

First of all, the patient must leave, the place where he experienced the Jerusalem fever. It is necessary to try to remove the psychophysical tension. This is necessary to reduce emotional stress and increase the mobilization of internal human resources.

If the Jerusalem syndrome is severe, it is necessary to provide inpatient treatment in a psychiatric hospital.

To treat an acute stress reaction, neuroleptic drugs of different groups are used by the specialists, whose action is aimed at blocking the feelings of anxiety and fear, psychomotor overexcitation. Preparations of chlorpromazine or haloperidol are prescribed as intramuscular injections. If the mental state is not so serious, the patient can be sedated, for example, diazepam, chlordiazepoxide.

The further therapy depends on the patient's condition. If a patient has hysterical fits, hallucinations, delusions of fantasy, stupor, neuroleptics are administered intravenously with the help of droppers.

The treatment of such reactions should not be reduced to a banal arrest of an attack. A person with Jerusalem's syndrome needs both general restorative and rehabilitation therapies.

It is necessary to carry out a psychological correction to alleviate the reactive psychosis in the acute phase. Doctors influence the sick doctor by suggestion and persuasion. Well-proven techniques such as: cognitive and rational psychotherapy. They verbalize and work out memories traumatic for the patient. This helps reduce affective stress and structure the emotional state, the patient's purposeful activity is accelerated.

Prevention

There are no specific preventive recommendations. No one is completely sure that visiting such holy places, the Jerusalem syndrome will not happen to him. Before the trip and during the trip it is necessary to observe calmness, be positive, not to fall into hysteria, people prone to overexcitation can take sedatives.

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Forecast

The prognosis of the Jerusalem syndrome is favorable in most cases.