Debbi Wood, 42, of Leicester, is so paranoid that her partner Steve
Wood, 30, will stray that she checks his phone, email accounts and bank
statements several times a day for evidence of infidelity. She makes her
fiancé take a lie detector test to prove he has been faithful every
time he leaves the house.
Miss Wood has been diagnosed with a rare condition that causes
delusional jealousy. Doctors have discovered that she is suffering from
Othello Syndrome, a psychiatric disorder which causes sufferers to
believe their partners have been unfaithful - even without evidence.
Mr Wood, who started dating Miss Wood in 2011 after they met through a friend, is even banned from watching women on television or looking at pictures of them in magazines.
She said: "I’m relieved to finally know what’s wrong with me but I still have a long way to go. Even if Steve pops out for 15 minutes to buy a pint of milk, I make him take a lie detector test as soon as he gets home.
"I get so worried that he’s been eyeing up the shop assistant that I just have to know the truth.
"I think he’s gorgeous, but that’s not the issue - it’s about whether or not I can trust him not to look at other women while he is out on his own.
"I don’t want him thinking they’re hot. If you’re in a relationship and you’re happy with your partner, you should only have eyes for that person."
After her long-term relationship broke down and left her devastated, Miss Wood was so heartbroken that she vowed to never get into another relationship - and experts believe the emotional trauma triggered her illness.
After exchanging messages for several weeks, she travelled to London where the pair enjoyed their first date. She said: ‘I knew we were meant to be a couple when we shared our first kiss under London Bridge. I didn’t mean to fall in love again after my last relationship but Steve stole my heart.
"The only problem was that we lived so far apart. We started to get serious and made plans to move in together but I then discovered that Steve had been seeing another girl around the time we’d first met.
"He claimed he didn’t think we were exclusive because of the distance and I forgave him but I started to doubt whether or not he could be faithful.’
Miss Wood, who also suffers from bipolar and body dysmorphic disorders, added that her jealousy got worse when the pair moved in together as she tried to monitor Mr Wood’s every move.
She installed child-proof filters on his laptop and mobile phone to stop him looking at explicit pictures of women and banned him from watching any television programmes featuring women.
Miss Wood said: "One night, an advert for a women’s razor came on television and I felt panicky thinking that Steve was eyeing the model up.
"The only thing that could put my mind at rest was banning him from watching any programmes that have women in them.
"That’s why I decided to order the lie detector online. It was my only way of knowing for sure if Steve’s eyes were wandering. In general, he’s quite truthful but I have caught him lying a few times about looking at other women."
Miss Wood was diagnosed with Othello Syndrome earlier this year in September and her condition has affected her so much that she has barely left the house in six months.
She has been prescribed anti-anxiety medication and is having therapy to deal with her issues, after which she hopes to marry Mr Wood, who proposed earlier this year. She has already taken his surname as her own, in anticipation of the wedding.
Mr Wood admitted life with his partner could be tough - but insisted she was worth it.
He said: "Sometimes, I get nervous and the lie detector test results come back inconclusive because my heart is hammering, which makes Debbi doubt me. I just have to tell her I haven’t cheated and pray she believes me.
"I’m willing to put up with it, because I know we’re soulmates. She’s so special to me and a bit of jealousy here and there won’t change that."
"I get so worried that he’s been eyeing up the shop assistant that I just have to know the truth.
"I think he’s gorgeous, but that’s not the issue - it’s about whether or not I can trust him not to look at other women while he is out on his own.
"I don’t want him thinking they’re hot. If you’re in a relationship and you’re happy with your partner, you should only have eyes for that person."
After her long-term relationship broke down and left her devastated, Miss Wood was so heartbroken that she vowed to never get into another relationship - and experts believe the emotional trauma triggered her illness.
After exchanging messages for several weeks, she travelled to London where the pair enjoyed their first date. She said: ‘I knew we were meant to be a couple when we shared our first kiss under London Bridge. I didn’t mean to fall in love again after my last relationship but Steve stole my heart.
"The only problem was that we lived so far apart. We started to get serious and made plans to move in together but I then discovered that Steve had been seeing another girl around the time we’d first met.
"He claimed he didn’t think we were exclusive because of the distance and I forgave him but I started to doubt whether or not he could be faithful.’
Miss Wood, who also suffers from bipolar and body dysmorphic disorders, added that her jealousy got worse when the pair moved in together as she tried to monitor Mr Wood’s every move.
She installed child-proof filters on his laptop and mobile phone to stop him looking at explicit pictures of women and banned him from watching any television programmes featuring women.
Miss Wood said: "One night, an advert for a women’s razor came on television and I felt panicky thinking that Steve was eyeing the model up.
"The only thing that could put my mind at rest was banning him from watching any programmes that have women in them.
"That’s why I decided to order the lie detector online. It was my only way of knowing for sure if Steve’s eyes were wandering. In general, he’s quite truthful but I have caught him lying a few times about looking at other women."
Miss Wood was diagnosed with Othello Syndrome earlier this year in September and her condition has affected her so much that she has barely left the house in six months.
She has been prescribed anti-anxiety medication and is having therapy to deal with her issues, after which she hopes to marry Mr Wood, who proposed earlier this year. She has already taken his surname as her own, in anticipation of the wedding.
Mr Wood admitted life with his partner could be tough - but insisted she was worth it.
He said: "Sometimes, I get nervous and the lie detector test results come back inconclusive because my heart is hammering, which makes Debbi doubt me. I just have to tell her I haven’t cheated and pray she believes me.
"I’m willing to put up with it, because I know we’re soulmates. She’s so special to me and a bit of jealousy here and there won’t change that."
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