A woman who makes her fiance take a lie detector test to prove he has been faithful every time he leaves the house has been diagnosed with an extremely rare condition that causes delusional jealousy.



Debbi Wood, 42, is so paranoid that her partner Steve Wood, 30, will cheat that she checks his phone, email accounts and bank statements several times a day for any evidence of infidelity.



And it doesn't stop there either as Steve - who started dating Debbi in 2011 - is even banned from watching women on television, or looking at pictures of them in magazines.



Doctors have now diagnosed Debbi with Othello Syndrome, a psychiatric disorder which causes sufferers to believe their partners have been unfaithful - even without evidence.



Speaking about her disorder, Debbi 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."



She went on: “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.”



Debbi, who's originally from Dunoon, Argyll, spent 10 years in the US before moving back to Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire in late 2010 following the breakdown of a relationship, which left her devastated.



She was so heartbroken she swore she’d never get into another relationship - and experts believe the emotional trauma triggered her illness.



But a year later, a mutual friend introduced her to Steve on Facebook, and after exchanging messages for several weeks - she travelled to London for 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.”



Debbi, 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 Steve’s every move.



She installed childproof filters on his laptop and mobile phone to stop him looking at X-rated pictures of women and banned him from watching any television programmes featuring women.



Debbi, who moved to Leicester to live with Steve in 2011, 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.



“Now, I won’t even let him watch The Weakest Link in case he fancies Anne Robinson but I’m scared he’ll have a sneaky look when I’m in another room.



“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.”



Debbi was diagnosed with Othello Syndrome in September 2013 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 Steve, who proposed earlier this year. She has already taken his surname as her own, in anticipation of the wedding.



She has also been researching Othello Syndrome and hopes to start a support group for other sufferers.



The name of the condition is derived from the Shakespeare play, in which the character of Othello murders his wife Desdemona after suspecting infidelity.



In reality, research suggests around 15 per cent of sufferers have been violent towards their partners - including 63-year-old Robert Mercati, who murdered his wife Margaret at their London home earlier this year after being diagnosed with the condition.



Mr Mercati, who then took his own life, had installed electric bugs around the marital home after becoming convinced his wife, also 63, had been unfaithful.



Debbi said: “My jealousy has driven me to breaking point and sometimes I’ve thrown stuff across the room.



“I put Steve through a lot but he’s stood by me through it all so I know he’s the man for me.



"I think lots of women out there must be suffering from the same condition and just not realise it.



“I think it’s because of the pressure society puts on us to look a certain way - to be stick thin with blonde hair and big boobs.



“I’m lucky my partner is so understanding - others might not be so fortunate.”



Unemployed Steve admitted life with Debbi 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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