Woman Claims Her Disorder Causes Her To Make Her Husband Take A Lie Detector Test Every Time He Comes Home
Is he out getting milk or is he cheating?
Youtube / Andrey Burmakin / Shutterstock If you’re dating a partner who is prone to jealousy, you make have to make sacrifices including giving up a night with your friends or constantly reassuring them that you’re not going anywhere.
One English woman may have exceeded expectations of jealousy, revealing the extreme measures she takes to ensure that her husband is faithful to her and only her.
The woman reports that she forces her husband to take a lie detector test every time he comes home.
52-year-old Debbi Wood made headlines dubbed “the world's most jealous woman” back in 2013 after opening up about her jealousy and insecurity issues when it came to dating her now husband, 40-year-old Steve Wood.
She was living in constant paranoia that he was cheating on her and forced him to undergo lie detector tests, forbid him from watching certain channels on TV, and even went through his emails to ensure that he was not straying from their relationship.
Debbi and Steve met in 2011 on Facebook through a mutual friend and began dating shortly after that. Debbi had just gotten out of a long-term relationship and was living in the U.S. for 10 years before settling back in Britain.
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“I knew we were meant to be a couple when we shared our first kiss under London Bridge,” Debbi told Daily Mail. “I didn’t mean to fall in love again after my last relationship but Steve stole my heart.”
Distance posed an obstacle to the couple’s early relationship, and the two arranged plans to move in together. However, Debbi reveals she began to have doubts when she discovered that Steve had been seeing another woman around the time they 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,” she admitted.
As the two become more serious and moved in together, Debbi’s insecurity and jealousy worsened.
To ensure that Steve would remain faithful to her, she installed child-proof filters on his laptop to keep him from viewing any explicit photos of other women online and banned him from watching television shows that featured attractive women, including “The Weakest Link.”
“One night, an advert for a women’s razor came on television and I felt panicky thinking that Steve was eyeing the model up,” she shared.
Debbi’s tactics grew even more extreme after she decided to purchase a lie detector test online to use on Steve every time he left the house to prove that he was not out cheating.
“It was my only way of knowing for sure if Steve’s eyes were wandering,” she claims. “In general, he’s quite truthful but I have caught him lying a few times about looking at other women.”
Debbi was eventually diagnosed with Othello Syndrome, a delusional disorder where one is convinced their partner is being unfaithful.
The mental illness is named after Shakespeare’s popular work, “Othello,” in which the protagonist kills his wife after suspecting her of cheating.
The condition presents itself as jealous, possessive, controlling and even violent behavior toward romantic partners
Treatment involves antipsychotic medication and therapy.
Debbi, who also suffers from bipolar and body dysmorphic disorders, was prescribed anti-anxiety medication after her diagnosis in September 2013.
Her motivation to improve her mental health was for the love of her life, who she praises for sticking by her side despite the difficulties she subjects him to.
“I put Steve through a lot but he’s stood by me through it all so I know he’s the man for me,” Debbi says.
She also believes that there are more people suffering from the disorder than we may realize due to societal expectations for women.
“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,” she shares.
As for Steve, he claims that while living with Debbi can be overwhelming, she is worth it.
“Sometimes, I get nervous and the lie detector test results come back inconclusive because my heart is hammering, which makes Debbi doubt me,” he admits.
“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.”
Steve and Debbi wound up tying the knot in 2014, and she continues to work through her disorder with him by her side.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.