Why Do I Believe That Someone I Know Has Been Replaced By An Imposter?

Do you believe that a person close to you is either a double or has been replaced by someone else?

Do you act normally except around the person or thing you believe is an imposter?

Do you acknowledge that the “imposter” looks exactly like the “original,” but do you believe that you can see through the “disguise”?

Do you feel anxious and do you experience changes in behavior because of the “imposter”?

Do you act violent against the “imposter”?

Are you obsessed with the “imposter” or with finding the “real” person, and does this lead to additional stress, anger, and arguments between you and those around you?

Based on your answer, it is unlikely that you have a clinical problem with thinking that someone you know has been replaced by someone else. However, people who suffer from ‘Capgras syndrome’, also called ‘imposter syndrome’, believe someone close to them or even pets or inanimate objects have been replaced by an imposter. It’s a psychological condition that can be extremely frustrating for the sufferer, but also for the people around them. A person who is showing symptoms of the syndrome should seek medical advice.

Unfortunately, you are displaying symptoms typically seen among individuals who have Capgras syndrome. Capgras syndrome,also known as ‘imposter syndrome’, is a psychological condition where a person believes someone they know has been replaced by an imposter. The syndrome can be frustrated for you, but also for the people around you. The exact causes of the syndrome are not known, but it is believed to be the result of a brain injury, dementia, schizophrenia or epilepsy. Treating the underlying condition can reduce symptoms or even cure them. Treatment may include medication (antipsychotics), therapy, and surgery. Sometimes validation therapy helps, in which someone learns to accept the misidentification.