Celebrity Worship Syndrome: Do You Have It?

We all have done it; read the tabloid articles in the checkout line, discussed the latest gossip on the "hot" celebrity bad girl, boy, or couple in love. Everyone at one point or another has had an interest in inhabitants of the Hollywood star roles. However, now there is research to show that an innocent interest can turn into a debilitating mental illness. And, you might not know that you have it.

The illness is called celebrity worship syndrome. It is milder than its schizophrenic cousin erotomania-the delusional belief that a celebrity is in love with you-but it is an illness in its own right. According to the CBS news article "New Age of Celebrity Worship", sufferers of celebrity worship syndrome are obsessed with celebrities so much so that their self esteem diminishes, and he or she develops depression or anxiety. To these people, the celebrity worship becomes a "substitution for real life". The sufferer has no real relationships with people, often because it is easier to follow someone else' life, checking out of their own.

A 2003 study was done on the celebrity worship phenomenon. Psychologists Lynn McCutcheon and James Houran took 600 subjects and gauged their celebrity fascination levels. They found that twenty percent of the group, or 120 subjects, followed the celebrity scene purely for entertainment value. Another ten percent, or 60 individuals, took the celeb watching to another level; believing that they had what McCutcheon and Houran described as a "special bond" with the celebrity. An even smaller group-less than one percent-were termed "borderline-pathological".

You might say, "That's not me", but hold on. There some statistics out there that show as much as a third of the world's population is afflicted by celebrity worship syndrome. Through studies such as those performed by McCutcheon and Houran a small list symptoms has emerged.

First, do you have real relationships in your life? The twenty percent group that followed celebrities for entertainment all had full lives and were extroverts. The ten percent group was the opposite. The people in this group were also found to have mood and self esteem disorders.

The second sign to look for is if the fascination with the celebrity disrupts your life. Do you have to stop interaction with family and friends to follow the latest happenings with your chosen idol? Do you have family and friends to interact with?

The third and final question is do you think your idol is personally connected to you? If you can answer any of these questions with a yes, you might want to find help your mental health community. If the signs do not fit you, then you can keep on picking up those gossip mags in the checkout line. Just remember to keep some prospective, and recognize when you've crossed the thin line between interest and obsession.