Paranoia - Awareness

I have thought that the posters on my wall were real and that they laughed at me or thought that I am fat and stupid and that people outside whenever I pass to or more people I know they are talking about me, I only have to here a laugh or a bit of conversation and I think its about me, its especially worse at this time of year when more people are out and about. ~ Liz, Germany

I always seem paranoid. I think when i hear people laughing, that they are laughing about me and slagging me off. The television, radio, books, mags all are disclosing personal information about me, like reading my mind. When i cant find something in my home i always think my friends or mother have stolen from me. I hate talking in groups because i think i am being judged by everyone. ~ Paul, Wales

I always feel like people are plotting against me and that people are staring at me . I jump at the slightest knock on the door, or some thing thats outside . I'm constantly looking out of my window, and I only feel commfortable on my own or with a selected number of friends, which isn't many ~ Gee, UK

Sometimes we all had these type of thoughts when we feel nervousness in a situation, it's quite common to feel like this isn't it. The problem arises when we start getting these type of thoughts more often and believing the whole world is against us. Many members had repeatedly asked about this paranoia in the 7cups too, we can find them here, here,here, also here, here too and here

Have you ever had they type of thoughts or found closed one feeling like these, then you must have a look on this which explains the underlying reasons of this behavior, how an individual can overcome it, where to find support and how is this treated !!!

What paranoia is?
Paranoia is an irrational and persistent state of mind in which a person believes that others are trying to harm them or bring them down either mentally or physically. It could be a feeling of being watched, followed or monitored in some way, or it might be a belief that there is some kind of conspiracy operating against them. Paranoid thoughts can also be described as persecutory delusions. A delusion is a fixed, false belief that someone continues to hold on even when there is not any existence or evidence that the belief is true. Paranoid symptoms can range from a general feeling of wariness and suspicion of others through to eccentric and complicated beliefs such as conspiracy theories about the government, police or aliens. Paranoid people sometimes have an increased sense of self- importance, believing that many others are observing their actions when it is not true.

Mild paranoid thoughts are quite common in the normal human population and tend to recover naturally. Long-term paranoia can be an indication of a mental disorder or be caused by drug abuse, dementia or other medical conditions that adversely affect the brain.

Paranoia is associated broadly with three major conditions:

Paranoid personality disorder – considered the mildest type. Most people with paranoid personality disorder function well in spite of their distrust of the world. The attitudes and behaviors associated with paranoia, when they become noticeable, are often found to have been present for much in the persons life.

Delusional (paranoid) disorder – marked by the dominance of ones false belief without any other significant symptom of mental illness, and they remain sensible and reasonable. For an example, a person who has a delusion of persecution believes that other people are spying on them or planning to harm them in some way. In another case, a person despite repeated reassurance from doctors or therapists may believe they have a terrible illness.

Paranoid schizophrenia – considered the most critical type. It means a persons mind doesn't agree with reality. It affects how they think and behave. It is marked by strange delusions, such as believing that ones thoughts are being broadcast over the radio or people are hearing their thoughts. Hallucinations, especially bizarre ones, are also common to the condition. A person with paranoid schizophrenia often finds the world perplexed and functions poorly without treatment.

How common is this paranoia?
Following two researches conducted at two different periods and in two different environment will reveal that the paranoia is indeed becoming a widespread phenomenon in this era.
According to the interview of 1200 people at Institute of Psychiatry at King's College, London

Over 40% of people routinely worry that negative comments are being made about them

27% think that people intentionally try to irritate them

20% worry about being observed or followed

10% think that someone has it in for them

5% worry that there is a conspiracy to harm them

And according to the psychological investigation of the structure of paranoia in a non-clinical population conducted by Daniel Freeman in 2005
Frequency of paranoid thoughts in a student sample (n = 1202)

What causes the paranoia?

It's likely to be a combination of things as no one knows exactly what causes paranoia. There are lots of theories, researches and different people will have different explanations for their own experiences.

After a lot of research being carried out to find the factors behind this, researchers have identified some general risk factors – these are things that could make paranoid thoughts more likely.

Having confusing, unsettling experiences, or feelings that people can't easily explain.

The way one feels – if people are anxious, worries a lot, have low self-esteem and expect others to criticize or reject them.

The way one thinks – if people tend to come to conclusions quickly, believe things very strongly and don't easily change their mind.

If they are isolated.

If they have experienced trauma in the past.

There are also many peculiar things that may play a key role in causing paranoid thoughts. For example, taking drugs or lack of sleep might make them have more confusing or unsettling experiences. They are listed below :

Life experiences: People often experience paranoid thoughts when they are isolated, vulnerable or in stressful circumstances. These situations lead them to negative feelings. They get suspicious thoughts which could develop in paranoia if their home is burgled or they are bullied at work.

Experiences in their childhood may lead them to believe that the world is unsafe or make them mistrustful and suspicious of others. They may also affect their self-esteem and the way they think as an adult.

Mental health: If the person experiences anxiety, depression or low self-esteem, they may be more likely to experience paranoid thoughts – or be more upset by them. This may be because they are more on edge, worry a lot or are more likely to interpret things in a negative way. Many people have been found to experience paranoid delusions as part of an episode of psychosis.

Physical illness: Huntingtons disease, Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease also results in the paranoia. Strokes, hearing loss and other forms of dementia had also been seen to trigger the paranoid thoughts in some people

The effects of drugs and alcohol: Drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy and LSD can also results in triggering paranoia. Certain steroids taken by athletes and weightlifters are also found in leading to symptoms of paranoia.

Dementia: It is a broad description which includes several, distinguished signs including word-finding difficulties, memory loss, impaired judgment, and problems with daily routine activities, which are caused by injury or loss of brain cells (neurons), often resulting in having hallucinations and paranoia.

Lack of sleep: Lack of sleep can trigger feelings of precariousness and even disturbing feelings and hallucinations. Fears and worries generally develop late at night.

Genetics: Research has suggested that the genes of people may affect whether they are more likely to develop paranoia – but there isnt much evidence to detect which ones

What it feels to have paranoia?

Often, people with paranoid personality disorder dont believe that their behavior is isolated and abnormal. It may seem completely rational to a person with paranoia personality disorder to be suspicious of others. However, those around them may believe that this distrust is groundless and offensive. The person with this disorder may behave in an antagonistic or stubborn manner. They may be sarcastic, which often induces a hostile response from other people, which may rather fuel their original suspicions.

Someone with paranoia may have other conditions that can feed into their disorder. For example, depression and anxiety can affect a persons mood. Mood changes can make someone with paranoia more likely to feel stressed and isolated.

It also have many other symptoms which includes:

being quick to become angry and hostile and believing that others have hidden motives or are out to harm them

being argumentative, defensive and hypersensitive to criticism

believing that others have hidden motives or are out to harm them

having trouble working with others and in relaxing

becoming detached, socially isolated and doubting the loyalty of others

having trouble seeing their own problems

Some symptoms of Paranoia can seem to be similar to symptoms of other disorders. Schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder are two disorders with symptoms similar to this. It can be difficult to clearly diagnose these disorders.

How can I help myself to overcome it?

Paranoia can be controlled and overcame by having healthy habits such as

by avoiding alcohols and drugs as much as possible

having adequate amount of sleep in night

practicing mindfulness

enhancing self-acceptance

learning to manage anger

learning to trust again

challenging suspicious thoughts

How paranoia is treated?

Treating paranoia with therapy often seems to be challenging because the individual experiencing paranoia may find it difficult to trust the therapist treatment, believe his prescription, or share his fears. In some cases, an individual dealing with paranoia may imagine the therapist is part of the menace; in other cases, an individual may not realize the extent to which paranoia has an effect on daily life, both of which may create hindrance to the treatment.

Depending on the extremity of an individual's paranoia, medication may be prescribed along with therapy. Individuals who are dealing with paranoia typically work to develop coping and relaxation skills in therapy, along with social skills that enable them to express fears in a more relatable manner.

In order to achieve success in therapy, an individual challenged by paranoia must first believe that the therapist is there to provide help, not to harm. For this reason, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is frequently used to treat paranoia, because this type of therapy allows both the therapist and person in therapy to examine and observe any significant behaviors associated with paranoid behavior and thinking.

In some instances, it has been seen that art therapies and support groups help in treating paranoid thinking. Acupuncture, massages, and hypnotherapy have all been known for reducing anxiety and other distressing feelings that occur to individuals experiencing paranoia.

Where to find support / become support to people facing this?

There are many support groups available for people experiencing paranoia where they can share their stories with people who had undergone and faced all the similar things. These often come handy in acting as encouragement, motivation and feeling not alone.

Few most popular groups are (the links are embeded in the names)

7cups

+support groups

dailystrength.org

MDJunction

Psychforums

Discussions:

How has this article made you feel? Do you think you have better understanding of paranoia now?

Had you ever experienced paranoia before, if yes; how did you able to cope it? Did you have any support systems during that time?

How will you provide support if you find your friend or family members are having these thoughts ?

References:

Carroll, A. Are you looking at me? Understanding and managing paranoid personality disorder. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 20, 40-48. Retrieved fromhttps://apt.rcpsych.org/content/15/1/40.full

Martel, J. (2012, July 10). Paranoid Personality Disorder. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/paranoid-personality-disorder

Mental Health Letter-Paranoia and Paranoid Disorders. The Harvard Medical School Mental Health Letter. 74 Fenwood Rd, Boston MA 02115. Retrieved from https://mhalc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Paranoia-and-Paranoid-Disorders.pdf

Nordqvist, C. (2015, May 27). Paranoid Schizophrenia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/192621.php

The examples of paranoid thoughts are taken from https://www.paranoidthoughts.com/accounts.php