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How can I stop being paranoid?

147 Answers
Last Updated: 07/05/2020 at 5:41pm
★ This question about Anxiety was starred by a moderator on 5/12/2016.
1 Tip to Feel Better
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Brenda King, PsyD

Psychologist

I treat life changes, women’s issues, and issues of aging using evidence-based treatments with healthy doses of warmth, empathy and humor to enhance healing and growth.

Top Rated Answers
JustLive82
November 6th, 2015 8:34pm
Take a deep breath to get centered in the moment. Think about the things that are in your control rather than the things you cant control/
Anonymous
November 6th, 2015 8:35pm
Do something that relaxes you like a spa or go out or watch a good movie (the point is that it's so good that you forget about everything else).find your happy place and keep it with you
Mollyamber101
November 8th, 2015 5:20am
i suffer with paranoia disorder, but what i do is surrond myself with things that makes me happy, and then imagine a stop ssign in my head and it helps get rid of thoughts.
LovelyDusk
November 11th, 2015 5:49pm
I Can stop worrying about so many things, And tell myself that there isn't anything AT ALL to be Wary of
Anonymous
November 12th, 2015 9:01pm
Listen to 7Cups meditation sites! What helps is to give time for yourself to relax and be calm!!!!!!
Anonymous
November 13th, 2015 5:49am
You should better stop overthinking about everything an nothing,you're only creating problems that aren't even there,
wonderousSunshine82
November 15th, 2015 5:15am
Take a moment to take a deep breath and think about the positive. Refocusing your mind can be very beneficial.
Anonymous
November 15th, 2015 1:40pm
Listen to some calming music, for example rain or stream noises. Afterwards, listen to some calming music with a person singing softly. If that doesn't help or you would rather visually be calm, watch dog's playing or walking, watch a creek flow, etc. Then try to talk to someone close about why you might feel paranoid, like your close friend or spouse.
Ari
November 18th, 2015 2:56am
It's a long process. But mainly, be rational. Being rational, you can realize there is not much to be paranoid to.
GraceKH
November 18th, 2015 3:23pm
Try to figure out what triggers you to become paranoid, once you know the cause, you can work on reducing how much you are exposed to that source. That may work x
Anonymous
November 19th, 2015 6:36am
All of us get paranoid about things. Usually, when I get paranoid I try my best to ignore it or do something I like to distract it. Or resolve the source of paranoia.
Anonymous
November 19th, 2015 11:17am
Paranoia is a difficult thing to overcome. I have found that mindfulness is helpful to bring me back into the present, thus reducing feelings of paranoia.
dancingTurtle59
November 20th, 2015 4:16am
i have trouble with this now i am finding that if i stay in control of my thoughts and try and stay calm i can better control it but we live in a society now where some of you paranoia could be founded in reality other cannot
Anonymous
November 21st, 2015 1:50am
Take a deep breath . Just way pros and cons.. Most likely your just being paranoid, You got this.❤️❤️
moonchild69
November 21st, 2015 1:52am
Let’s think about paranoia for a moment. When do we feel paranoid? When we feel that we are good people on the inside, but outside the world is filled with danger and deceit. In the extreme, we feel that we are all good and blameless, while the outside world is all bad and treacherous — and further, that we are extremely vulnerable to attack from the outside. We are defenseless. The only way to stay safe is to maintain a vigil and anticipate danger so we can shield ourselves from it. We have an image in our mind of the way the world should be: all good. Then we are desperately disappointed when it turns out not to be so. Rather than confront our distorted view of the world as being all good or bad, we base all our thinking on that assumption and react defensively.
LittleTiger15
November 22nd, 2015 6:52am
You can either confront whatever it is that is bothering you or ignore it by talking to someone about it or do something to distract yourself.
Euphoria17
November 22nd, 2015 12:23pm
To stop being paranoid first you need to stop thinking a lot about whatever the subject is, second you need to think in a logical way and not in an emotional way. Third, you need to take a step back and think should i be scared about it? Fourth ask yourself would it even matter a week from now? The key to stop being paranoid is to think less, take it in a logical way and don't stress about it.
greenJOHN1971
November 25th, 2015 4:28am
I'm not paranoid, I'm highly functioning. Just tired and depressed, fatigued, and have pain. My thoughts are usually right on.
Korlix44
November 25th, 2015 6:18am
I think the best way to stop being paranoid is to learn to look at the world in a more positive way instead of seeing what will go wrong you try to see what is exciting and the good things that can come from the world.
EternalColour92
November 26th, 2015 3:14pm
I think it's something you have to ease yourself into. I have PTSD so paranoia has been a huge part of my life in the past little while. I just try to challenge it on the smaller things and build up from there. For me it has worked so far. I still get some pretty strong episodes of paranoia but I am in a better place than I was when I just let my paranoia go unchecked.
shrinkingviolett
November 27th, 2015 10:49am
Paranoia is not something that you can just stop. With appropriate help such as a psychologist, GP ect. the paranoid thoughts can be lessened.
Anonymous
November 27th, 2015 9:26pm
Being paranoid can be exhausting. It takes time to overcome. Start by training yourself to think a different way. Instead of thinking, 'they are laughing at me', think 'they don't matter. I'm happy as I am.'
tealight0820
November 28th, 2015 4:50am
Surround yourself with things that you are familiar with. Allow these things to make you feel safe and comforted
Anonymous
November 28th, 2015 11:24pm
Be confident. You know yourself better than anyone else, and that can take you a long way. However, you must be able to recognize an immediate problem and seek help if the problem gets too extreme.
optimisticBreeze43
December 2nd, 2015 12:30am
Determine what thoughts cause these feelings for you and then decide if they are realistic or unrealistic. Stop focusing on the "what if's", and Maybes. Fixate your mind on what you know to be true
lilmamaemma
December 3rd, 2015 2:38pm
Everytime you have a negative thought, figure out 2 positive thoughts to go along with it. Keep a journal or talk to someone you trust with your thoughts, expressing emotion can decrease stress. If you kept a journal, re-read it weekly. You might be able to accept that many of your paranoid beliefs are unwarranted.
Dustie15
December 5th, 2015 5:04am
One time, I was walking home from my friends place around 10 pm in the dark. When we were walking back, someone was following us. Now, i am terrified of being alone at dark. But, if I take deep breaths and reassure myself that I am stronger than I was now, I can get through it.
Anonymous
December 5th, 2015 11:35am
Well, first it depends what you paranoid by. Then once you know what it is you can take steps to trying to break it. I would recommend doing this with a friend. They would help push you when you don't want to do it but they will understand and be able to comfort you!
Anonymous
December 5th, 2015 9:19pm
ive learnt that by opening up to someone about it, addressing the paranoia, can help ease the feeling. Chart why you feel paranoid on a piece of paper, show your friends or family or both and ask them what they think about it
xYouArePerfectx
December 6th, 2015 7:40pm
You cannot necessarily stop being paranoid; you just find ways to cope with the anxiety. Commonly, breathing exercises and filling out a daily planner/calendar can help ease the paranoia.