When you feel paranoid, you believe you are under threat. Even without evidence, you may feel that people are watching or trying to get you. Mental illness can sometimes manifest itself in these thoughts and feelings, even though they are not uncommon.
By understanding what paranoia is, you can decide how to cope with it or get treatment.
What Causes Paranoia?
It’s typical for people to feel paranoid at times, especially those who are weak or under a lot of stress.
For instance, if you’re under a lot of stress or are alone at night, you might think that someone is following or watching you even though there is no one there.
If you don’t get enough sleep, you might develop irrational, paranoid thoughts simply because you’re tired and your brain isn’t functioning at its peak, and so on.
These paranoid sensations will pass after the crisis and are often not a reason for worry.
The two most common causes of problematic paranoia
Conditions related to mental health
Many mental health conditions, including depression and bipolar disorder, can include paranoia, but it is most typically associated with psychotic diseases, such as schizophrenia. Paranoia is also a defining feature of paranoid personality disorder and paranoid delusional disorder.
In general, the more severe the mental illness, the less knowledge or understanding the individual has that she is experiencing a paranoid symptom rather than an actual threat from others or the world.
Use of substances
Several drugs, including marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, meth, LSD, and bath salts, have been linked to paranoia during intoxication and withdrawal.
The more wasted a person gets, the more likely he is to assume that others are conspiring against him.
While a mildly drunk marijuana user may chuckle at his paranoid feelings.
Someone high on meth or withdrawing from alcohol may become so convinced that others are against him that he turns aggressive in self-defence.
The signs and symptoms of paranoia
Suspicion
It is when you wonder aloud or in your head why other people are acting the way they are or the way you think they are acting but have not seen them do it.
Trust issues.
It includes unrealistic or excessive mistrust of friends, loved ones, and strangers.
Reference ideas.
Is Believing that useless or harmless items like the TV, newspapers, mailings, bulk emails, or the internet deliver messages with great personal relevance to you?
Overestimation of one’s role.
Believing that you have a unique position or significance in the world that no one notices.
Taking interactions too seriously
Assuming that the way people look at you, their tone of voice, or other parts of their behavior have a special meaning that does not exist in reality.
Get the help you need if you are suffering from paranoia by contacting the Kazmo Brain Center
