Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Exploring Your Own Situation
• Part 2 of 3: Dealing with Paranoid Thoughts
• Part 3 of 3: Understanding Paranoia
• Tips
• Warnings

The world is not at all simple, is it? You feel that people are constantly trying to play a cruel joke with you or harm you, life from day to day seems just exhausting to you. It becomes even worse for you when you begin to realize that you yourself are your own worst enemy. How do you deal with paranoia and calm it down? How to take control of your vision of the world?

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Exploring Your Own Situation

1. 1 Understand the difference between paranoia and anxiety. Anxiety is not the same as paranoia, but these states have some similar properties. People with anxiety have very strong experiences. They may think, "My parents are going to die in a car accident." People with paranoia may think, "Someone will kill my parents to harm me." If you think you are experiencing anxiety, first consider reading the wikiHow article, "Coping with Anxiety."
   • There is also a difference between occasional anxiety about specific events, such as stress before an exam, and constant anxiety that haunts you non-stop. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders. If your anxiety is general or “persistent” and not related to any particular event, you should see a psychiatrist. You may have anxiety disorder.
   • Anxiety is much more common than clinical cases of paranoia. The average age of onset for anxiety disorders is 31, but it can start at any age. Symptoms of general anxiety disorder are mainly associated with inability to relax, mild fearfulness, difficulty concentrating, and other accompanying physical manifestations of anxiety. Fortunately, this can be treated.
2. 2 Gather a council. Believe it or not, a certain level of paranoia is quite common in many people. We all feel insecure at times, and we all know what confusion is. About a third of people sometimes have paranoid thoughts. Before you jump to conclusions and consider yourself paranoid, gather four or five friends and ask them if they think your way of thinking is understandable or delusional. This is a good way to tell if you are really paranoid or not.
   • There are five levels of paranoia. Most of us sometimes have feelings of insecurity and suspicious thoughts (“I could be killed in this dark alley!” Or “They are discussing me behind my back, right?”). But when you feel a mild ("they stomp to annoy me"), moderate ("my phone calls are being monitored"), or serious ("The FSB is watching me from my TV") personal threat, this is a sign that you may have be paranoid.
   • See how your thoughts affect your life. You may have intermittent paranoid thoughts, but if they don't have a significant impact on your life, you probably don't have a clinical case of paranoia.
3. 3 Consider if you are really paranoid or if you are just listening to your past life experiences. Sometimes your friends or loved ones may call your thoughts “paranoia” if you are suspicious of something; but suspicion is not always a bad trait. Sometimes your life experience can teach you to notice suspicious things. Being suspicious, for example, that some people might harm you, is not necessarily paranoia. You just might have difficulty trusting people.This is especially common after a trauma or very negative experience.
   • For example, you may have suspicions of a new romantic relationship that feels “too good to be true” to you. If you have previously experienced a breakup, you can simply listen to the voice of past experiences teaching you to be careful.
   • On the other hand, if you suspect that your new romantic partner is a secret killer sent to kill you, this is probably already paranoia.
   • As another example, you might find fault with something that seems “wrong” to you in a situation or in a suspicious person. This reaction is not always paranoid. While you need to monitor your reactions, you don't have to brush them off right away.
   • Take the time to assess your own reactions and suspicions. You can react immediately by showing fear or anxiety. Slow down and try to understand where this reaction is coming from. Do you have a reason for this, for example, past experiences that are likely to provoke these reactions?
   • Do a little fact checking. No, that doesn't mean digging into your boyfriend or girlfriend's past. Sit down with a piece of paper and write down what is happening. Name the situation, how you feel about it, how strong these feelings are, what you believe in this situation, whether it has factual justification (or refutation), and whether you can change your mind based on the available facts.
4. 4 Think about your own use of alcohol, drugs, and other substances. Paranoia is a common side effect of alcohol and drug abuse. In chronic alcoholics, drinking can cause hallucinations and paranoia. Stimulants, including caffeine (yes, caffeine!), Adderall, or Ritalin, can cause paranoia and trouble sleeping. Combining simulants with antidepressants or over-the-counter cold remedies can exacerbate these side effects.
   • Hallucinogens such as LSD, phencyclidine (angel dust), and other mood-altering drugs can cause hallucinations, aggression, and paranoia.
   • Most other illicit drugs, including cocaine and methamphetamine, can also cause paranoia. Even marijuana can lead to paranoia in some people.
   • Most prescription drugs are non-paranoid when taken at the recommended dosage. However, some prescription drugs to treat Parkinson's disease by stimulating dopamine production can cause hallucinations and paranoia. If you are using prescription drugs and think they might be causing you paranoia, talk to your doctor about possible alternatives. Do not stop taking your medication without talking to your doctor.
5. 5 Analyze your situation. Recent traumatic events or losses can make some people prone to paranoia. If you've recently lost someone or are going through a particularly stressful situation, paranoia can be your stress management tool.
   • If your paranoia comes from a relatively recent event (at least in the past six months), it is probably not chronic. But it still deserves your attention and you should tackle it, which may be easier if it is indeed a recent problem.

Part 2 of 3: Dealing with Paranoid Thoughts

1. 1 Start keeping a journal to record your thoughts and feelings. A diary can help you understand the origin of paranoia and can also be a great way to relieve stress. It can help identify triggers or people, places, and situations that trigger your paranoia. Choose a convenient place to start journaling and prepare to spend about 20 minutes a day writing.Think about situations in which you feel paranoid. For example, you can ask the following questions.
   • When do you feel most paranoid? At night? Early in the morning? What is it at this time of day that makes you feel paranoid?
   • What are you paranoid about? Is there a person or group of people who makes you feel more paranoid? Why do you think these people are causing your paranoia to intensify?
   • Where do you find your paranoia the most? Is there a place where paranoia peaks? What is it about this place that makes you paranoid?
   • In what situations do you become paranoid? Are these social situations? Is it because of your environment?
   • What memories do you have when these feelings appear?
2. 2 Make a plan to avoid or reduce the frequency of collisions with paranoia triggers. After identifying the situations and people that are contributing to your paranoia, you can make a plan to reduce the frequency of encounters with paranoia triggers. While some people, situations and places may not be avoidable, such as work or school, being aware of the triggers of your paranoia can help you minimize the frequency of encountering other avoidable factors.
   • For example, if a certain road from school makes you feel paranoid, take a different route or have a friend walk you over.
3. 3 Learn to question your train of thought. In a situation with unavoidable triggers of paranoia, questioning paranoid thoughts can help you reduce or eliminate expressing specific feelings about affected situations or people. The next time you find yourself paranoid about a person, place, or situation, ask yourself the following questions.
   • What exactly was the thought? When did it start? Who was there? When it was? What happened?
   • Is my thought based on fact or opinion? How can I figure this out?
   • What do I admit or what do I believe in my thought? Is my assumption or belief realistic? Why yes or no? What could this mean if the thought were real?
   • How do I feel physically and emotionally?
   • What could I do to turn the thought in a positive direction?
4. 4 Distract yourself from paranoid thoughts. If you cannot dispel paranoia by analyzing its essence, try to distract yourself. Call a friend, go for a walk, or watch a movie. Find a way to turn your mind away from paranoid thoughts so you don't start thinking about them.
   • Distracting maneuvers can help you avoid thinking and thinking the same thought over and over again in a vicious circle. Looped ruminations are commonly associated with increased levels of anxiety and depression.
   • However, a red herring is usually not enough to completely solve the problem with thoughts. This is just a way to avoid the problem, which means that you will need to take other steps to get rid of the paranoia.
5. 5 Don't self-flagellate. You may be ashamed of your own thoughts, and this can lead to the fact that you judge yourself too harshly for them. Research has shown that this behavior, or “punishment,” is ineffective in dealing with paranoid thoughts.
   • Instead, try reevaluating (testing your own mindset), social control (seeking other people's advice), or distraction, as described in this article.
6. 6 Understand if you need professional help. Mild paranoia can be dealt with on your own, but if you have moderate to severe paranoia, it is very likely that you need professional help. If you often have paranoid thoughts, consider the following questions.
   • Have you thought about starting to act on the lead of potentially dangerous thoughts?
   • Do you want to harm yourself and others?
   • Are you considering or planning how to intentionally harm someone?
   • Do you hear voices urging you to harm yourself and others?
   • Do your obsessive thoughts and behaviors affect your home or work life?
   • Do you have any traumatic experience over and over again?
     • If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you should seek the help of a professional psychotherapist as soon as possible.

Part 3 of 3: Understanding Paranoia

1. 1 Understand the concept of "paranoia" correctly. Many of us use the term paranoia quite broadly. However, clinical paranoia implies a constant sense of persecution and an overestimated sense of self-importance. Unlike ordinary suspicion, paranoia has no rational basis. There are several medical and mental conditions that can cause paranoia, but these are rare. You cannot and should not try to diagnose yourself with any of these conditions. If you have some of their characteristic symptoms, see a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. Only a professionally trained physician can diagnose mental disorders.
2. 2 Pay attention to the characteristic symptoms of paranoid personality disorder. Paranoid personality disorder affects about 0.5-2.5% of the population. People with paranoid disorders are so suspicious of others that it interferes with their daily life, forcing them to avoid social interaction. Symptoms of this disease include:
   • unfounded suspicion of others, especially in terms of the fact that they want to harm a person, want to use him or deceive;
   • doubts about the reliability of others, including friends and family;
   • difficulties in trusting and working together with other people;
   • attempts to find hidden or threatening meaning in harmless remarks or events;
   • overflow with discontent;
   • social alienation or hostility;
   • irascibility.
3. 3 Pay attention to the symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. People with paranoid schizophrenia are usually convinced that someone wants to harm them or their loved ones. They may also believe in their own extreme importance (megalomania). Only about 1% of people suffer from schizophrenia. Other symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia include:
   • social isolation or alienation;
   • suspicion of others;
   • defensive or withdrawn behavior;
   • groundless jealousy;
   • auditory hallucinations (“voices”).
4. 4 Pay attention to the symptoms of delusional disorder. Delusional disorder involves a belief in one or more very specific paranoid thoughts (for example, "The FSB is watching me through the TV"). The problem is sufficiently accentuated and does not necessarily have a global significance, the person in the rest of the sense remains capable and does not have strange behavior. This disorder is extremely rare, and only about 0.02% of people suffer from delusional disorders. Common symptoms of a branded device include:
   • a high degree of self-reliance (a person sees references to himself in everything, even if this is not so, for example, he believes that an actor in a movie is talking directly to him);
   • irritability;
   • depressed mood;
   • aggression.
5. 5 Consider if you have PTSD. Paranoia can accompany PTSD, a mental disorder that develops after an injury. In addition to paranoia, traumatic experiences can also cause hallucinations. If you have suffered trauma in the past, such as rape, you may have developed a so-called persecution mania, or a belief that others do not want to hurt you.This belief can make you suspicious of others or worry about a recurrence of trauma, even in situations that other people do not see as suspicious or dangerous. Unlike other types of paranoia, this type of fear is based on the fact that it is a reaction to trauma. Working with a professional therapist experienced in trauma work can help you overcome PTSD and this type of paranoia.
   • The most common treatment for PTSD is cognitive therapy, which focuses on examining how the trauma has affected your way of thinking and behaving. You can explore new ways of thinking about yourself and the world around you that can help you reduce your symptoms.
   • Other treatments are exposure therapy and DPDH (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing).
6. 6 Consider discussing your feelings with a therapist. Without outside help, it can be difficult to identify the causes of paranoid feelings and identify the best ways to deal with them. A professional therapist can help you sort out your feelings as well as get through them.
   • Be aware that paranoid feelings may be part of another mental disorder that requires treatment. Talking to a therapist can help you understand what's going on and help you choose the right course of action.
   • There is nothing unusual about consulting a psychotherapist. Many people do it all the time to feel better, thereby improving their own lives. You don't have to worry about your decision to seek help: it is a brave step that demonstrates that you care about yourself.
   • Don't be afraid to change psychotherapists! Many people become attached to the doctor with whom they began communication. If you don't see any improvement, find another doctor. Find someone you feel comfortable with and trust in you. This will be the fastest path to success.
   • Be aware that the therapist is subject to medical secrecy about the information you share with him. People with paranoia tend to be wary of sharing their concerns, but legal and ethical therapists will keep your secrets secret. The only exceptions to this rule are your plans to harm yourself and others, your intention to abuse or neglect something in a responsible situation, or legal proceedings that ask the therapist for information on a specific case where you are suspected.

Tips

• Stay away from drugs and alcohol. You may think they are helping, but they are not. They only make your paranoia worse.
• Learn to meditate to be able to relax when paranoid thoughts arise.
• Remember that most people are good. They do not collude against you.
• Remember, no matter what happens, everything will be fine.
• Concentrate on your breathing and think about relaxing things like happy memories. If that doesn't work, try using mid-level mental arithmetic, like multiplying 13 by 4, and so on.

Warnings

• Share your thoughts and feelings with someone else. If you are overwhelmed with feelings, they will eventually spill out at once, and trying to suppress them will end badly for your health. Talk to someone you trust.
• Do not harm others by suspecting them of something.