Dealing With Paranoia
Welcome back to my blog! This blog topic will be about paranoia, which is a very serious condition that is prevalent in mental illnesses. However, paranoia could also occur in instances in which people do not have mental illnesses. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what paranoia is, let me give my definition. Paranoia is essentially a state of delusions, fear and mistrust of others, and even a sense of persecution. More often than not, paranoia occurs as a symptom of mental illness; paranoia is very common in people who have schizophrenia, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, chronic personality disorder, or substance abuse.
I can definitely relate to paranoia myself, as I experienced two separate instances of paranoia that resulted in hospitalizations, once during my freshman year at the University of Notre Dame, and the second instance during my sophomore year at Georgetown University. During my freshman year at Notre Dame, I was literally paranoid of the entire population of the university, as I thought that everyone was out to get me and extremely hostile towards me. I ended up being hospitalized for depression for over a week eventually; my doctor told me that my extreme paranoia was a sign that my depression had developed to a very severe state. Next, during my sophomore year at Georgetown, I was paranoid that a professor and a teaching assistant were both out to get me and hostile. Again, I wound up being hospitalized for a little over a week and treated for a psychotic episode. My paranoia was also confirmed to be a symptom of my psychotic episode, or “psychosis”.
As evident, paranoia is a very serious state and needs to be recognized immediately. According to WebMD, signs of paranoia potentially include a change in personality, thoughts of self-harm from the person potentially experiencing paranoia, racing thoughts, uneasiness or hostility towards others, and being unable to trust other people
Now I’m not a psychiatrist or a therapist, but I can provide some advice on how to treat and overcome paranoia. The main and widely known methods of treatment of paranoia are both medication and therapy. Since paranoia can be caused by a chemical imbalance in one’s brain, one generally first needs to use a medication treatment to regulate that chemical imbalance. However, paranoia is not always caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. For example, paranoia may be linked to genetics, stress, or possibly even a traumatic event, according to Better Health Channel. As stated before by WebMD, it is common that post traumatic stress disorder can cause paranoia.
Next, one who has experienced paranoia should receive therapeutic treatment or sessions, which will likely help the person cope with his or her paranoia and might allow them to function better. Lastly, there are other supplementary treatments to improve one’s coping mechanisms for paranoia, according to Better Health Channel. These treatments can include ways to reduce anxiety and stress, techniques for relaxation like meditation and deep breathing, and changes to one’s behavior and interactions with others. While I am no certified therapist, I can definitely emphasize that therapy and other coping treatments will definitely help one’s ability to function in the existence of paranoia.
On the whole, paranoia is an extremely serious condition that needs to be dealt with and treated as soon as possible. Thank you very much for reading my blog. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach me at jessepliu@gmail.com . Thank you and I hope you subscribe to my blog. Please also share with friends and family!
