How To Stop Paranoia And Overcome Unfounded Distrust In Five Steps
It can be normal to feel scared or have a mild sense of worry sometimes. However, paranoia may be a symptom of a more significant mental health concern. Paranoia is an unfounded distrust or fear of being persecuted or harmed. It may involve fears of being followed, betrayed, or exploited. For many people, these fears feel real and may accompany delusions like believing a stranger in the grocery store poses a threat to you. If you're experiencing paranoia, you're not alone, and there are a few steps you can take to overcome it. Learning how to get rid of paranoia starts with understanding what exactly this condition is and how it can affect your well-being.
What is paranoia?
Paranoia is a state of intense sensitivity or worry of persecution or harm in a situation that may not fit the fear. When you are experiencing paranoia, you might feel suspicious of others and fear that they are out to get you. Paranoia is often associated with mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and paranoid personality disorder. However, it can be experienced by people from various backgrounds, including those without a mental health diagnosis. Paranoia can interfere with cognitive functioning, relationships, and work without support, leading to issues with a person’s mental well-being.
If you're experiencing paranoia, you might be experiencing the emergence of repressed fears or worries. For example, you might fear that you're ill with a terminal disease, even without the facts to back it up. When you hold these beliefs, you might become fearful each time you feel a minor symptom, thinking that it is proof of your fear being true. For many, seeing a therapist can help them process paranoid and suspicious thoughts and the uncomfortable feelings that can accompany them.
Paranoia example: Jolie
Some fears may not have much of a realistic basis in the real world. However, you may have a strong feeling that they'll occur. The feelings associated with this type of suspicion or paranoia may overtake you, causing you to make rash decisions or speak irrationally to someone you're suspicious of.
Without addressing your suspicions or seeking credible evidence to support or disprove your fears, you might move into complete paranoia. Take the example of the fictional individual, Jolie, below:
Jolie thinks their partner is cheating on them. She bases this suspicion on her partner getting home late from work more than three times in the past few weeks. Because her partner must wake up early for work, she has not addressed her concern. Instead, Jolie begins to create scenarios about where her partner is and with whom they spend time. She begins to look for evidence of cheating in their past conversations.
At first, Julie might try to reason with herself. For example, maybe her partner told her about plans to work on a nature project requiring some late nights. She might also ask her partner about their work projects or if they've met anyone interesting. After a week, Jolie's partner stops spending late nights at work, and their schedule returns to normal. However, Jolie still ruminates about their past.
Jolie begins to feel paranoid if her partner looks at their phone, gets a call, or texts their best friend. She starts to experience frequent bad moods, loses sleep, and starts to avoid all intimacy with her partner because she's convinced of their partner's infidelity. Jolie may be afraid to ask them outright because she's afraid one of two things will happen: admittance of infidelity (which could significantly disrupt her world) or denial of infidelity (which Jolie may not trust). If Jolie does not resolve her suspicions, she could negatively change the nature of her relationship with her partner.
Five steps Jolie can take to ease her fears
People often avoid choosing confrontation for fear that their suspicions may be confirmed. It can be embarrassing to admit you hold certain suspicions or paranoid thoughts. However, avoiding the issue may only cause suspicions to grow, allowing paranoia to overtake your thoughts and actions. Below are a few steps any person experiencing similar feelings to Jolie could take:
Identify concrete evidence to support or negate fears.
Ask if the suspicion is merely a symptom of an underlying mental health concern.
Ask someone else close to the events what they think.
If fears linger, reflect on the evidence. If there is none, the suspicions may be false.
Ask a person directly involved with their suspicions to confirm or deny them.
If, after confronting a situation, you find that your fears were justified, it may be a positive development. Although it might come with painful emotions, understanding reality can reduce stress and ensure you have the space to decide what to do next. Whether you suspect a significant other is cheating or fear you're about to be fired, it may be unhealthy to ruminate on your fears without resolution.
Counseling options
If you're experiencing paranoia and want to learn to cope with this mental health condition, you may benefit from talking to a therapist. As leaving home may increase feelings of paranoia, many clients appreciate the benefits and convenience of online therapy options.
Research shows that internet-based therapy effectively treats paranoia and similar mental health concerns. In a double-blind study published by the NIHR Journals Library, research pointed to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as a successful way of treating paranoia and psychosis. The report discusses online tools for administering CBT, which can lead more people experiencing symptoms to seek care. CBT works by giving clients the tools to manage their paranoid symptoms and reframe unhelpful thoughts. According to the study, online therapy provides flexibility in treating mental health conditions that can cause paranoia, narrowing the psychological treatment gap.
Internet-based therapy can be a flexible, practical choice for managing paranoia symptoms. If you are having trouble coping with paranoid thoughts, the stigma associated with therapy may prevent you from seeking help. Online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp can allow you to reach out to your therapist outside of scheduled sessions. If you are experiencing unwanted thoughts, message your therapist anytime using the asynchronous unlimited message feature. You can also choose between live video, phone, or chat sessions each week.
Counselor reviews
"Loretta has undoubtedly changed my life. In my late attempt to deal with trauma, she has shown me the light at the end of the tunnel. Through the various strategies and methods she provided me, I have become less paranoid, guilt-ridden, and anxious. I am so glad I decided to start using BetterHelp and was paired with Loretta."
"I used to be nervous before any counseling session, afraid of what the counselor would think but now I look forward to our sessions. Ebonii really helps me clear out my head and steer me back to the right path for better mental health. Any time I feel like I'm heading back down the negative path I think of what Ebonii has explained to me and it helps a lot."
Takeaway
Paranoia can be scary, but there are ways to treat it. Professional guidance can make a difference in your experience by teaching you ways to challenge unwanted thoughts and understand your relationship needs. Contact a therapist for further guidance and support if you're ready to start.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Below are a few of the most frequently asked questions regarding paranoia.
What are the symptoms of paranoia?
The symptoms of paranoia may include the following:
Mistrust
Hypervigilance
Argumentative behavior
Feeling unable to relax
Fear of deception
Fear of being taken advantage of
Intense and irrational feelings of suspicion
General feelings of fear, anger, or betrayal
If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, or if your paranoia is interfering with your everyday life, consider reaching out for support. Speaking to a mental health professional can help you understand the potential causes of these thoughts. A counselor or therapist can also help you learn how to handle these thoughts positively and constructively.
What causes paranoia?
A range of concerns can cause paranoia. One cause of paranoia is a lack of sleep. Stress can also lead to paranoia. There are also a few psychiatric disorders of which paranoia is a common symptom as well. These include schizophrenia, paranoid personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder (BPD), among others. Memory loss associated with illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer's can also be accompanied by paranoia. In some cases, substance use can be a cause of this symptom.
If you are struggling with substance use, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357 to receive support and resources.
Does paranoia go away?
Depending on the cause of the paranoia, it is possible for it to go away. However, if an underlying mental health condition like paranoid personality disorder or bipolar disorder causes paranoia, it may be more challenging to stop it completely. In these cases, many types of treatment are approved to relieve symptoms.
How do I stop feeling paranoid and insecure?
Many people experience insecure feelings from time to time. However, if your paranoia and insecurity seem to be taking over your life completely, reaching out for support or making lifestyle changes may be beneficial. Since your physical health can significantly impact your mental health, do your best to eat healthy food, exercise regularly, and practice sleep hygiene.
In addition, try to analyze your paranoid and insecure thoughts. Consider what could be contributing to these thoughts. For example, you may have had negative experiences in the past that are affecting your perception of the present. You can also talk with a mental health professional regarding these types of thoughts to gain valuable insight into your thought processes and paranoid feelings.
When feeling paranoid or insecure, try to stay busy and live in the present moment. Rather than focusing on the past or the future so much that it keeps you from enjoying life, keep your schedule relatively full and take each moment as it comes. In addition, try to avoid "bottling up" your paranoia and insecurity; talk to a trusted friend, family member, or counselor about your feelings.
How do I stop paranoia at night?
If you notice paranoid thoughts at nighttime, you're not alone. Consider avoiding taking naps in the middle of the day, as it may make it difficult to fall asleep at night. Next, when paranoia occurs, focus on breathing or try breathing exercises. Slowing down your breath may signal to your brain that it's okay to calm down and relax. You can also try meditation or journaling to externalize your thoughts. Taking a warm bath before bedtime may also help reduce paranoia.
If your fears are related to the dark, it can be okay to turn on a lamp or nightlight if it isn't too bright that it keeps you awake. Creating white noise with a fan or an app with different sound options can also help you relax. Distracting yourself from your paranoia by reading, listening to a podcast, or creating fun scenarios in your mind may reduce night anxiety and help you focus on stimuli outside your mind.
Some forms of mental illness may contribute to paranoia. If you live with an underlying mental health condition such as paranoid personality disorder or bipolar disorder, treating the underlying condition can alleviate paranoia.
How do I help my partner with paranoia?
What triggers paranoia?
What are the treatment goals for paranoia?
Is paranoia a mental illness?
Does paranoia get worse with age?
Can lack of sleep cause paranoia?
Is paranoia caused by fear?
What are the effects of paranoia?
Is paranoia a stress?
How do doctors test for paranoia?
- Previous Article
- Next Article