What is paranoia?
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The person with paranoia is suspicious, he feels constantly threatened and persecuted by unknown people.

See the fact article below for more information.

What is paranoia?

The term paranoia, which originates from the Greek words para and noos, means “beside the mind.” The person with paranoia is suspicious, he feels constantly threatened and persecuted by unknown people, or even by his entourage.

It interprets situations, words, and behaviors in an erroneous way. A word or a look can be enough to awaken in her the feeling of persecution. This functioning can go unnoticed by those around him when he is relatively moderate.

This disorder of mental functioning can manifest itself in several forms.

That of a personality disorder, where paranoid functioning is found to be constant and constitutive of the personality. This is called paranoid personality, which is a pathological type of personality.

That of paranoid delirium: an episode of acute paranoia in a person who does not necessarily have a paranoid personality.

The term paranoia, which originates from the Greek words para and noos, means “beside the mind” The person with paranoia is suspicious, he feels constantly threatened and persecuted by unknown people, or even by his A paranoid tendency: a way of thinking akin to paranoia without constituting a personality disorder.

There are several theories aimed at defining the causes of paranoia. Some claim that the disease results from a narcissistic wound, a long-standing wound that the subject has kept buried deep inside him and that makes him particularly vulnerable.

Others suggest that brain microlesions are at the origin of the disease. Head trauma, alcohol or toxic substance use, stress, or lack of oxygenation in the brain could be responsible for these injuries.

Paranoia: how to diagnose it?

The diagnosis is made by a psychiatrist, because between a suspicious, suspicious but not sick person and a truly pathologically paranoid person, it is not easy for a person unaccustomed to mental pathologies to tell the difference.

In addition, the signs of the disease may direct the doctor to another mental pathology that includes elements of paranoia. The psychiatrist is essentially based on the words and behavior of the patient.

The symptoms of paranoia are numerous.

Discover them in detail in this article to learn how to identify them more easily.

Paranoia: the symptoms

Here are the criteria for defining a paranoid personality that is permanently found in pathological personalities, occasionally during acute paranoia attacks, or to a lesser extent in people with a paranoid tendency.

Exaggerated mistrust

A paranoid person is convinced that the people around him seek to deceive, exploit, harm, and manipulate him.

Doubt

She doubts the friendship, fidelity, and benevolence of her entourage, family, friends, or professionals.

The tendency to secrecy

The paranoid person confides very little for fear that what he says will be used against him.

Negative interpretation

A word, a sigh, a silence, an action, a banal behavior, everything is interpreted in a negative way. The paranoid person interprets everything and believes to see everywhere humiliating, aggressive, threatening innuendo for him.

Resentment

Feeling (most often wrongly) hurt, humiliated, used, or even insulted, this person does not forgive the one he considers to have been aggressive towards him.

Aggressiveness

This person constantly feels threatened, humiliated, and hurt, and reacts easily with anger or aggressiveness, a reaction often incomprehensible to those around him.

Suspicion

The entourage is suspected of deceiving, of plotting. Her spouse, for example, is often suspected of infidelity.

Also coming into play:

  • An overestimation of oneself and underestimation of others;
  • excessive pride;
  • tyrannical authoritarianism;
  • lack of self-criticism;
  • a disorder of social relations;
  • hypochondriac complaints: fear of various diseases, with threats of legal action against doctors;
  • passionate reactions to real or supposed events: threats of lawsuits, money stories, jealousies, rivalries…;
  • major depression with the possibility of violent acts (suicide with several people);
  • psychorigidity.

Convinced that he is right, the individual suffering from paranoia thinks logically on the basis of false assumptions. It is impossible to reason with him because if you try to do so, he will think that you are trying to manipulate him.

Some people are at higher risk of developing paranoia. Also, risk factors favor the onset of the disease.

Discover them here.

Paranoia: people at risk

Are more exposed people with personality, called paranoid, in other words, people:

  • Likely;
  • who overestimate themselves;
  • Suspicious;
  • Authoritarian;
  • who often misjudge;
  • who do not resort to self-criticism.

Men are more frequently affected than women.

Paranoia: risk factors

People over the age of 40 are more likely to be affected by paranoia.

Indeed, age plays a role in triggering this pathology. Excessive use of alcohol, cocaine, and other psychoactive substances also comes into play.

Summary

Treating paranoia is a difficult process. What treatments are appropriate?

All the answers to your questions can be found in this article.

Paranoia: treatments

Treating paranoia is a difficult process because the person does not feel sick. She is in denial and suspicious of everyone, including the doctor.

Neuroleptics are sometimes prescribed when paranoia goes to delirium, but these drugs do not address the root of the problem, which is the abnormal way of thinking.

Psychotherapy can only be effective if the affected person agrees to be accompanied in this way, which is rarely the case.

Hospitalization may be necessary, sometimes under duress, because a paranoid person can in some cases be aggressive and dangerous towards himself (suicide) or others (physical aggression sometimes very serious).

In the case of paranoia, some complementary approaches make it possible to treat it in a more natural way.

Check out the list here.

Paranoia: complementary approaches

Several complementary therapies have traditionally been offered to help paranoid people, including some herbal remedies. Nevertheless, we should not expect too much, and do everything possible to establish psychiatric follow-up, because of the complexity and potential dangerousness of this pathology, especially in the event of the existence of a designated persecutor.

Homeopathy

The most indicated homeopathic remedy for paranoia is Hyoscyamus niger. Designed from the black henbane in bloom, it would be suitable for people who are delusional, particularly talkative, cyclothymic, and paranoid people. It essentially helps to calm the nervousness that accompanies delirium.

Bach flowers

Bach flowers are flower essences meant to help people overcome their emotional turmoil. In the context of paranoia, the most interesting remedy would be Willow (willow) which solves the problems of feelings of injustice and bad luck that can lead to a form of paranoia.

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