How Get Rid Of 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 are paranoid thoughts and their link to paranoid personality disorder?
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 follow on how to get rid of paranoia
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 for your mental health condition
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.
Consider cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating paranoia
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.
Try online therapy for your paranoid thoughts
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.
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.
How to get rid of paranoia?
Depending on its severity, coping with paranoia may require help from a mental health professional. Treatments like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), participating in support groups for people experiencing paranoia, and certain medications can help reduce paranoid thoughts and make them more manageable. There are some self-help strategies you can use outside of therapy to manage paranoia as well, for example:
Get support from trusted friends and loved ones
Talk to a trusted friend or family member about your paranoid feelings or thoughts. Having someone you can turn to for nonjudgmental support can be highly beneficial in helping you control your reactions in situations that elicit paranoia.
Practice good sleep hygiene
There is a bi-directional relationship between sleep and paranoia. Paranoia can cause repetitive, intrusive thoughts that disrupt an individual’s sleep. But the repetitive, intrusive thoughts one has in the middle of the night might cause paranoia, too. Adopting a regular sleep routine can help you keep paranoid thoughts and feelings under control.
Get regular exercise and proper nutrition
Eating well and regular physical activity play a significant role in mental health, as well. Regular, nutritious meals can promote overall well-being, and participating in physical activities that you enjoy can help relieve anxiety and stress.
Avoid drugs and alcohol
Even if your symptoms of paranoia aren’t necessarily caused by drugs or alcohol—such substances can certainly exacerbate them. Similar to sleep, drugs and alcohol can cause paranoia, but paranoia can prompt an individual to take drugs or alcohol to cope with the feelings of paranoia.
Adopt a mindfulness practice
Research suggests that meditation and mindfulness techniques can help reduce symptoms of paranoia. Through mindfulness, you become more aware of your thoughts and learn to control them better. Such techniques can also support stress relief and improved coping skills in tense situations where paranoia might arise.
Learn to breathe
Focused breathing can promote calm in stressful situations and reduce paranoid thoughts and feelings. Abdominal breathing, in which you slowly and gently expand your abdomen with each inhale as you count to four and relax it as you count to four on the exhale, is an excellent technique for de-stressing.
Keep a journal
Record your thoughts, feelings, and resulting reactions in a daily journal. With regular documentation, you may begin to see a pattern in what causes your paranoia that can help you stay prepared and in control.
How do you let go of paranoia?
It may take time and practice to master, but mindfulness techniques and deep breathing exercises can help you observe paranoia symptoms as they arise, process them, and let them go in the moment.
Does paranoia go away?
In some cases, paranoia can go away on its own, especially if its causes are temporary. But when paranoia is a symptom of an underlying mental health issue like bipolar disorder or certain personality disorders, it may not go away entirely. If you are experiencing persistent paranoia that disrupts your daily life, consult a mental health professional for diagnosis or treatment. Regular psychotherapy and other therapeutic techniques can help individuals process paranoid feelings and manage reactions.
What triggers paranoia?
Research on what causes paranoia is ongoing, but past studies suggest it’s likely a combination of environmental and biological factors such as:
- Childhood trauma
- Childhood neglect
- Severe socioeconomic adversity, social isolation
- Severe, chronic stress
- Neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease
Paranoia is a common symptom of several types of mental disorders, as well. These include, but aren’t limited to, paranoid personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and psychotic disorders like schizophrenia.
What heals paranoia?
With time and effort, it is possible to heal paranoia. Often, when it’s severe enough, individuals with paranoia may require psychotherapy and, in some cases, medications to manage symptoms. People with paranoia can learn to recognize, process, and cope with paranoid thoughts, feelings, and reactions in everyday life outside of therapy sessions, as well. Regularly practicing mindfulness, journaling, and keeping a self-care routine, including plenty of sleep, a nutritious diet, and exercise, are a few techniques that help support healing.
Why am I so paranoid? Do I have a mental health condition?
There are many potential reasons why you could feel paranoid. Some aren’t typically too serious and will pass, for example, being in a new and unfamiliar situation or socializing with people who you’re worried may judge you. However, paranoid thoughts or feelings that don’t subside when the situation does could be a sign of a more severe condition. If you’re having symptoms of paranoia that you can’t manage on your own, seek medical advice from a professional who can provide a thorough diagnosis.
How do you calm paranoia at night?
Calming nighttime paranoia can be a challenge, especially when it leads to a seemingly never-ending cycle of paranoia-induced sleep disturbances that exacerbate paranoia. Calming paranoia at night begins with establishing a good sleep hygiene routine. This includes:
- Going to bed and getting up at the same time every morning
- Keeping your bedroom quiet, cool, and dark at night
- Eliminating electronics screen time at least 30 minutes before bedtime
- Put on your pajamas, prepare your bedroom for sleep, and brush your teeth at the same time every night before bed
- Engage in relaxing activities before bed, like reading, listening to calming music, or meditation
Make sure your bedding is comfortable, and don’t use your bed for activities other than sleeping or sex. Your lifestyle habits during the day can affect how well you sleep at night. Avoid napping during the day, spend plenty of time outside, and stay physically active.
If you find yourself wide awake with repetitive, paranoid thoughts in the middle of the night, practice progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing exercises or listen to a guided meditation or visualization designed to help you sleep. If this doesn’t help, get up and do something distracting but soothing, such as reading or writing until you feel sleepy, and then try again.
What triggers paranoid personality disorder?
Little is known about what causes paranoid personality disorder (PPD). Older studies suggest it may be up to 50% genetically inherited or caused by abuse or neglect in childhood. Other potential causes of PPD might include traumatic brain injury, extreme stress, socioeconomic hardships, or severe chronic stress.
How do you stop being suspicious?
Suspicion is a common feeling, but it can significantly impact relationships and other aspects of daily life if it goes unmanaged. To manage suspicious thoughts and feelings, see if you can identify their underlying sources first. For example, does the suspicion stem from past experiences or other people’s behaviors? Keeping a daily journal of your thoughts and feelings can help you do this.
Mindfulness and relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing exercises can help calm anxiety and suspicious thoughts. In some cases, the most direct route may be the best—consider communicating with the person you feel suspicious of in a cordial, respectful way about your concerns.
If you find the suspicious thoughts and feelings don’t subside with time, and you suspect they may not be rooted in reality, consider speaking to a counselor who can teach you to manage and minimize or eliminate them in the future.
How do I know if I have paranoid thoughts?
Paranoia is characterized by intense mistrust or suspicion without an apparent cause. It is often accompanied by severe, sometimes overwhelming feelings of mistrust, fear, and anger. Other potential symptoms of paranoia include, but aren’t limited to:
- Hypervigilance
- Excessive argumentativeness
- Extreme sensitivity to criticism (real or imagined)
- Extreme defensiveness
- Anxiety, trouble relaxing
- Trouble sleeping
- Social isolation
- Trouble maintaining relationships
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