paranoia as doctors now call it, is the most common example of this
mental illness.
Schizophrenia is a kind of
psychosis, which means your mind doesn't agree with reality. It affects how you think and behave. This can show up in different ways and at different times, even in the same person. The illness usually starts in late adolescence or young adulthood.
People with paranoid delusions are unreasonably suspicious of others. This can make it hard for them to hold a job, run errands, have friendships, and even go to the doctor.
Although it's a lifelong illness, you can take medicines and find help to stop symptoms or make them easier to live with.
Paranoid Symptoms
Delusions are fixed beliefs that seem real to you, even when there's strong evidence they aren't. Paranoid delusions, also called delusions of persecution, reflect profound fear and
anxiety along with the loss of the ability to tell what's real and what's not real. They might make you feel like:
- A co-worker is trying to hurt you, like poison your food.
- Your spouse or partner is cheating on you.
- The government is spying on you.
- People in your neighborhood are plotting to harass you