Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) is a mental health condition marked by a long-term pattern of distrust and suspicion of others without adequate reason to be suspicious (paranoia). People with PPD often believe that others are trying to demean, harm or threaten them.
Someone with PPD believes other people are out to harm them, cannot be trusted, or are not loyal. They tend to be socially isolated and struggle to form any close relationships. They can get angry easily and hold grudges against people. Living with PPD is very difficult, including for family members.
The core feature of paranoid personality disorder is a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others. Afflicted individuals are reluctant to confide in others; they assume that most people will harm or exploit them in some manner.
Risk Factors for Paranoid Personality Disorder
Extreme stress, especially during childhood. Physical abuse. Emotional and physical neglect from caregivers. Chronic angry and aggressive behavior from caregivers. Suffering severe injuries in early childhood.
Because alcohol and drugs are mind-altering substances, they can worsen symptoms of mental illness conditions. Some substances that can worsen paranoia include cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, marijuana, alcohol, hallucinogens, and bath salts.
PPD is a significant cause of disability in the United States. It can lower a person's quality of life and may also affect the lives of their family, friends, and co-workers. PPD can manifest in aggression and violence toward others. As a result, people with PPD may find themselves socially isolated and depressed.
In case you were wondering, there are famous people with paranoid personality disorder, or at least who seemed to have many of the symptoms of paranoid personality disorder when they were alive. Some experts suspect that Josef Stalin, Saddam Hussein, and Richard M. Nixon all had paranoid personality disorder (PPD).
Most of the time, you simply don't know when your thoughts have become paranoid. Friends, loved ones, or medical professionals often have to point it out and try to help you get treatment.
Paranoia is the irrational and persistent feeling that people are 'out to get you' or that you are the subject of persistent, intrusive attention by others. This unfounded mistrust of others can make it difficult for a person with paranoia to function socially or have close relationships.
Personality disorders that are susceptible to worsening with age include paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal, obsessive compulsive, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic, avoidant, and dependent, Dr. Rosowsky said at a conference sponsored by the American Society on Aging.
Don't argue about their mistaken beliefs or instantly dismiss them. A person with PPD misinterprets events as threatening and trying to argue rationally with them will only reinforce their belief that you're out to deceive them. Instead, respect their beliefs but focus on the fears behind their claims.
People with BPD are often on edge. They have high distress and anger levels, so they may be easily offended. They struggle with beliefs and thoughts about themselves and others, which can cause distress in many areas of their lives. People living with BPD often have an intense fear of instability and abandonment.
David Berkowitz, better known as the Son of Sam and the . 44 killer, is described as a disorganized serial killer that displayed early on signs of paranoia and personality disorder. The personality traits of Berkowitz are covered in later sections.
Patients with paranoid personality disorder are likely to engender strong countertransference feelings of defensiveness and even aggression in the clinician. Clinicians should avoid reactive counterattacks, which will probably result in disengagement or even violence.
Some evidence suggests that paranoid personality disorder runs in families. Emotional and/or physical abuse and victimization during childhood may contribute to the development of this disorder. Other disorders are often also present.
There's no cure for paranoid personality disorder, but you can see improvement in your symptoms when you seek professional treatment. Psychotherapy can be extremely effective to help you change your negative thinking and develop coping skills to improve relationships.
Risk factors for PPD include:
Family history of mental illness, especially paranoid personality disorder. History of childhood abuse or neglect. Low self-esteem and low self-acceptance. A tendency to interpret people's motives as malicious, even when there is no evidence for this belief.
Your partner with PPD needs compassion and understanding, but that doesn't mean that it's okay for them to treat you poorly or take their frustrations with the disorder out on you. A therapist can help you both with how to draw lines and make your expectations understood.
The most common form of talking therapy for paranoia is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). During CBT, you will examine the way you think and the evidence for your beliefs and look for different possible interpretations. CBT can also help reduce worry and anxiety that may influence and increase feelings of paranoia.
Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPDs) become overwhelmed and incapacitated by the intensity of their emotions, whether it is joy and elation or depression, anxiety, and rage. They are unable to manage these intense emotions.
Symptoms of personality disorder are: Moody, Criticizing everyone, Overreacting, Intimidating others, and Dominance over another person. A borderline personality disorder is the hardest to treat.