What is paranoia and what causes it? According to one dictionary definition, paranoia is:
“A mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution, unwarranted jealousy, or exaggerated self-importance, typically elaborated into an organized system. It may be an aspect of chronic personality disorder, of drug abuse, or of a serious condition such as schizophrenia in which the person loses touch with reality.”
We may wonder why a person would feel persecuted or suspicious that others mean them harm. But haven’t we all had fleeting moments or thoughts where we felt paranoid about something specific?
With some tangible evidence, or not, I think we have all felt at some time that things were going so wrong in our lives that a wave of paranoia, even if mild or fleeting, came over us. Many of us have tried to separate our braver and more rational self image from the vulnerability overcoming us by uttering the words, “I don’t want to sound paranoid, but…”
I point this out in order to bring some empathy to the conversation. This is because many mentally ill people have the same feelings and perceptions that everyone else has. The difference is that their experiences are more intense, possibly chronic as opposed to fleeting, and therefore more debilitating. I truly believe that if more of the general population empathized with the mentally ill, and could identify more readily with their struggles, that it would inspire more activism to alleviate their suffering.
Part of the human condition includes feeling depressed when sad things happen. Think about the last time you were depressed: perhaps a loved one died, a relationship ended you want to stay in or you were fired from your job for no good reason. Most people move on eventually, whether they seek out professional help or not. We have that saying, “Time heals all wounds” which is generally true for most. But what if you felt that same level of depression day in and day out? What if you felt the same level of paranoia day in and day out? Most of us would agree that this is an unacceptable way to live and depression might just be the breeding ground for eventually becoming paranoid.
The brain works in mysterious ways. Many people process their angst and fears in their dreams. Dreaming is a necessary clearing house for our subconscious mind. When people are denied sleep, they can begin hallucinating within days. In the dream (or nightmare state) we can process some of our irrational worries and paranoia. One day we will understand better that mental illnesses, even some personality disorders, are brain dysfunctions like any other internal organ not working properly. Wouldn’t it be beautiful if some minor procedure or some organic substance could be discovered which would correct the mechanisms that allow a mind to spiral into paranoia.
We have medications that help some people, but the very nature of paranoia and delusions often prevent the sufferer from seeking the help they need. When your leg is broken, your mind accurately assesses the situation. But when the mind is broken, it cannot always recognize it.
Not everyone with schizophrenia is paranoid, although the two together is quite common. A person might even swing from one extreme delusion to the other, such as with feeling like one is an all-powerful enlightened Christ-like being, to the other end of the spectrum in feeling consumed by evil. Any extremes of self-perception would lend itself to paranoia as well.
Many years ago, I experienced a negative coincidence that made me temporarily paranoid. I parked in the same parking spot in front of my local office supply store, two times in a row. Each time, my car battery died. I had a fleeting thought that the parking spot would bring me bad luck. The third time I parked at the office supply store, I made a conscious decision to park in the same spot, in order to power through the fear (and paranoia). I had also gotten a new battery for my car, so that helped! Once I was able to drive away from the parking spot without a third incident, I felt liberated from the stroke of fear that this particular parking spot had it out for me.
This experience probably registered a “0” or only a “1” out of 100, on the scale of fear and paranoia that a person could feel when an actual delusion takes over one’s whole being or sense of reality. I had just been feeling unlucky with a parking spot, but two times was enough for my mind to get suspicious and superstitious. For the person clinically diagnosed with paranoia, the fears can be overwhelmingly intense, sustained, and even drive a person to commit a crime, harm others or themselves, in an effort to escape the demons or bad guys that are part of the paranoid delusion. I’m forever haunted by the mother, who drown her five children in the bathtub because she believed they were possessed by the Devil and she had to “baptize” it out of them. Her post-partum depression was just part of a longer history of mental illness.
I suppose that it is also possible for a person to become paranoid from outside circumstances that are based in reality and not just a figment of the imagination. For example, if a person is subjected to unrelenting gas-lighting from a sociopath in their life, that can certainly wreak havoc on a person’s self-esteem, their ability to judge character or intentions of others, all snowballing into a confused and paranoid state. People with paranoia who are hospitalized are sometimes further tormented by uncaring staff, who give them mixed messages or scoff openly at the person’s condition. Unintentional off-hand comments can also push a person further into their paranoid state, such as asking someone, “Why are you acting so crazy?”
One of the best resources for dialoguing with a person who is paranoid, agitated or delusional is through the L.E.A.P. method, created by Dr. Xavier Amador. The communication technique of Listen, Empathize, Agree, and Partner is actually helpful to all forms of communication. It is essential in cases where you want to garner trust and de-escalate a person’s suffering. https://dramador.com/
Dr. Xavier Amador had a brother with schizophrenia, inspiring his book, “I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help,” with the L.E.A.P. method first introduced here. Dr. Amador is a frequent guest speaker on various News channels when a high profile case of mental illness has just occurred.
Kartar Diamond is a Mental Illness Advocate and author of Noah’s Schizophrenia: A Mother’s Search for Truth
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