Paranoia Support Group
Paranoia is a disturbed thought process characterized by excessive anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. It is often associated with psychotic illnesses, sometimes schizophrenia, although attenuated features may be present in other primarily non-psychotic diagnoses, such as paranoid personality disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder.
My brother in law has been showing more and more paranoid behaviours. In the past few years he has convinced himself that the neighbour watches him with binoculars, and when he tells us he is there, we can't see him. He tells us he's good at hiding. Now he's convinced people are following him in cars. If a car pulls out behind him from a parking lot for example he's convinced he was waiting there to watch for him. He has even started taking pictures of the neighbourhood kids complaining that they go by his house to harass him. He lives on a corner lot on the only street in and out of that neighbourhood, so yes people go by all the time.
How do we help him? He refuses to talk to anyone about what he's feeling. We are worried about him. Any advice you have for how we can help him would be appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your help.
"If you think someone is following you, turn right at any street, and keep turning 3 more times. If they are still following you, then call the police."
Hopefully, he will focus on that and realize that no one is following him.