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.
Well, this board doesn't seem very active but now that I have discovered it I hope there are some active members.
I have had daily paranoia and suspicion\mistrust of every person I talk to for years. Family included. Only just this summer did I admit this to a doctor and accept that I am indeed paranoid. But I still always follow that statement with the thought "But that doesn't mean people aren't lying to me!"
My doctor attributed this to ocd, and I am now trying to get a handle on what I think about it all. I have been reading a book about ocd and there is a lot in there that doesn't truly apply to me. But intrusive thoughts. .. I have those in spades.
Anybody else?
Well done, for sharing your experiences with your doctor, and this group. It can be extremely difficult, and it's a significant first step.
When I first began having paranoid thoughts and feelings, I began self-diagnosing myself and I was petrified of what diagnosis a doctor would give me. I was simply diagnosed with severe anxiety, and I was given medication. The medication in my case helped significantly, and I weaned off it after about a year and have been problem free since.
The fun thing with the DSM-5 (the criteria for psychologically diagnosing people), is there is so much overlap between diagnoses. Your doctor may have picked up on OCD, whereas another may state it is simple (generalized) anxiety (OCD is an anxiety disorder). The treatment is basically the same, medication if you want it, and counselling (cognitive-behavioural therapy is the most prominently used). The fact you follow your thoughts with contradictory statements shows you've already started the general practice of CBT - with professional help it becomes more manageable.
I can't recall when I first joined this site, but it made all the difference for my life - I hope you stick it out for a bit. I started here fresh out of highschool, suffering severely, and here I am doing my Master's degree in counselling psychology. The site isn't magic, but the people are. The supports, the therapeutic process of letting it out, of writing things down, of processing. Last week I felt severely depressed, I came back on for the first time in at least a year, this week, I'm feeling elated - despite having a work-related injury (sustained two days ago). Keep your chin up.
Um, has anybody else had the thought that the people replying to you might be others in your life pretending to be support members?