Paranoid Personality Disorder

is a difficult disorder to live with. While it is a malady that has been made fun of and exaggerated in the movies, the reality for those suffering is not entertaining in the least. Just like any other psychiatric disorder, severely affects everyday life and makes relationships difficult and less fulfilling than they should be. As the name suggests, causes the sufferer to be paranoid and suspicious of common, everyday occurrences and interactions with family friends and co-workers.

A Day in a Life with
is like a constant companion that is always whispering deceit and accusations into your ear. Imagine waking up in the morning next to your wife. She loves you and has been faithful to you since the day you met. There is no reason for you to believe anything different, and yet you wonder. You see that she left her cell phone on her nightstand and you immediately wonder if it was to make sure she could intercept any calls from another lover that she may have gotten in the night. You desperately want to check her calling history, but she gets up and puts the phone in her purse before you can check. You may even make a teasing comment, asking her about the other calls she got in the night. Even with humor in your tone, there’s panic in your chest.

You’re off to work, still thinking about the phone. You arrive at work to find someone looking through some papers on your desk. They immediately stop when you arrive and ask you a simple question about some business from the previous day. You may or may not answer their question, but feel invaded and show that feeling on your face. You decide that the one person was a spy for a group in the office. They probably want evidence that you are not doing a good enough job and want to get you fired. The next couple of people who come to talk to you are met with guardedness and sarcasm until people quit talking to you all together. You are convinced, therefore, that they really don’t like you and are just waiting for an opportunity to carry out their malicious plans.

Your thoughts return to your wife and so you neglect some of your work in order to research call histories online. All of your suspicious feeling compounds as you find all kinds of phone numbers you don’t recognize and realize that co-workers are probably watching you as you engage in personal business at work. Your mind is clouded over in darkness and insecurity and things are about to explode.

Symptoms
As described above, the typical symptoms someone experiences with are many. They have feelings of distrust and suspicion. They assume that others are out to get them and are conspiring for harmful purposes. They cannot talk to anyone for fear of further insult. They cannot forgive others for hurtful remarks or slights. They also worry about the fidelity of spouses.

Treatment
First, the person should realize that life is uncertain, but that it’s okay to get hurt sometimes. They should also realize that some paranoia about others’ motives and actions are probably derived from their own thoughts and wishes. If he sees opportunities to be unfaithful to his wife, he probably assumes that she has opportunities and desires to be unfaithful to him. The person should seek counseling to help himself avoid overly hasty generalizations and conclusions about others’ malicious intents.

Frances, Allen MD and First, Michael B. MD. Your Mental Health: A Layman’s Guide to
the Psychiatrist’s Bible. New York: Scribner, 1998.

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