What Are the Symptoms Of Paranoia?

Paranoia is a rare psychiatric illness characterized by a progressive and logically structured delusion. The course is long and the prognosis is poor. The most common are exaggerations, victims, or delusions about physical abnormalities, without hallucinations or schizophrenia-like thinking disorders. Once called "chronic delusion of systemic development". There are four stages of paranoid progress: the thinking stage or the subjective analysis stage; the victim delusional stage; the personality transformation stage is characterized by the appearance of exaggerated delusions;

Basic Information

English name: paranoia
Visiting department: Psychiatry

Common symptoms: Murder delusion
Contagious: no

Causes of Paranoia

The cause of paranoia is unknown, and it has a certain relationship with the following factors: genetic predisposition; has special personality defects, manifested as subjective, stubborn, sensitive and suspicious, easily excited, strong self-esteem, self-centered, pretentious, self-evaluation too high, good Fantasy and so on; induced by mental factors.

Clinical manifestations of paranoia

The clinical manifestations of paranoia begin to be dominated by victim delusions, and exaggerated delusions may appear in the future. These two delusions can affect each other and cause and effect each other. Patients often feel pretentious, talented, and energetic, and gradually develop into being "inventor", "musician", "predictor", etc., so others will develop jealousy and persecute them. The personality of the paranoid is generally complete, there is no decline, if the patient conceals delusional content, there is no difference with normal people, the disease will never appear hallucinations.

Paranoid diagnosis

Paranoia has unique clinical characteristics. The diagnosis of paranoia is characterized by systematic delusions. Its delusions are highly systematic, content is not absurd, there is no obvious illogicality, the theme is clear, and it is related to the patient's situation. That is realistic. Without deep understanding, it is difficult to discern its authenticity. Paranoia can't be shaken for at least 6 months. There is always no illusion of content. Although the condition is prolonged, the social function is good, and there is no mental decline. Course standard: At least 6 months (CCMD-2-R).

Differential diagnosis of paranoia

Schizophrenia paranoid

Schizophrenia is dominated by primary delusions. The content is not systematic and absurd, and it is often implicated and has generalization. Various hallucinations, victimizations, and other schizophrenia characteristics often occur. Social functions are severely impaired. With the prolonged course of the disease often leads to mental decline.

2. Psychogenic delusions

The disease is a symptom induced by a long-term existence of a stressor or a long time in trouble. And the content of delusion is often related to the stressors, which is realistic and easy to expose. From the perspective of prognosis, psychogenic delusions are obviously good.

3. Paranoid state

His delusions are not as systematic as paranoia, their degree is lighter, and their prognosis is better.

4. Paranoid Morbid Personality

Although it has sensitive and suspicious personality characteristics, it does not form delusions and can be distinguished from paranoia.

Paranoid Healing

There is no effective treatment for paranoia. When the patient is excited, a small dose of antipsychotic drugs such as chlorpromazine and chlorazone can be used. Some can also refer to schizophrenia treatment.

Cognitive improvement method

Because patients are distrustful, sensitive and suspicious of others, they will not accept any kind advice. Therefore, they must first establish a trust relationship with them, exchange emotions on the basis of mutual trust, and comprehensively introduce them to the nature, characteristics and harmfulness of their personality disorders And corrective methods, so that they have a correct and objective understanding of themselves, and consciously and voluntarily produce the desire to change their personality defects. This is a prerequisite for further psychotherapy.

2. Dating Training

Encourage patients to take the initiative to make friends, learn to trust others in making friends, and eliminate anxiety. The principles and essentials of dating training are:

(1) Meet each other sincerely , and make friends with sincerity. I must adopt a sincere and sincere attitude to make friends actively. We must believe that most people are friendly, good, and trustworthy. There should be no prejudice or distrust towards friends, especially close friends. It must be clear that the purpose of making friends is to overcome paranoia, seek friendship and help, exchange thoughts and feelings, and eliminate psychological obstacles.

(2) Give active friends as much help as possible in their interactions. This helps to exchange hearts with one another, gain trust and strengthen friendship. Especially when others are in trouble, they should help each other and know the truth in times of trouble, so as to gain the trust of friends and enhance friendship.

(3) Pay attention to the similarity and consistency of the principles and personality of the "psychological compatibility" principle of making friends, which will help psychological compatibility and improve the relationship between friends. In addition, gender, age, occupation, cultural accomplishment, economic level, social status, and hobbies also have "psychological compatibility" issues. However, the most basic psychological compatibility condition is the similarity and consistency of the values of ideology and values of life, so-called "like-minded". This is the psychological basis for developing cooperation and consolidating friendship.

3. Self Therapy

People with paranoid personality like to go to extremes, which is related to the irrational ideas in their heads. Therefore, in order to change paranoid behavior, paranoid personality patients must first analyze their irrational ideas. Whenever the state of mind re-emerges, you should meditate on the transformed rationalized ideas to prevent your extreme behavior.

4. Hostile Correction Training

Patients are susceptible to hostility and distrust of others and the surrounding environment. The following training methods can help overcome the hostility and confrontation mentality.

(1) Always remind yourself not to get stuck in the vortex of "hostility." Self-remind and warn in advance, and pay attention to correction when dealing with others, this will significantly reduce hostility and strong emotional reactions.

(2) We must understand the principle of respect only if we respect others. Learn to say thank you to those who have helped you, rather than say "thank you" without any pain, let alone ignore it.

(3) Learn to smile to everyone you know. You may be unaccustomed at first and do it unnaturally, but you must do it and work hard to do it well.

(4) Learn to be patient and patient in life.