Paranoia Symptoms & Causes: Are you also a victim of paranoia? If you get angry at friends’ jokes, then be careful.

Some people hold anger for a long time even on very small and normal things that happen with friends and colleagues in office, school, college or society. Even a simple comment or friendly joke from someone makes them feel as if people are deliberately targeting them. Gradually this suspicion becomes so deep that the person starts feeling that everyone is plotting against him or wants to harm him. If a person takes everything too seriously, reacting aggressively or defensively even to the innocuous remarks of others, this may be an early sign of not just normal anger, but paranoia. Due to this mental condition, the person gradually starts creating social distance, hesitates to talk to people and prefers to spend most of his time alone. Let us know what this problem is, what are its causes and symptoms and when should a doctor be contacted. What is Paranoia? According to the famous medical institute Cleveland Clinic, when a person, without any solid evidence, basis or reason, starts continuously suspecting that others are against him, wish him bad or can harm him, then this serious condition of thinking is called paranoia. This thought and feeling of disbelief is so intense that the person accepts it as his real truth. Mental health experts say that symptoms of paranoia are mainly seen in more than 70 percent of people suffering from psychosis (mental confusion). In this, a person starts living in delusion by accepting as true even those things or rumors which have nothing to do with reality. What are the main causes of paranoia? According to medical science and research, there can be many biological, psychological and environmental reasons behind paranoia: Genetics: Research from the US National Institutes of Health (NCBI) shows that in families where someone has already had the problem of mental illness or psychosis, the risk of having paranoia in their next generation increases. Changes in neurotransmitters: Due to fluctuations in the levels of chemical messengers i.e. neurotransmitters (such as dopamine) within the brain, the signals, emotions and thoughts going to the brain are completely affected, due to which the person starts losing control over reality. Childhood Trauma: According to the ‘Journal of Psychosis and Related Disorders’, if a child has been excessively bullied, physically or mentally abused by other children in school or in the neighborhood, or has been humiliated in everything, then the chances of developing paranoia are high in him/her when he grows up. Chronic Stress: Due to severe mental or financial stress for a long time, the thinking functioning of the brain is negatively affected, due to which unnecessary fear and mistrust start developing in the mind. 3 biggest symptoms of paranoia: Mainly these three symptoms and behavioral changes can be seen in a person suffering from the problem of paranoia: 1. Not being able to trust anyone. The primary symptom of this problem is that the person is not able to easily trust even his closest friends, family members or spouse. He always suspects that people are planning against him behind his back or are trying to harm him. 2. Taking offense to small things very quickly, such a person is not able to tolerate any healthy criticism, advice or general laughter. He starts looking at everything by linking it to his self-respect and humiliation. Due to this he always remains irritable, stressed and angry with people. 3. Finding negative meaning in everything: A patient suffering from paranoia always finds faults even in the good intentions of others. He feels that the other person is trying to take advantage of him. He accepts fabricated conspiracies as true without any solid basis and suddenly overreacts even on small matters. When to go to a doctor or psychiatrist in case of serious condition? Mental health experts clearly say that if this habit of mistrust, excessive suspicion and being alone is experienced again and again and due to this the person’s job, studies, family relationships and normal everyday life starts getting badly affected, then it should not be ignored at all. In such a situation, without wasting time, help of a qualified psychiatrist or clinical psychologist should be immediately sought. Prevention and Therapy: Paranoia is a treatable mental condition. With the help of counselling, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and in severe cases, medicines, the patient can be completely freed from this confusion. How long treatment will take depends on how old and serious the problem is. In the initial stages of this problem, for mental peace, regular meditation, adopting yoga, getting adequate sleep and openly sharing the thoughts with your trusted friends and family prove to be very beneficial.