Do You Know Someone With A Paranoid Personality Disorder?

The main characteristic of paranoid personality disorder is a general suspicion and distrust of others. The subject interprets other people’s motives as malicious. Usually this pattern is recognized when the person is an adult. But sometimes there are already signs that can be noticed in different situations. People who suffer from this disorder assume that other people are exploiting, hurting, or cheating on them. Yet there is nothing concrete to support these ideas.

People with paranoid personality disorder suspect other people of plotting against them. However, there is no evidence to support this. They also often think that other people may suddenly attack them for no reason. So they always show a defensive attitude.

The world is a hostile place and I must protect myself

People who suffer from this disorder often feel that they have been hurt in a profound and irreversible way by one or several others. This feeling is present even when there is no evidence of damage or when the hurting was not intentional. They have unfounded doubts about the loyalty of their friends or acquaintances. For them, the world is an unsafe and very threatening place to live.

Individuals with paranoid personality disorder carefully examine the actions of their loved ones. In this way they try to discover hostile intentions. Any violation of honesty or of fidelity they notice simply serves to support their hidden suspicions. We all have a certain affirmative bias in encompassing some aspects of reality toward others. But these people have more pronounced prejudices.

These people are surprised when a friend shows his loyalty to them. They can’t really trust it or believe it to be true. If they get into trouble, they expect their friends and family to attack or ignore them. When they get help, they will think that the person who offers them this help has hidden motives.

Difficult relationships

Individuals with paranoid personality disorder have a hard time trusting others. They also reluctantly maintain close relationships with others. That’s because they fear that the information they share will be used against them. So they can refuse to answer personal questions and then say that that information is nobody’s business. for in innocent remarks they see hidden meanings that are belittling and threatening.

For example, a person with this disorder may interpret a shop assistant’s innocent mistake as a deliberate attempt to deceive him. They may also take a funny comment from a coworker as a direct, premeditated attack. In addition, they often misinterpret compliments. They may also view an offer to help them as criticizing how they do things. Because sometimes they also feel that the other person is helping them because he thinks they are incompetent.

Treat me well or you will bear the consequences

People with paranoid personality disorder are resentful. They are unwilling to forgive insults or contempt they feel they have received. Even minor reprimands can make them very aggressive. In addition, their anger and hostility can last for a long time.

So they are always looking for the supposed bad intentions of others. So they also often feel that their character or reputation is being attacked. Or they think they are being undermined in some way. They quickly counterattack. Then they react furiously to the insults they receive. These people can also be jealous in a pathological way. They often suspect their partner of being unfaithful, even though they have no proof whatsoever.

The Seven Main Symptoms of Paranoid Personality Disorder

So you can imagine that people with paranoid personality disorder are usually very difficult to deal with. They often have problems in their relationships. Many symptoms and consequences are associated with this disorder. These are some of the main symptoms:

• Unfounded suspicion that others are exploiting or hurting them. They also often feel that people are abandoning them.
• Unfounded doubts about the loyalty or trust of friends or colleagues.
• Little willingness to trust others. This is a result of the unfounded fear that the information will be used against them in a malicious way.
• They see threats or belittling meanings in innocent comments that people make without any malicious intent.
• Holding grudges (they don’t forget the supposed insults, offenses, or reproofs).
• The idea that others are attacking their character or reputation. They easily react with anger or counterattack.
• Recurring suspicion, for which there is no justification, about the fidelity of the spouse or partner.

Suspicion and hostility are their hallmark

The excessive suspicion and hostility in people with paranoid personality disorder means that they often openly discuss something. This can manifest itself in the form of constant complaining or a distant but clearly hostile attitude. Being extremely wary of potential threats, they can act in a cautious, covert, or malicious manner.

These people often seem cold, as if they have few feelings and are devoid of love. Their quarrelsome and suspicious nature can provoke a hostile reaction in others. This, in turn, will confirm their original expectations (so it’s kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy).

When checking everything no longer suffices

Since people with paranoid personalities don’t trust others, they need it immensely to be able to handle everything on their own. Because that gives them a strong sense of autonomy. They also need a great deal of control over their environment. Often they are rigid and unable to work together. In addition, they are very critical of others. But they themselves have a very hard time accepting criticism from others.

It’s everyone’s fault but me

These individuals usually blame others for their own shortcomings. In response to the perceived threats, they also quickly become defensive. As a result, they quickly become involved in legal conflicts. They accuse others by accusing them of malicious intent. This attitude is actually a projection of their own fears.

Power fantasies

People with paranoid personality disorder often also have grandiose but unrealistic hidden fantasies. They also often have to do with power and position. They tend to build negative stereotypes of others, especially ethnic groups very different from themselves.

They are also attracted to simple worldviews and beliefs. This means that by nature they are also often very wary of ambiguous situations. So they very rarely endanger themselves. We can experience them as fanatic. For they often cling to cults or groups of other people who share their paranoid belief system.

People with paranoid personality disorder experience a great distrust and intense suspicion of other people. They interpret the motives of others as malicious. They also blame them for all their misfortune. They are wary and constantly monitor their environment. Because they want to discover possible attacks or threats.

Life is difficult for these people. They need all the help they can get. Think for a moment how you would feel if you spent your whole life thinking that the people around you are constantly trying to harm you.