problems with paranoia

[edren]

Hi
I've recently had a difficult period of anxiety depression and became very withdrawn for several years. I became very paranoid about what my neighbours and friends thought about me. This seemed to feed into more anxiety so became more withdrawn and more paranoid.
I think I'm beginning to recover now but am still finding i have a lot of paranoia especially when i'm in social situations which is difficult as it pushes me into panic.
I've had many periods in my life such as this but until recently had never mentioned it to anybody and did not really have any insight into the way i was feeling.
Does anybody here have any problems with paranoia such as this?

[Tom_M]

Hi edren

Well I'm not afraid to say that I am a bit paranoid. I think more and more people are getting that way now. A lot of it is to do with how society as changed in the last 40 years. When I was young we had communities where you could actually trust people, but now with us living in a competitive society, every one is out for themselves. I always say a little paranoia is a good thing. But if it's interfering with your life then maybe it's not so good.
It's just my take on it edren. I live on the edge of a large housing estate in the north east that is voted one of the worst in the country. Someone tried to break in last night so I'm staying up tonight to try and catch the Ba****d's. God help them if I do.

[pooh]

Think my signature says it all! LOL

I think everyone suffers from degrees of paranoia or if you want concern over how others feel about and perceive us. So an element of it being present is very normal. Glad im not toms neighbours id be very paranoid right now lol

Pooh

[milly jones]

hi hun

i have great difficulty with paranoia

i too worry greatly what ppl think and say about me.

i was so bad when i was really ill that i wouldnt open the door and walk past them. i would watch them talk in the road and think it was about me. once a police car was in the road and i thought it was cos id done something wrong to somebody, and i hid under the bed for hours crying.

im presently off work cos i got so worried about what ppl were saying about me and my performance there. im really good at my job.

i take meds to help and they certainly have helped my anx, as well as cbt to train my negative thoughts.

i think paranoia and social anx go hand in hand hun, but once the anx is tackled, it should ease.

take care

milly xxxx

[intense]

I understand what you mean. It's not really paranoia though because you recognise that it's not really normal or real. It's more like magnified worrying. I'm not trying to correct you, I just don't want you to worry you are more mentally ill (than we are, LOL!).

I am taking medication for the physical feelings when I go into social situations, I do have a therapist for the psychological side but she is not helping!

I struggle to write emails now, I check them over and over in case I've written something inappropriate. It's not so much OCD but worried that they won't like me after they read the email.