Paranoia?

[WhyWhyWhy]

I am constantly paranoid that people know things about me or are discussing me behind my back.

When I finally visited the doc about my ocd anxiety I was paranoid they'd send someone round to my house to take me away. I'm often paranoid everyone around me knows something about me that they can't bring themselves to tell me. Always assuming things are terrible, I feel like by doing this I'm protecting myself when the worst finally does happen.

I seem to finish every message with 'I hope this makes sense' but same goes x

[LunaLiuna]

I can relate to this, it feels like people are acting weird around you, and sometimes when they look at you it's like they're cringing or laughing inside.

This started off my first bout of anxiety 3 years ago.

[WhyWhyWhy]

I've done this for as long as I can remember, I used to think doctors were keeping things from me, or my parents were. I guess it's just something else to tackle x

[Fishmanpa]

Have you ever noticed that senior citizens are probably the most secure with themselves? They just don't give a shit and I admire that ~lol~ "Ohhh, my ass is showing? Ok..." I'm not there yet but I pretty much have that attitude. After all I've been through, I could care less what people think of me or are saying about me. I know I'm a good guy and have a good heart and the Big Guy knows it too so I could care less anymore ;)

I believe everyone worries about this regardless of anxiety. Some more than others and I believe that's what your saying but you certainly not alone as we all do to some degree or another at various times in our lives. Even the most self-confident individuals will second guess themselves and over analyze a situation or personal exchange. It's human nature I suppose.

Positive thoughts

[Rennie1989]

It is heightened anxiety. True paranoia (as we often use it the its lose term) means that you believe people are out to get you, you would not be aware that it is infact paranoia.

You have to train your mind to let go. At one stage of my illness I believed that people were out to get me and lock me up, it wasn't until someone mentioned paranoia that it made sense. When I realised it was just a thought I was able to begin tackling it. It is very scary at the time but you have to believe that it is just thoughts, nobody is out to get you, nobody wants to lock you up, nobody is hiding anything away from you.

[WhyWhyWhy]

Thankyou For the replies. I know they make sense

Last night a friend contacted me saying a few of them were getting together and would I like to come. I instantly thought WHY?? I then jumped to a conclusion that they had bad news to give me and that's why I was the last to know about the get together. I've done this before, I felt very silly when I left and I hadn't received any bad news.... It wasn't long until thoughts came into my head of 'well the obviously couldn't find the right time to tell me, they couldn't bring themselves to do it'

I'm not worried that I'm not liked or anything like that, I'm worried that people are worried about me and are hiding things from me to protect me, I'm worried about what these things are. Ridiculous hey

[Rennie1989]

There's absolutely no reason to feel like this. When people ask friends out there will always be a last person to know. Don't assume that just because you were the last that they don't care. You have to learn to stop these thoughts as and when they occur, because, clearly, they spiral into nonsense. Use distraction techniques, do something constructive and taxing on the mind.