Overcoming paranoid personality disorder is not as easy as turning the palm of the hand. Often times, people with this condition find it difficult to follow the recommended treatment plan, and quite a lot of people choose not to take treatment. In general, the root cause of paranoid personality disorder is suspicion and a crisis of trust. If you feel you are experiencing these symptoms and want to overcome them, try reading this article to find a solution!
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Method 1 of 3: Dealing with Paranoid Disorder when You're Alone
Step 1. Reduce stress levels
The best way to do this is to meditate and apply proper breathing techniques. While meditating, focus on emptying and reconciling your mind. Although effective breathing techniques vary from person to person, at least make sure you always breathe deeply and then exhale as much as possible. Repeat the process as many times as needed.
- Listening to soothing music can also be a form of meditation. Whenever anxiety strikes, try playing some music that calms your mind.
- Yoga is a perfect form of meditation because it combines mental and physical practice at the same time.
Step 2. Maintain your bedtime routine
In fact, lack of sleep can make your symptoms of paranoid disorder worse. Therefore, make sure your sleep routine is maintained properly. Try to always go to bed and wake up at the same time and do not consume caffeinated drinks before bed so that the quality of your rest is not reduced.
Step 3. Identify the rationale behind your fear
Feeling uncomfortable when other people ask you to do it? Even so, keep trying to find the reason behind every action and interaction you do. For example, try asking, "Why do I feel scared, suspicious, or anxious?" Then, try to think, “does that reason sound plausible?” Think about the impact these negative thoughts have on your well-being.
Step 4. Take care of your health
Eat a healthy, balanced diet as often as possible. Believe me, a healthy body is a source of positive emotions! Therefore, make sure you only eat foods that can improve your mood, and avoid alcohol or cigarettes which can have a negative impact on your physical and mental condition.
Step 5. Turn your attention to the things you enjoy
For example, eat healthy foods to increase your positivity. In addition, do various activities that can enrich your inspiration, such as gardening every day, watching movies at the cinema, or even dancing to your heart's content! In other words, create a positive outlet by doing activities that you enjoy.
Step 6. Read and watch inspiring information
A person with paranoid personality disorder must constantly inject himself with positive thinking. To do this, try increasing the frequency of reading and/or watching positive material! Trust me, doing so works against psychological, emotional, and/or physical disorders, and can spark your inspiration.
Method 2 of 3: Dealing with Paranoid Disorder that Occurs in Public
Step 1. Boost your confidence
Paranoid personality disorder can be exacerbated by low self-perception. To fight these distractions, try to always remember that you are a unique and special person. If you feel someone is busy watching and judging you, always remember that you are a charming person. Also, remind yourself that everyone has their own busy schedule so they don't have time to keep stalking you.
Increasing self-confidence is the same as maintaining positivity. Praise yourself every day and never stop to think positive
Step 2. Find ways to calm down
Sometimes, this means you just need to distance yourself from a situation that feels uncomfortable. Also, take a deep breath and remind yourself that everyone around you has their own fears.
Step 3. Interact to reduce the discomfort that arises
Feel like you're being laughed at or talked about by those around you? To counter these feelings, try offering to involve yourself in the ongoing conversation. By doing so, you have some control over the conversation and know for sure that they are not talking negative things about you. As a result, you will also know that the assumption is wrong and realize that they are not busy criticizing you.
Method 3 of 3: Managing Paranoid Disorder
Step 1. Be aware of the symptoms of paranoid personality disorder
Because the disorder can manifest itself in many forms, make sure you experience at least four of the following symptoms to diagnose the existence of paranoid personality disorder:
- Have a strong belief or suspicion that those closest to you have the intention to deceive, hurt and/or exploit you.
- Difficulty trusting the loyalty of friends, coworkers, and even relatives.
- Difficulty raising complaints and sharing opinions with others, fearing that the information will be used against you in the future.
- Difficulty distinguishing ridicule and statements that do not have any intention. For example, you may be easily offended by a statement that is not meant to insult or threaten anyone.
- Has a tendency to hold grudges for a long time, and cannot tolerate criticism and physical injury.
- Constantly feeling like your reputation and personality are being attacked by others, when the facts aren't. This false assumption will often trigger a paranoid attack that is quite severe.
- It's hard to trust your partner (husband, wife, or boyfriend), and often assumes he's cheating on you.
Step 2. Understand the causes of paranoid personality disorder
Although there are various theories circulating about the true cause of paranoid personality disorder, experts agree that the condition is actually caused by a combination of psychological, social, and biological problems. In particular, the way a person's brain develops as they enter adulthood is a possible cause. In addition, the way a person is raised and overcomes problems can also contribute to triggering paranoid personality disorder. In some cases, emotional trauma from past violence can also be a factor.
Most people with paranoid personality disorder also have relatives who have schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions. In other words, the disorder can also be passed down genetically
Step 3. Seek expert help
Paranoid disorders do not need to forever control your life, you know! With expert help, patience, hard work, and dedication, the fears that haunt you can be managed. As a result, you can regain control of the life you are living. For this reason, seek professional help immediately when you become aware of the emergence of relevant symptoms.
Research shows that parannoid personality disorder is a stepping stone to other psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, and delusional disorder. To reduce the risk, seek medical help as soon as possible
Step 4. Ask the therapist to explain the treatment process that will be carried out
For people with paranoid personality disorder, therapy is a medical process that will forever be a part of their lives. In order not to grow suspicious of the therapist, make sure you always ask him to explain the series of therapy processes that will be carried out in detail. Although an occasional crisis of confidence may occur, at least stay committed to completing the therapy process in order to manage the symptoms that arise.
Remember, paranoid personality disorder cannot be cured. In fact, relieving the disorder will be a lifelong struggle
Step 5. Monitor your emotions
As the therapy progresses, there will always be times when you may feel sad or depressed because of the disorder, especially after realizing how you have viewed other people. Be careful, the sadness can transform into clinical depression! To overcome this, immediately see a therapist whenever you are attacked by very intense sadness.
