The question is: At what point is it healthy versus unhealthy paranoia?
At what point does one accept that maybe there is a conspiracy, rather than simply blaming themselves for assuming it could be one?
I have paranoid personality disorder. The most severe form of paranoia, I believe. Its kind of like a form of psychopath. I notice it mostly when I drink alcohol
I believe Adam Lanza and Elliot Rodger and maybe Dylann Roof had it, Elliot and Dylann also appears to have been a narcissist. Actually haven't studied roof, just read that about him somewhere. Could as well have been aspd
The question is: At what point is it healthy versus unhealthy paranoia?
At what point does one accept that maybe there is a conspiracy, rather than simply blaming themselves for assuming it could be one?
The only metric of a paranoia's health is its actual case in fact or not. Sure, one can scale the type and complexity of contrived conspiracy and then consider any opinion someone has that seems to conflict with their behavior around you as a "conspiracy" or a much more common, not-unnatural human social reality. How elaborate does it get? What real affect is it going to have were it to be true? If the measures in this space are disproportionate, there ought to be grounds for considering it unhealthy. Part of helping to measure and recognize this, a first step, is "outsourcing" this. Realize that if you're possibly the one that is actually at fault with defective metrics, consider second or third opinions. You have to get corroboration.
I know that this can be countered by doubting these "outside sources", and is actually content for further paranoia. There is a chance for misfire. It is important to know that for paranoia like this, the problem has sometimes got to be the solution. You have to allow yourself to play devil's advocate to yourself. If you can't get outside your own thinking, that should start to become a helpful indicator, etc.
Only time, practice, and patience will help.
I have paranoid personality disorder. The most severe form of paranoia, I believe. Its kind of like a form of psychopath. I notice it mostly when I drink alcohol
I believe Adam Lanza and Elliot Rodger and maybe Dylann Roof had it, Elliot and Dylann also appears to have been a narcissist. Actually haven't studied roof, just read that about him somewhere. Could as well have been aspd
I guess there may be flavors of paranoia. The type that concocts elaborate and even border-delusional paranoid thinking can arguably be a Cluster A-type of influence. It is a strange narrative that is convincing to you for whatever reason(s), but typically can fail to convince someone else you'd try to tell it to. The paranoid personality disorder "brand" is definitely a trust-issues flavor. It prevents real interpersonal relationships and bonding to whatever degree. It doubts people's intentions behind their behaviors, especially when they aren't around you. Simple observations can sound like criticism or personal attacks. The worst is usually imagined to be behind even those you believe to have known the longest and through many of life's difficulties.
Paranoia is a prison of one's own making.
I can't say if my schizoid-ness is a cause or symptom for my own paranoia. Either way, they can be rather mutually reinforcing.
The question is: At what point is it healthy versus unhealthy paranoia?
At what point does one accept that maybe there is a conspiracy, rather than simply blaming themselves for assuming it could be one?The only metric of a paranoia's health is its actual case in fact or not.
It could also be gauged over how much impairment it causes onto your life. It isn't the 'therapists' job to debate philosophy, it's their job to get these people considered functional by societal standards. A lot of treatment for conspiracy victims doesn't come through from disproving their theories, but rather through having them analyze how much it matters, how much these ideas actually impair their lives. In that way it becomes more about it's use, it's function, rather than trying to have everyone on the same page when it comes to our 'Collective Reality'.
As such there's technically more than one metric for it, as someone could harbor gangstalking conspiracies yet find themselves not within debilitating levels of stress.
Sure, one can scale the type and complexity of contrived conspiracy and then consider any opinion someone has that seems to conflict with their behavior around you as a "conspiracy" or a much more common, not-unnatural human social reality. How elaborate does it get?
The issue with this model is that there's conspiracies now that large enough groups are all subscribed to, and much of it is based on technological advances we can prove exist.
What real affect is it going to have were it to be true?
If the measures in this space are disproportionate, there ought to be grounds for considering it unhealthy. Part of helping to measure and recognize this, a first step, is "outsourcing" this. Realize that if you're possibly the one that is actually at fault with defective metrics, consider second or third opinions. You have to get corroboration.
What about once you find people who believe your conspiracies though?
I know that this can be countered by doubting these "outside sources", and is actually content for further paranoia. There is a chance for misfire. It is important to know that for paranoia like this, the problem has sometimes got to be the solution. You have to allow yourself to play devil's advocate to yourself. If you can't get outside your own thinking, that should start to become a helpful indicator, etc.
No one can get outside of their own thinking, at best they can experience modified forms.
do you have paranoia and are you able to distinguish it from reality? how does your hindsight help you with this?
I'd say I have paranoia in waves, and that my attempts at rationalizing them have had some become accepted theories in my head.
I say 'accepted' in that while I recognize the ideas, I'm not as fearful of them now, but rather wary of them (such as my ideas on the F.D.A.).
The question is: At what point is it healthy versus unhealthy paranoia?
At what point does one accept that maybe there is a conspiracy, rather than simply blaming themselves for assuming it could be one?The only metric of a paranoia's health is its actual case in fact or not.
It could also be gauged over how much impairment it causes onto your life. It isn't the 'therapists' job to debate philosophy, it's their job to get these people considered functional by societal standards. A lot of treatment for conspiracy victims doesn't come through from disproving their theories, but rather through having them analyze how much it matters, how much these ideas actually impair their lives. In that way it becomes more about it's use, it's function, rather than trying to have everyone on the same page when it comes to our 'Collective Reality'.
As such there's technically more than one metric for it, as someone could harbor gangstalking conspiracies yet find themselves not within debilitating levels of stress.
Sure, that's true. I think I was stuck on the content of the paranoia itself, as to it's potential veracity or not and if that's "healthy" (or reasonable).
Sure, one can scale the type and complexity of contrived conspiracy and then consider any opinion someone has that seems to conflict with their behavior around you as a "conspiracy" or a much more common, not-unnatural human social reality. How elaborate does it get?
The issue with this model is that there's conspiracies now that large enough groups are all subscribed to, and much of it is based on technological advances we can prove exist.
What real affect is it going to have were it to be true?
If the measures in this space are disproportionate, there ought to be grounds for considering it unhealthy. Part of helping to measure and recognize this, a first step, is "outsourcing" this. Realize that if you're possibly the one that is actually at fault with defective metrics, consider second or third opinions. You have to get corroboration.
What about once you find people who believe your conspiracies though?
I know that this can be countered by doubting these "outside sources", and is actually content for further paranoia. There is a chance for misfire. It is important to know that for paranoia like this, the problem has sometimes got to be the solution. You have to allow yourself to play devil's advocate to yourself. If you can't get outside your own thinking, that should start to become a helpful indicator, etc.
No one can get outside of their own thinking, at best they can experience modified forms.
You know full well "getting out of your own thinking" is more an issue of epistemology than ontology, in this case. Of course, all you have is your own mind to think with. However, you get outside your own thought only by considering those without origin directly from your own mind. I already stated the caveat that this still runs the risk for further reinforcing one's paranoia.
In my experience people who deal with paranoia are often very good at pattern recognition but it gets kicked into over drive due to anxieties and lifestyle factors. Dopamine plays a big role in paranoid thinking so for some solid practical advise I suggest you reduce dopaminergic traffic in your head, like watching porn, gaming, drugs, alcohol.
Also it's important to take responsibility for your thoughts, in a CBT kind of way. like recognise your responsibility in moments of clarity to undo whatever feedback loops or thought patterns lead you back into paranoia. Which I know is really hard to do if you can't be sure it's not real, but you don't sound like you're finding it hard to distinguish reality most of the time.
You should take comfort in the fact that you are aware of it, even if it's scary, that is a very real indicator that you are not insane. We all become a little delusional sometimes and think incorrect things.
When you are experiencing the thoughts I think sitting with it and assessing it logically is key, having someone who you can talk to about it who is willing to entertain the possibility of it being real and will go through the logical steps with you can be helpful but you can also just assess the thoughts against some rubrics for reality.
If you can ignore the thoughts and act as normal and whatever you're worried about doesn't happen then it's very easy to show yourself that your paranoia is unjustified. Also, and I don't mean this to sound harsh but, you're not special. The chances of people being obsessed with you are very slim, generally the only people who bother to focus on you will be because they care about you and not because they wish you any ill will.
If you'd like help with a specific rubrics for reality I'd need to know more about the paranoid thoughts, if you want to talk about anything then I'm around :)))
Also it might be worth adding just for knowledge sake now so you're aware later if the delusions do happen to get worse, your perceptions of the world are informed by your internal models for things. so if you look to yourself to solve the issue without any significant changes in approach it's likely to be perverted by your own state colouring the perceptions that you encounter.
or for some more practical advise to handle that I'd say to proactively take on the other advice, make sure you're ready to apply the CBT in the context of actual situations where your perceptions seem to tell a different story
meditation can help alot, and sun exposure/glial cell activation, and circadian rhythm/sleep hygiene helps to keep that all working properly
make sure you're taking any medication like antidepressants at the same time each day and try not to be socially isolated
