Definition
- A disorder that includes the patient to be mistrusting and suspicious of others at all times.
- This diagnosis is chronic and lifelong and no cure has been found.
- Patient goes through various forms of this diagnosis which vary from person to person.
Statistics
- NESARC
- 43,000 American Adults
- 2001-2002
- Met the Diagnostic
- 4.4%
- 2009 Population Census
- 13,443,286
Various Form of Disorders
- Fanatic
- Patient exhibits narcissism and self-importance in their paranoia
- Malignant
- Patient exhibits dominance and superiority in their paranoia
- Objurgate
- Patient exhibits compulsion in their paranoia
- Querulous
- Patient exhibits passive aggression in their paranoia
- Insular
- Patient exhibits anti-socialist features in their paranoia
Causes
- The exact cause is unknown
- Genetic Proposition
- PPD seems to be more prominent in families with psychotic mood disorders
- Childhood Experience Proposition
- Certain environmental factors lead one to develop PPD overtime
- Sufficient evidence has not been accumulated to support these theories
Symptoms
- Thinks people want to hurt them without any evidence, assuming
- Worried without unjustified doubts about the loyalty of friends and people they know
- Does not trust others because of unwanted fear that the information will be used against them
- Reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into sympathetic remarks or events
- Constantly bears grudges (ex, unforgiving, injuries)
- Believes other people on his or her character or reputation as is quick to counterattack
- Have recurrent suspicions of their spouse’s fidelity without any clear evidence
Treatment
- Antipsychotics & Antidepressants
- Improve ability to function
- Rarely alleviate paranoia
- Psychotherapy
- Help patient to identify delusions & paranoia
- Improve daily life
- Compliance
- Don’t view paranoia as unhealthy
- Don’t believe suspicions are unfound
- Subject to the patient’s hostility & paranoia
- Important to Note
- Treatment cannot cure PPD
- Group therapy is not advised
Prognosis
- Patient is a lifelong sufferer of PPD
- PPD is chronic throughout their lives
- If patient is able to trust therapist it can be controlled or limited but cannot be cured
Impact
- Forced into Social Isolation
- Due to own paranoia & distrust
- Friends draw away from continual criticisms & unwarranted accusations
- Increased Risk of violence
- Due to stress of living with chronic paranoia
- May utilize physical or verbal attacks if believe have been pushed to far
Community Resources
- CAMH
- Canada’s largest mental health and addiction hospital
- VHA
- Home health care
- COTA
- provides support to adults living with serious mental illness through a variety of services including court and justice services, short term residential beds etc
- CMHA
- Helps people recover from mental illnesses through service, education, advocate assistance and research
- CMHA
- Charitable organization that encourages the mental health of all and helps people to recover from mental illnesses
- Case Study
- An example of a victim suffering from paranoia disorder is Derek. Derek use to work in a large office as a computer programmer but began becoming suspicious when another programmer had been promoted. He began to feel that the supervisor “had it in for him” and would never realize his worth. He felt certain that his co workers were plotting against him constantly as he saw them sitting together and laughing “at him”. A lot of time was spent contemplating on the mistreatment he received at work that his work began suffering. The supervisor gave him a warning that he must improve on his work or receive a poor performance rating. According to Derek this action confirmed the plotting against him and began seeking another position at another company. When he got hired at another large company, after a period of time he felt that they didn’t like him. He began to feel excluded from conversation, felt that they made fun of him behind his back and deteriorated his position. Since then Derek has changed his position six times in the last seven years and currently suffers from paranoia personality disorder. Since Derek is not aware of his current mental illness it has affected other aspects of his life, including his work life, and social aspect allowing him to function with certain limitations and seclusions.
