How do you guys deal with paranoia? I am too afraid to really do much of anything these days, including even simple things like go to the store or into a gas station. I am pretty afraid of meeting new people because I am so sure they will talk about me. I also haven’t worked in months. Thanks and blessings.
A lot of my paranoia was in the workplace so I got rid of much of my paranoia by going on disability. I am taking an antipsychotic and it helps greatly when it comes to thinking my family is out to get me and that kind of stuff.
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99% of the time people be they strangers or friends are self obsessed and pre-occupied with other things in there life, they are not talking about you, this is just a sz thing.
try and write things down logically…e.g when going to the gas station write what you are fearful of , what is the worst thing in your mind that can happen , and then write down what logically will ’ actually ’
happen .
keep this piece of paper with you, so when you venture out to the gas station and you feel your self freaking out , have a good look at the points you wrote down and read them through.
do the same thing for different situations e.g…the mall, meeting people ,work etc…
if you do get freaked out by being in the mall , you can go back to the car where you feel safe , read your points on the piece of paper and think things out logically.
take care
I shake them off. Paranoia is a sz symptom that stops you from being yourself. It can ruin your life if you let it.
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I use other thoughts to combat my paranoia. Try and figure out what the fear is stemming from, and create a story to deal with that fear. Some of my fear can’t be dealt with but I use energy from demons to deal with other ppl and fill myself with light energy and courage and go about my way.
It is very helpful to look inside and rewire your brain. That’s how I can get out of the house now
I say to myself “Why would this guy want to hurt me? He has no idea who I am, and I haven’t harmed him.” That usually works, if I tell myself that. And I usually don’t think about it too much. I don’t like to leave my house too often, sometimes I’ll go to a bar with friends or party here and there, but not too much. Drinking sometimes makes me more paranoid and suicidal. I don’t like having my back turned to certain types of people, who I feel are just a bit “off”.
I’m on disability as well, parents pushing for a job, but idk, I just don’t see the need for one, as I hear people just crying about work all the time. The disability is fine for me.
Try exposure therapy, worked on me, if you have ptsd from the schizophrenia.
If it’s a flash of paranoia I try to just go do something else or if I can, leave the area. If it’s becoming persistent, I tend to write it out when I get home, look it over and try and logically find the loop I can use next time to talk myself out of it.
There is one word that lets me know I’m just falling in to old habits. Kidnappers. If I even think about kidnappers, then I know it’s an old delusion trying to come out of hibernation.
Distraction, I sometimes chew on a gum, put the headphones and listen to a bunch of songs I like, maybe find something to eat, or be occupied with my mobile, move to an area where it’s somehow isolated from the crowd or next to the wall, do something that distract me from concentrating on things that cause me paranoia…If social paranoia is what annoys you…even for paranoia in general; distraction is a good way out.
I don’t get paranoia from socializing or being in public, but when I’m not in the mood (mostly having a bad day) and have to go out, and get stuck in the crowd where people push me and touch me, I feel violated, and can’t stand anybody to be so near me, or being pushed me by mistake, I go mad and feel like I have to push back defending my self lol …people’s noises, their laughs drives me crazy even children annoy more .
I try to talk myself out of it, in a way, it’s a way of hurting myself to have unreasonable worries. I tell myself I don’t need any more punishment and that that kind of punishment only makes matters worse.