What is Paranoid Personality Disorder?
Paranoid Personality Disorder is one of three personality disorders that falls into Cluster A Personality Disorders, defined as "odd, eccentric, general tendency toward social and emotional withdrawal." It is a psychiatric condition characterized by long-term distrust of others, and is similar in many ways to schizophrenia, but is not as severe.
Read more about schizophrenia here.
People who have paranoid personality disorder are plagued by long-term paranoia and distrust of others, even when there is no reason to be suspicious. These maladaptive patterns of thinking and behaviors cause many problems in relationships and at work.
People with Paranoid Personality Disorder often have very little insight or ability to see how their own behaviors may make them more hostile and unfriendly toward others. Instead, they place the blame upon others. In this way, people with Paranoid Personality Disorder are negatively narcissistic: they believe that everyone dislikes them.
In relationships, a person with Paranoid Personality Disorder varies from being warm and loving to accusing, suspicious and jealous. The distrust of others is intermingled with dependency and need.
People with Paranoid Personality Disorder believe that their feelings of being harmed by others are real and enough to improperly accuse others.
The onset of Paranoid Personality Disorder typically appears in early adulthood and can manifest in many contexts.
Paranoid Personality Disorder is more common in men.
What Are the Causes of Paranoid Personality Disorder?
There is no one single cause for Paranoid Personality Disorder. Doctors believe that Paranoid Personality Disorder is a condition that involves a combination of causes.
People with Paranoid Personality Disorder often have a genetic relative with schizophrenia, which suggests a genetic predisposition to Paranoid Personality Disorder. Physical or emotional childhood trauma is also suspected as a cause for Paranoid Personality Disorder. Likewise, social factors may also play into the development of Paranoid Personality Disorder.
What Are the Symptoms of Paranoid Personality Disorder?
The symptoms of Paranoid Personality Disorder include:
- Persistent distrust of others.
- Unfounded suspicions that others are harming, exploiting or deceiving them.
- Preoccupation with unfounded doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends.
- Interpretation of benign events or remarks as malicious or threatening. Normal events are mispronounced as harmful.
- Improper perception of attacks against character and quick counterattacks.
- Aversion to confiding in others, believing that the the information divulged in confidence will be used against them.
- Not forgiving others for perceived transgressions.
- Jealousy.
How Is Paranoid Personality Disorder Diagnosed?
People with Paranoid Personality Disorder rarely seek out treatment because they feel they do not have a problem. People with Paranoid Personality Disorder often delay onset of treatment until the symptoms have gotten so severe that daily life is impacted.
A diagnosis of Paranoid Personality Disorder is usually not made by a general healthcare practitioner, but by a psychologist or psychiatrist after a thorough evaluation of the patient's symptoms and life history.
How is Paranoid Personality Disorder Treated?
Psychotherapy: Simple, supportive psychotherapy is the treatment of choice for most personality disorders. Due to the overwhelming mistrust that people and paranoia that with Paranoid Personality Disorder experience, building a helpful dialogue may be difficult. Quitting therapy is common for people with Paranoid Personality Disorder.
Therapy should focus on improving communication, social interactions and self-esteem as well as teaching general coping skills.
Medications: Medications prescribed to people with Paranoid Personality Disorder can create unnecessary suspicion. That paranoia can lead to medication non-compliance, and quitting therapy.
- Anti-anxiety medications may be prescribed if the person with Paranoid Personality Disorder has severe anxiety or is very agitated.
- Anti-psychotics may be prescribed if the person with Paranoid Personality Disorder becomes severely agitated or delusional.
What is the Prognosis for Someone with Paranoid Personality Disorder?
Because it is a chronic disorder, the outcome for Paranoid Personality Disorder varies. Many people with Paranoid Personality Disorder can function in society whereas others cannot.
Quitting therapy and medication non-compliance are associated with poorer outcomes.
Information pulled in part from Principles and Practice of Psychiatric Nursing text.
Related Resource Pages on Band Back Together:
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Dependent Personality Disorder
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Additional Resources for Paranoid Personality Disorder:
Out of the Fog - information and support for those with a loved one suffering a personality disorder.
National Alliance on Mental Health - This website is a valuable tool in researching mental health issues.
