Paranoia is the irrational and persistent feeling that people are ‘out to get you’ or that you are the subject of persistent, intrusive attention by others. This unfounded mistrust of others can make it difficult for a person with paranoia to function socially or have close relationships. Paranoia may be a symptom of a number of conditions, including paranoid personality disorder, delusional (paranoid) disorder and schizophrenia.
The cause of paranoia is unknown but genetics are thought to play a role. Treatment depends on the condition diagnosed as its cause, and may include treatment by psychological therapy or medication.
Symptoms
Paranoid symptoms may range from mild to severe. They depend on the cause but, generally, a person who is paranoid may:
Be easily offended
Find it difficult to trust others
Not cope with any type of criticism
Assign harmful meanings to other people’s remarks
Be always on the defensive
Be hostile, aggressive and argumentative
Not be able to compromise
Find it difficult, if not impossible, to ‘forgive and forget’
Assume that people are talking ill of them behind their back
Be overly suspicious – for example, think that other people are lying or scheming to cheat them
Not be able to confide in anyone
Find relationships difficult
Consider the world to be a place of constant threat
Feel persecuted by the world at large
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2...ymptoms