Paranoia🙊

Author: Olumide Fasan

T. Anonymous

Paranoia is an unrealistic distrust of others or a feeling of being persecuted. It is the feeling that you're being threatened in some way such as people watching you or acting against. Extreme degrees may be a sign of mental illness. 

Many people experience paranoid delusions as part of an episode of psychosis. Paranoia is sometimes a symptom of certain physical illnesses such as Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, strokes, Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. 

People dealing with paranoia finds it difficult to

• trust others

• cope with any type of criticism

• not assign harmful meaning to others remarks

• compromise

They are also very defensive, agressive and hostile.

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Everyone believed that I was running mad, well I couldn't even deny it. I was extremely paranoid. The dark scared me and it still does. It all started when I was 13 following the death of my parents and siblings. My dad was the first to go. They claimed he ate the wrong food, a poisoned food meant for his boss. Then, my siblings went too, followed by my mom. It was at that point I believed the world was out to get me.

I couldn't go out without the thought that I was going to die that day. I waited desperately for death. At some point, I wanted to make it happen. I once jumped in front of a driving car and repaired an electric socket with a wet hand but I didn't die after all. Later, I decided to avoid death. I was on the lookout for any strange occurrences. I had no friends, 4 pm was my curfew. I avoided any leadership position that could cause me attention. 

My relatives took me to visit a therapist as I was going to enter the university soon and they feared I'd kill myself one day. However, I was interested in the opposite. My therapist and I had several sessions in which I later opened up. She was the hand that pulled me out of my misery. She advised me to study psychology as it would help me get to know myself better. I'm glad I followed her advice as I got friends who made me understand that the world wasn't out to get me. I figured I wasn't the only one with issues and I sometimes find myself waiting and discussing with friends till around 6pm

                                                            

                                                                ~ T. Anonymous 

A lot of people we see around are paranoid and most times, people see their aggressive behaviour as being proud. Some people are just so afraid to open up to others and we often misread it.

Paying close attention to people around us and watching our choice of words closely is paramount in enhancing others mental health. 

To every paranoid person out there, Psychoscope impels you to loosen your guard a bit and allow people to love and care for you. In extreme situations, do not hesitate to visit a therapist. The state of your mental health is very important.

Love. Life. Light🤗💜