Its a punch in of paranoid thinking that can be part of several differentmental illnesses.
Theirdelusionsare usually a symptom of a mental illness that requires professional help.
Types of Persecutory Delusions
People with mental illness may experience persecutory delusions.
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People with this condition often experience hallucinations and delusions, including persecutory delusions.
Bipolar Disorder
A condition that causes extreme shifts in mood, activity levels, and behavior.
Persecutory delusions most often occur during manic episodes.
Dementia
It’s also common for people with dementia to develop delusions.
It’s estimated that 27% of people with dementia experience persecutory delusions at one time or another.
Persecutory delusions are one of the most common types of delusions.
Delusional disorders are far less common than other mental illnesses that may involve psychosis.
It’s estimated that only 0.2% of the population experiences delusional disorder.
Sometimes, people with persecutory delusions report their concerns to the authorities.
When nothing happens, they often grow suspicious that the authorities are somehow involved.
They also grow frustrated when no one will help them.
Here are six things most people with persecutory delusions have in common.
Worry and Rumination
People who experience persecutory delusions are likely to spend a lot of time worrying.
Time spent imagining implausible outcomes and catastrophic ideas may go hand-in-hand with persecutory delusions.
A 2014 study found that a period of worry often precedes persecutory delusions.
Treating the underlying anxiety has been found to be effective in reducing persecutory delusions.
People who learn skills to reduce their worrying may be able to better manage their symptoms.
A 2012 study assessed 301 patients with psychosis three times over the course of a year.
The researchers found that negative thoughts about one’s self predicted the persistence of persecutory delusions.
People with persecutory delusions also are more likely to interpret neutral events as containing hostility from others.
Interpersonal sensitivity is also positively associated with higher levels of anxiety anddepression.
Abnormal Internal Experiences
People with persecutory delusions sometimes misinterpret external events.
Consequently, they may place blame on the environment for why they feel bad.
Someone might think, “I feel anxious because someone is spying on me.”
Insomnia
A 2012 study found that having insomnia increased the odds of developing paranoid ideation by threefold.
Poor sleep also has been found to be a predictor of the persistence of existing paranoia.
Insomnia is a treatable condition.
Helping people improve the quantity and quality of sleep may be key to reducing persecutory delusions.
They also may believe that a group of people who are laughing must be laughing at them.
Diagnosing Persecutory Delusions
Persecutory delusions are a symptom of some types of mental health conditions.
Sometimes underlying issues, like insomnia or past trauma, must be addressed.
At other times, reducing anxiety can be a helpful intervention.
CBT also led to significant reductions in other psychiatric symptoms and general levels of paranoia.
The program focuses on helping people develop new memories focused on safety.
Results suggest that half of people participating in the program significantly improve their symptoms.
Medication
Depending on the illness,antipsychotics,antidepressants, or othermood-stabilizing medicationsmay be used.
The specific medications that may be effective depend on an individual’s specific diagnosis.
For example, research suggests that antipsychotics can be effective for the treatment of delusional disorders.
They may require professional in-home support services to assist them with daily tasks.
Inpatient hospitalizations may be required at times to help a person gain better control over the symptoms.
Coping With Persecutory Delusions
Supporting a person who is experiencing persecutory delusions can be hard.
Or, there may be times when they insist that you’re out to get them too.
A better approach is to focus on how your loved one is feeling.
Say things like, “I know this is really stressful for you.”
Express concern by saying things like, “I notice you’re overwhelmed.”
This practice involves gathering facts that support the delusion as well as facts that refute the delusion.
Knowing what to say and how to support someone can be very beneficial to their treatment.
Keep in Mind
Watching someone you love experience persecutory delusions can be overwhelming at times.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
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