Ptsd and being paranoid about things?

[lmndet]

is it common to be paranoid about things and people in ways that are somewhat similar to the trauma you experienced? I feel paranoid about people being genuine / lying to me. I have anxiety as well... is it just that?

 

[Friday]

Just because you think there is an enemy hiding behind every bush... Doesn't mean that there isn't :shifty:

Cough.

Yeah. Paranoia of several different flavors is pretty common. Paranoia is often known as "the gift of the survivor" :wtf: and IME can be purely related to trauma, or can also cozy up to some cognitive distortions and reeeally take hold, or can link arms with delusions & psychosis and things can go really off the charts.

My own brand of paranoia I'm used to enough to usually be able to smack it hard with reality, and failing that having much effect, ignore it until it passes. Which it does, as long as I don't feed into it. It took several years to get to something of a balanced stalemate with it, and I struggle -hard- when sleep dep joins the party. But I can still usually recognize it. It's just harder to ignore, and harder to back down from.

Several years ago a friend mentioned that they had a "comfortable level of paranoia" in their lives. That's my goal. I would looooove that. :inlove: I'm not there, yet. But it's what I want.

 

[AngelKeeperJ]

I think it's natural once you've been "burned" in that way...but I think it's wise to guard our hearts anyway...for self-protection.

There's nothing wrong with that! With anxiety, it can be harder to "read" people, because we kind of put up walls.

Again, I think it is wise to hold back judgment, with new people anyway, to allow yourself time to be friendly, but cautious until you see and "hear" the new person, and whether their actions match their words.

I hope that makes sense...

 

[aut555]

In normal people, it's about being cautious, in ptsd people, it's your own level of paranoia which can vary like the weather can. It's a sense of entitlement, goes hand in hand with the big P.

Is this a covert government run site? Okay, just joking.

 

[RavenGirl]

I say yes. It's a defense mechanism. Kind of like the song "Once bitten Twice Shy." There's different levels of paranoia, and everyone deals with it in their own way. When you've been through what we've been through it's not so much paranoia as it's survival. You just need to learn how to balance it so it doesn't run your life.

 

[NoWhereKnowWhere]

I think a bit more information and context is required here. It could be that you're experiencing hypervigilance or you could be right and it's paranoia. Hypervigilance isn't just experienced as scanning your surroundings, it can also be directed toward people and assuming or assessing if they are a threat. Hypervigilance is often mistaken for paranoia. I can't really explain it well enough but this website has a really good explanation on it about hypervigilance and paranoia in the context of PTSD What is PTSD Hypervigilance? | PTSD UK

 

[EveHarrington]

I think a bit more information and context is required here. It could be that you're experienc...

This is me!

Thank you.

The term "paranoid" makes me cringe. Most likely because it's been used against me ad nauseam.

My doc said I don't have ppd----it's all trauma based and not a separate disorder.

 

[lmndet]

I think a bit more information and context is required here. It could be that you're experienc...

after reading the article, it could be hypervigilance. I'm a CSA survivor who has only recently gotten out of an abusive household and started an investigation. the only support I've had is from my SO, my friends and my little sister's family. I'm beginning to question my little sister's mom (Kat) being genuine in wanting to help me and bond with me or if she is just saying the right things to keep my sister safe and me cooperating / giving her more information she wants to know. sometimes I feel pressured by her and even after I tell her that I'm uncomfortable, she keeps pushing me. I've also been hyper aware of my SO (in my opinion) staring at children to a point where I'm uncomfortable. we don't even want children and are not very good with them, so I don't understand their interest in staring at them. this happens about every month, where I get paranoid. sometimes, I've been right and there was something going on, but I've just never been this type of person to be upset about things like this.

 

[Ronin]

It's common.

My difference lines between anxiety and paranoia are mostly how wildly what-if and pressing the two are. If I'm anxious, it's still something perceived as mostly inner threat, driving me nuts but inner processing prevailing over focus on the outside. If I'm paranoid, it's the utter hyperfocus on the outside and not being able to switch the focus or change the focus that's getting to me.

Usually needing similar things for both: Calming down from it, radically if it needs be, and/or letting someone/something else have my back.

& All too often people label 'paranoid' just thinking of possibilities & risks they themselves don't understand, don't want to think of, or haven't experienced. What's paranoia in some settings is common sense in others; what's 'paranoia' for one is utterly normal and needed situational awareness of another. It really depends who you are, where and why.

 

[Tinyflame]

I feel paranoid about people being genuine / lying to me. I have anxiety as well... is it just that?

I thought trust was earned, & always felt badly doubting.

Sent a question to a friend today, they said later they hadn't looked at their mail.. Unfortunately I guess they hit send instead of delete, because there it was sitting in my mailbox. I suppose most people wouldn't give a sh*t, but he just said today "we're sensitive to things, as we should be, that are important to us." Not being part of a facade is important to me. :( Wow. How many times I felt badly not giving them more the benefit of the doubt.

letting someone/something else have my back.

So I thought.

I give up. :(

:wtf:

ETA, would you believe I defended him & took his word, vs gossip, in the name of trust, & friendship. More lies I suppose. :meh:

All interpersonal trauma involves lies, & liars. Most anyway. Other than combat-related perhaps.

 

[Gs172003]

What is PTSD Hypervigilance? | PTSD UK

Thank you for sharing that! That made so much sense!

 

[Gs172003]

I think a bit more information and context is required here. It could be that you're experienc...

I can't figure out how to edit my other post lol