Paranoid Switch :(

[timetorecover]

I have identified and am well aware of my hyper vigilance. But I am also very paranoid about certain situations and can over analyse things too much.

Example: my husband on his IPhone when he is supposed to be taking a nap automatically makes me think he is having an affair.

Or my kids friends in the park together with other mums and no invite for us just makes me feel like no one likes me.

My husband is so fed up with me, I would not be surprised if he is having an affair but I cannot prove anything. He thinks he can just tell me to stop analysing things and hey presto, I will.

I just cannot switch off this paranoid voice on my head. The more I try, the more crazy I am going.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Hi, are you in therapy and do you have a diagnosis? These things are really important. There are medications to help with what you are going through. I hope you are getting help, support, and encouragement. Good luck.

 

[timetorecover]

Yes I am diagnosed with cptsd and gad and therapy and meds.

Nothing helps, once I have been triggered, I am off for days :(

 

[p-no]

Does your therapist acknowledge verbally, so you understand it as such, that your fears (those mentioned in this thread) are actually realistic fears (generally speaking)? Does he or she (the t) hear you, or rather, do you feel heard?

 

[timetorecover]

I understand that my fears are based on mistrust.

I feel totally unheard. Hubby acts like I am looking for trouble or a fight. Therapy has run out too. No more ££ :(

 

[anthony]

Take one paranoia and I will show you how to approach each on your on, going forward. What is your worst one?

 

[timetorecover]

My worst is that my kids are going to be abused or come into danger.
My fears are based on previous SA to my daughter so I know the root of it!

The other main paranoid feeling comes from shame from intense bullying throughout school years. My Dad was in prison for rape. The news spread and other stories were made up and so again, I know the root of that one too.

Overall it's based on previous experiences and I just cannot seem to live without doubt. It is miserable and exhausting and really interfering with everything that I do!

 

[anthony]

My worst is that my kids are going to be abused or come into danger.

Now you play a little game of finding the evidence. You need to find evidence fore and against your thought.

Thought: I fear my children are going to be abused or come into danger.

Fore Evidence

1. ...

Against Evidence

1. ...

 

[timetorecover]

One has been :(

They could be :s ?

 

[timetorecover]

Oh I suppose they are safe now, but that's as they are by my side..
It's when they are not!

 

[Innordinate]

Oh I suppose they are safe now, but that's as they are by my side..
It's when they are not!

I'm paranoid about things to do with my children too. Mine seems to be worse when I'm around them but it's constant, and hits me mostly at night when I'm about to fall asleep and my mind is trying to relax.

I don't know how to stop it either, my guess is just meds. I'm well aware that it is completely not logical, there is no evidence to support my paranoia except for 'what if' and 'shit happens'. It doesn't help. Most times I feel like I'm going insane because as I'm telling myself it's not real and won't happen the other part of my brain is still in full belief it is/will.

Sometimes just seeing any children sets it off. It makes me physically sick a lot of times, unable to sleep, sensitive to all movement and sound and just spurs on other thoughts of paranoia, delusion.

My last t was considering a dx of schitzoaffective disorder but I quit seeing him before he did.

The paranoia really started when my son was born (though I have a daughter who's older).

Also been paranoid that my wife's cheating on me - she did once in the past and has weird hours of work sometimes. Also worse when I'm around her. Not as debilitating for me as my paranoia about other things.

Recently had to move away from my family for other reasons and the paranoia has lessened a little in frequency - it's not daily now, maybe 4 of 5 days a week.

I hope you can find a way to get past it, through it, suppress it better. Ignore it as best you can (even though there's a fear that if you ignore it and it IS happening you'd be a horrible parent). I watch tv to fall asleep and sometimes that helps. At least with the sleeping.

 

[Anna]

I have extreme paranoia as well.

Only way to learn to live with it is to take time out before you act. Think things through carefully before you say or do anything.

I ask myself these things:-

Why would that person want to hurt me?
What would they gain from it?
It isn't always about me, other people have a life too.
Are they having a bad day?
Rational reasons why the person does or says what they do
Asking questions like is "everything ok?", "what happened?" to get information without sounding paranoid.

I have accepted I will never trust anyone ever. So just had to have coping mechanisms to deal with the paranoia.