I picked up a number of the books on paranoia at my local library. One has potential it seems as it presents paranoia in a straightforward way, doesn't give into paranoia stereotypes and uses CBT. Another is more about paranoia in society and how we've become a paranoid nation-----not particularly helpful to me.
The third book (Understanding Paranoia) actually disappoints me (understatement). It's written by a psychiatrist who has written many books on different psychiatric ailments. Clue number one that he's not an expert on paranoia per se-----I mean trauma experts who write about trauma stick with trauma and don't go off writing books on bipolar disorder or schizophrenia or----- He falls prey to the use of stereotypical descriptors-----sadomasochism, extremely violent, etc and paints a bleak picture of the paranoid individual. How paranoid people speak? I don't think you can lump this into a one size fits all descriptor. How paranoid people look? Ditto! Paranoid people are thin, mutter, are tense, reserved, and so on. And while I don't doubt that ---some--- with paranoia have these attributes, painting all paranoid people in this light does a great disservice to us all. I'm not diagnosed but I know I have paranoid issues. I'm ----somewhere---- on the paranoia spectrum. If another person like me came along and picked up this book, their reaction may be "that's not me in the least, I'm nothing like what's described!" and may move on thinking it's not a paranoia issue. The book is about paranoia in general (based on the title) and not just in reference to more severe forms of paranoia. It's a guide for professionals, families and sufferers-----God help the people led astray by this book! I've found other books on paranoia that don't paint a bleak, stereotypical and harmful picture of paranoid people. Sad thing is, the book has decent reviews on Amazon. (I know that doesn't say much.) With books like this spreading such crap, no wonder paranoid people keep it under wraps. If this is what society thinks about a paranoid individual, no way I'm revealing my paranoia struggles to anyone other than my doctor and therapist. Back cover------ "...spouses who beat or kill their partners....are all among the possibly paranoid..." Wow, just wow. I don't see this book being all that professional. I need to return it to the library ASAP before the stereotypical descriptions upset me even more. (How does the wife beating comment add anything positive or truthful to the discussion? Wife beaters are potentially paranoid? Assumptions.)
I'll stick with the book that focuses on CBT.
