1 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff. Lauren bog Obam here. Paranoid. It's a 3 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: word that's perhaps made more headlines than any other year. 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: From the NBC News headline how to tell if the 5 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,800 Speaker 1: COVID nineteen pandemic made you paranoid or just appropriately cautious 6 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:26,760 Speaker 1: to yield news is unexpected uncertainty can breed paranoia. Researchers 7 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: find paranoia is having a moment. But what is paranoia? 8 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,840 Speaker 1: And in a world currently consumed by a global pandemic 9 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:38,880 Speaker 1: and political pandemonium, what's the difference between appropriate skepticism or 10 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: suspicion and irrational delusions. We spoke with clinical psychologist Tamara 11 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: McClintock Greenberg. She said paranoia is an interesting concept, both 12 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: in terms of how it's made its way into the 13 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: lexicon of current language and the meaning clinically, and the 14 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: meaning has changed a lot over time. Paranoia is generally 15 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: defined as a thought process as characterized by irrational suspicion 16 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: or mistrust of others. There's a wide range of ways 17 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: paranoia can show up, but people who experience it and 18 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 1: may feel like others are out to get them, or 19 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 1: they may perceive that they're in danger even though there's 20 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: no clear threat. And there are a lot of reasons 21 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: why people can experience paranoia. It's a common symptom of 22 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: mental disorders like dementia and drug misuse, but not every 23 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: case of paranoia is clinical or even cause for alarm. 24 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: Many people experience mild paranoia at some point in their lives, 25 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: Greenberg said. Freud initially thought of paranoia as a defense, 26 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 1: in which unwanted thoughts were managed by projection. The classic 27 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: example of this is related to aggression. I'm not angry 28 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: or out to get anyone, but others are angry and 29 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: out to get me. When we describe something as a defense, 30 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: we typically mean this is something we can all be 31 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: capable of under certain stressful situations. For example, think that 32 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: the last time you were really sleep deprived or even 33 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: sick with a bad cold or flu, and then something 34 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: stressful happens at work. Any of us under these conditions 35 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: could misconstrue and become overly wary about something innocent, like 36 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: a remark made by a friend or something a boss said. 37 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: While just about everyone experiences paranoid thoughts at some point 38 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: in their lives, paranoia that is problematic typically involves a 39 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: high amount of stress or anxiety related to beliefs about others, 40 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: a general mistrust of others, and feeling misunderstood, victimized, and 41 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: or persecuted. Greenberg said, the primary symptom of paranoia that 42 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: can be part of someone's personality is distrust or excessive 43 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: interpersonal sensitivity to others. But to be clear, they may 44 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 1: or may not use projection as a primary defense, and 45 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: this is one way our understanding of paranoia has shifted. 46 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: Some people just tend to have a more suspicious personality style, 47 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 1: and as you can imagine, there are people who function 48 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: like this everywhere, and it may not be an issue 49 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 1: for them. Greenberg explained that people who tend to be 50 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: more guarded can function just fine with a more cautious attitude, 51 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 1: particularly if they're able to find careers and relationships that 52 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: allow them to be who they are without judgment. She said, 53 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: for example, if someone has a more guarded personality style, 54 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: they probably won't do well in a career in which 55 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: they have to deal with a lot of people. I 56 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 1: recall one person I knew who was paranoid, not psychotic, 57 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: but just a suspicious person, and they worked in sales, 58 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: and this was tough as they were always worried their 59 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,639 Speaker 1: clients were complaining about them. When it comes to personal relationships, 60 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: more wary people tend to either isolate or gravitate toward 61 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: people who don't demand too much of them into Personally speaking, 62 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: isolating isn't necessarily an issue if it doesn't negatively impact 63 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: a person's quality of life, and being drawn to certain 64 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: personalities isn't necessarily problematic either, but it can be. Greenberg said, 65 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: for example, a guarded person would not do well with 66 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: a bff that needs to talk every day, but they 67 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 1: can have gratifying relationships people as long as they don't 68 00:03:57,320 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: feel to put upon or that they need to always 69 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 1: be present for others in their lives. Social connection is 70 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: important for everyone to some extent, but that contact can 71 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: look different for every person. Greenberg explains that someone with 72 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: a more suspicious character may choose to have fewer friends 73 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: and or choose not to have a partner, though she 74 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: does point out that there are plenty of other reasons 75 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: people choose to remain single and that this in itself 76 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: should not be pathologized. More cautious people may tend to 77 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: space out their social interactions to stay comfortable. Once a 78 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 1: month dinner may be way more preferable than daily chickens 79 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: and long drawn out chats. But okay, so when is 80 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 1: paranoia a problem? Being careful and guarded is one thing, 81 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: but when paranoia becomes pervasive and makes life difficult, it's 82 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:47,840 Speaker 1: something very different. Greenberg said. People who have a more 83 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: suspicious personality style are likely aware on some level that 84 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,719 Speaker 1: they are more guarded than others. People who are paranoid 85 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 1: and psychotic have much more trouble being aware of the 86 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:00,599 Speaker 1: fact that they see things differently than others. The classic 87 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: example is someone who really believes they're being followed by 88 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 1: the FBI. There's no convincing them that this is not 89 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: the case. To be clear, though it's easy to minimize 90 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:13,239 Speaker 1: the distress of people in these situations, they are often 91 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: very distressed and anxious and endure a great deal of suffering. 92 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: Paranoia of this kind can occur in schizophrenia and in 93 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: delusional disorders. Paranoid delusions can also occur in some neurological disorders, 94 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: such as in some dementias. Sadly, paranoid delusions can severely 95 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: disrupt life and functioning. Paranoid personality disorder or pp D, 96 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:37,040 Speaker 1: is one example of intense paranoia that is no longer 97 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: just a personality facet but something serious. Paranoia is the 98 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: essential characteristic that people with PPD all have in common, 99 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: but the beliefs that they hold aren't just run of 100 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: the mill cautionary ways of thinking. People with PPD often 101 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: have unfounded beliefs and tend to blame and distrust others 102 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: in ways that quote interfere with their ability to form 103 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: close or even workable relationships. The disorder usually begins in 104 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 1: childhood or early adolescence and seems to be more common 105 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: in men than in women. According to the Cleveland Clinic, 106 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: PPD effects between two point three percent and four point 107 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: four percent of the general population. Unfortunately, clinical paranoia is 108 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: tough to diagnose until the symptoms progress from mild to severe, 109 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: and because pp D often co occurs with another mental 110 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: health problem like an anxiety disorder, says of compulsive disorder 111 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: and depression, it can often be mistaken for something else. 112 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,600 Speaker 1: But treatment can be challenging as well. Greenberg said, if 113 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: someone is paranoid and severely mentally ill, it can be 114 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 1: hard to get help as the person will tend not 115 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 1: to trust doctors worry that medication may be harmful, and 116 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: they may come across as angry toward others. They may 117 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: not even feel angry, But when someone is really paranoid, 118 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: there are so many things in the environment they have 119 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 1: to keep track of, and this makes interactions with others difficult. 120 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 1: For example, it's hard to have a conversation if you're 121 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:58,280 Speaker 1: wondering what someone might try to do to you, if 122 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 1: you're being watched or followed, or or even what a 123 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:03,840 Speaker 1: slight change of expression on someone else's face might mean. 124 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 1: While PPD is fairly uncommon, occasional paranoid thoughts aren't all 125 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 1: that rare. One survey found that eighteen point six percent 126 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: of participants reported feeling that people were against them. Another 127 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: survey of more than eight thousand, five hundred adults found 128 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: that people thought that there had been times when others 129 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 1: were acting against them, and yet another survey found that 130 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: nearly even thought that other people were following or spying 131 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: on them. However, if you are a loved one seems 132 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: to be experiencing paranoid thoughts that discript everyday life, there 133 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: are lots of ways to get help affordably. If you 134 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 1: have a trusted primary care doctor or other health professional already, 135 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: talk to them about how you can connect with a 136 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: mental health service provider. If not, or if you're looking 137 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: for help immediately, try going to mental health dot gov 138 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: for a list of phone numbers, online chat services, and 139 00:07:53,280 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: other resources that you can access right away. Today's episode 140 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: was written by Michelle Konstantinovski and produced by Tyler Klang. 141 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: For more than this and lots of other curious topics, 142 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 1: visit how stuff works dot com. Brain Stuff is a 143 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts to my 144 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 1: heart radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 145 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.