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Paranoia

Disclaimer:

This publication is based on a Mind UK publication and the original version may be found here: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/a-z-mental-health/

Thank you to Mind UK for sharing their valuable content with us. Content included in Mental Health A-Z is made available free of charge and does not form part of any commercial activity. The adaptation has been done independently by Mind HK and is intended for general information purposes only.

What is paranoia? 

Paranoia is thinking and feeling like you are being threatened in some way, even if there is no evidence, or very little evidence, that you are. Paranoid thoughts can also be described as delusions. There are lots of different kinds of threats you might be scared and worried about. 

Paranoid thoughts could also be exaggerated suspicions. For example, someone made a nasty comment about you once, and you believe that they are directing a hate campaign against you.

This page covers: 

  • What kind of things can you be paranoid about? 
  • What counts as a paranoid thought?
  • Is paranoia a mental health problem? 

“In paranoia, your fears become amplified and everyone you meet becomes drawn into that web. You become the centre of a threatening universe.”

What kind of things can you be paranoid about? 

Everyone will have a different experience of paranoia. But here are some examples of common types of paranoid thoughts. 

You might think that: 

  • you are being talked about behind your back or watched by people or organisations (either on or offline) 
  • other people are trying to make you look bad or exclude you 
  • you are at risk of being physically harmed or killed 
  • people are using hints and double meanings to secretly threaten you or make you feel bad 
  • other people are deliberately trying to upset or irritate you 
  • people are trying to take your money or possessions 
  • your actions or thoughts are being interfered with by others 
  • you are being controlled or that the government is targeting you. 

You might have these thoughts very strongly all the time, or just occasionally when you are in a stressful situation. They might cause you a lot of distress or you might not really mind them too much. 

“I find it really hard to trust people as my head tells me they’re out to get me.”

Most people have paranoid thoughts about threats or harm to themselves but you can also have paranoid thoughts about threats or harm to other people, to your culture or to society as a whole. 

What counts as a paranoid thought? 

Paranoid thoughts are usually to do with your ideas about other people and what they might do or think. It can be difficult to work out whether a suspicious thought is paranoid or not, especially if someone else says your thoughts are paranoid when you don’t think they are. This could be a friend, family member or doctor, for example.

People may think about risks in different ways and believe different things are good or bad evidence for suspicious thoughts. People might also believe different things based on the same evidence. Ultimately you have to decide this for yourself.

Suspicious thoughts are more likely to be paranoid if: 

  • no one else shares the suspicious thought
    • there’s no definite evidence for the suspicious thought
    • there is evidence against the suspicious thought
    • it’s unlikely you would be singled out
    • you still have the suspicious thought despite reassurance from others
    • your suspicions are based on feelings and ambiguous events

“Another jogger looked across at me as he overtook me and my anxiety immediately crystallised around his glance. ‘Are you following me?’ I shouted. I had the thought he was an agent hired by my employer to track my movements.”

What about justified suspicions? 

Not all suspicious thoughts are paranoid. We all have good reason to be suspicious sometimes. Justified suspicions are suspicions that you have evidence for. For example, if lots of people have been mugged on your street, it is not paranoid to think that you might be mugged too and take care when walking through your area. Justified suspicions can help keep you safe. 

Evidence and justification can be lots of different things. Your evidence might be an individual experience but it might be a history of persecution or discrimination. For example, if you are a young black man and you know that police target more young black men for stop and search, it’s not paranoid to feel under greater threat of a stop and search yourself

It can sometimes be difficult to work out whether your thoughts are paranoid or whether they are justified suspicions. Our information on what counts as a paranoid thought and helping yourself can help you decide. 

Is paranoia a mental health problem? 

Paranoia is a symptom of some mental health problems and not a diagnosis itself. 

Paranoid thoughts can be anything from very mild to very severe and these experiences can be quite different for everybody. This depends on how much: 

  • you believe the paranoid thoughts 
  • you think about the paranoid thoughts 
  • the paranoid thoughts upset you 
  • the paranoid thoughts interfere with your everyday life. 

Lots of people experience mild paranoia at some point in their lives – maybe up to a third of us. This is usually called non-clinical paranoia. These kind of paranoid thoughts often change over time – so you might realise that they are not justified or just stop having those particular thoughts.

At the other end of the spectrum is very severe paranoia (also called clinical paranoia or persecutory delusions). If your paranoia is more severe then you are more likely to need  treatment. 

Paranoia can be one symptom of these mental health problems: 

  • paranoid schizophrenia – a type of schizophrenia where you experience extreme paranoid thoughts 
  • delusional disorder (persecutory type) – a type of psychosis where you have one main delusion related to being harmed by others
  • paranoid personality disorder.
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What is iACT Service?

Improving Access to Community Therapies (iACT®) is one of the services from Mind HK. Trained Wellbeing Practitioners will offer initial assessment and early intervention for people dealing with mild to moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties.

 

The service includes 6-8 sessions of low-intensity psychological support, the flexibility of the service allows individuals to receive free and timely support when needed.

If you’re aged between 18 – 65 and are facing some emotional challenges, we would like to invite you to take an online assessment for us to gain a better understanding of your current emotional struggle.

 

If you’re eligible, we’ll get you connected with a Wellbeing Practitioner within two weeks to sort out the next steps.

The service runs for about 3 months and includes 6-8 support sessions, tailored to your needs.

 

We encourage you to attend all sessions and actively practice the tips and exercises provided by your Wellbeing Practitioner.

We take your privacy seriously. Your chats with the Wellbeing Practitioner are confidential.

 

We won’t share any of your info unless you’ve provided consent or if there are risks detected.

This programme isn’t suitable for people facing emergencies, major setbacks, or those diagnosed with serious or complex mental health conditions.

 

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, this programme might not meet your needs, so please seek help right away. You can check out Mind HK’s “Find Help Now” page for immediate information and services.

Most of our Wellbeing Practitioners have backgrounds in psychology or counselling and are passionate about mental health. They’ve gone through about 140 hours of intensive training and completed at least 120 hours of supervised clinical practice over 9 months to ensure the quality of service.

 

They’re trained by accredited local experts in the mental health field, including clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, counsellors, and psychiatrists. Plus, we regularly check how effective our services are. All service outputs and performances are subject to consistent monitoring.

Who is suitable for participating in this programme?

This programme welcomes anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 who may be feeling lost or facing emotional difficulties. Please note that this programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions.

This programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions, but suitable for those who experience mild to severe moderate anxiety, mild to moderate depression, or other emotional challenges. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

After signing up, our Wellbeing Practitioner will contact you within two weeks to schedule a convenient time for a 45-minute conversation, either via video or phone call, according to your preference. During the conversation, the Wellbeing Practitioner will understand your current situation and help you gain a better understanding of your emotional state based on the questionnaire you filled out during application. Additionally, they will provide recommendations for appropriate community resources based on your needs, helping you take an important first step in taking care of your mental health.

Although the intervention procedure is mostly standardised, Wellbeing Practitioners will work flexibly with clients to address individual presenting problems and unique characteristics.

Our Wellbeing Practitioners are trained to support people who experience mild to moderate mental health difficulties primarily. This programme is not suitable for the situations mentioned above. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

Your conversations with the Wellbeing Practitioner are absolutely confidential. Any information about you will not be shared with anyone without your consent unless you or others are at immediate risk or the Wellbeing Practitioner has reason to believe that you may be in imminent danger.
Supervisors will monitor trainees’ development throughout the placement to ensure that they are meeting the required level of competency to pass the training course at the end of the placement.

Yes, it is necessary to book an appointment in advance by filling out the form. Additionally, you can select one of the five stores yourself. We will allocate clients to different Wellbeing Practitioners based on their chosen location.

Before having the conversation, we will ask you to fill out a basic questionnaire for preliminary screening assessment. This screening process aims to ensure that the training received by the Wellbeing Practitioners is sufficient to meet the needs of the individuals receiving the service. If it is determined after the screening assessment that the service is not suitable for you, Mind HK will provide alternative recommendations to ensure your safety and support.

For adults who are suitable for this service, all Wellbeing Practitioners have received training on how to identify and respond to safety and risk issues. If you have any concerns about the support process, the Wellbeing Practitioners have appropriate measures in place and will develop response plans based on the urgency of the situation. They can also access support from clinical practitioners from Mind HK or participating organisations.

What private training does Mind HK provide?

Mind HK provides 4 themes of mental health training, including: Supporting Self, Supporting Others, Family Wellbeing and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

 

Check out the brochure here for more information.

Mind HK provides a wide range of standardised mental health training, which can be tailored to different circumstances. Chat with our team to explore more! 

Our trainers come from a diverse, accredited pool of clinically experienced professionals. Check out our trainers’ biographies here.

Yes, the Mental Health First Aid class of Mind HK is internationally accredited by the MHFA International. The content and certification is delivered by trainers certified from the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong. You can find out our trainers accreditation here.

We are here to support your mental health education journey! Reach out to us and chat with our team.

What is paranoia?

What is paranoia? 

Paranoia is thinking and feeling like you are being threatened in some way, even if there is no evidence, or very little evidence, that you are. Paranoid thoughts can also be described as delusions. There are lots of different kinds of threats you might be scared and worried about. 

Paranoid thoughts could also be exaggerated suspicions. For example, someone made a nasty comment about you once, and you believe that they are directing a hate campaign against you.

This page covers: 

  • What kind of things can you be paranoid about? 
  • What counts as a paranoid thought?
  • Is paranoia a mental health problem? 

“In paranoia, your fears become amplified and everyone you meet becomes drawn into that web. You become the centre of a threatening universe.”

What kind of things can you be paranoid about? 

Everyone will have a different experience of paranoia. But here are some examples of common types of paranoid thoughts. 

You might think that: 

  • you are being talked about behind your back or watched by people or organisations (either on or offline) 
  • other people are trying to make you look bad or exclude you 
  • you are at risk of being physically harmed or killed 
  • people are using hints and double meanings to secretly threaten you or make you feel bad 
  • other people are deliberately trying to upset or irritate you 
  • people are trying to take your money or possessions 
  • your actions or thoughts are being interfered with by others 
  • you are being controlled or that the government is targeting you. 

You might have these thoughts very strongly all the time, or just occasionally when you are in a stressful situation. They might cause you a lot of distress or you might not really mind them too much. 

“I find it really hard to trust people as my head tells me they're out to get me.”

Most people have paranoid thoughts about threats or harm to themselves but you can also have paranoid thoughts about threats or harm to other people, to your culture or to society as a whole. 

What counts as a paranoid thought? 

Paranoid thoughts are usually to do with your ideas about other people and what they might do or think. It can be difficult to work out whether a suspicious thought is paranoid or not, especially if someone else says your thoughts are paranoid when you don't think they are. This could be a friend, family member or doctor, for example.

People may think about risks in different ways and believe different things are good or bad evidence for suspicious thoughts. People might also believe different things based on the same evidence. Ultimately you have to decide this for yourself.

Suspicious thoughts are more likely to be paranoid if: 

  • no one else shares the suspicious thought
    • there's no definite evidence for the suspicious thought
    • there is evidence against the suspicious thought
    • it's unlikely you would be singled out
    • you still have the suspicious thought despite reassurance from others
    • your suspicions are based on feelings and ambiguous events

“Another jogger looked across at me as he overtook me and my anxiety immediately crystallised around his glance. 'Are you following me?' I shouted. I had the thought he was an agent hired by my employer to track my movements.”

What about justified suspicions? 

Not all suspicious thoughts are paranoid. We all have good reason to be suspicious sometimes. Justified suspicions are suspicions that you have evidence for. For example, if lots of people have been mugged on your street, it is not paranoid to think that you might be mugged too and take care when walking through your area. Justified suspicions can help keep you safe. 

Evidence and justification can be lots of different things. Your evidence might be an individual experience but it might be a history of persecution or discrimination. For example, if you are a young black man and you know that police target more young black men for stop and search, it's not paranoid to feel under greater threat of a stop and search yourself

It can sometimes be difficult to work out whether your thoughts are paranoid or whether they are justified suspicions. Our information on what counts as a paranoid thought and helping yourself can help you decide. 

Is paranoia a mental health problem? 

Paranoia is a symptom of some mental health problems and not a diagnosis itself. 

Paranoid thoughts can be anything from very mild to very severe and these experiences can be quite different for everybody. This depends on how much: 

  • you believe the paranoid thoughts 
  • you think about the paranoid thoughts 
  • the paranoid thoughts upset you 
  • the paranoid thoughts interfere with your everyday life. 

Lots of people experience mild paranoia at some point in their lives – maybe up to a third of us. This is usually called non-clinical paranoia. These kind of paranoid thoughts often change over time – so you might realise that they are not justified or just stop having those particular thoughts.

At the other end of the spectrum is very severe paranoia (also called clinical paranoia or persecutory delusions). If your paranoia is more severe then you are more likely to need  treatment. 

Paranoia can be one symptom of these mental health problems: 

  • paranoid schizophrenia – a type of schizophrenia where you experience extreme paranoid thoughts 
  • delusional disorder (persecutory type) – a type of psychosis where you have one main delusion related to being harmed by others
  • paranoid personality disorder.