Paranoia is also known as delusional disorder. It is a serious mental disorder in which the person has a series of delusion of great intensity. An individual with this disorder has various types of delusions which can be persecutory, erotomatic, jealous, somatic and grandiose or mixed in nature. The term ‘paranoia’ was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to refer more or less to almost every mental disorder. In the 19 th century, Emil Kreplin used the term to refer to cases displaying delusions and impaired contact with reality but without the peculiarity, fragmentation and severe personality, thought and behavior disintegration that is characteristic of schizophrenia.

Overview of Paranoia:

Many a times, it becomes extremely difficult to diagnose this disorder correctly as the truth and falsity of the delusions cannot be judged in an outright manner. For instance, a number of individuals still believe that the world is not round or that the Nazi holocaust against the Jews never happened despite the existing evidence. Paranoid thinking appears to be quite normal at times and focuses on the creation of a defense projection wherein the individual attributes his/her own negative traits and undesirable characteristics to others. These individuals usually suppress their own negativities and shortcomings and blame them on others. These recurrent attempts, at thought suppression lead to the development of involuntary intrusions of the targeted thoughts into conscious awareness. Gradually, these delusional thoughts begin changing into beliefs and the person develops paranoia.

Types of Paranoia:

Persecutory Type: Individuals with this type of paranoia are extremely suspicious of their close friends and relatives. They have problems in their interpersonal relationships and often complain of being threatened or being plotted against. They keep a watchful eye on others and feel that they are being stalked, spied on or being bad-mouthed. They develop false notions that they have enemies who are trying to harm or kill them.

Jealous Type: Individuals with this type of delusions often feel that their romantic partner or spouse is cheating on them.

Erotomatic Type: These individuals feel that a famous celebrity, politician or singer is in love with them and wishes to start a sexual liaison.

Somatic Type: These individuals feel that they have an incurable physical illness or disease which has an absurd nature.

Grandiose Type: The individual assumes of having acquired extraordinary power, status or authority. These individuals may claim to be a president, famous celebrity, superman or even God.

Mixed: This diagnosis is used where there are combinations of the above but where no single theme predominates.