Paranoia

I have paranoia about being followed, but I'm not psychotic. The reason I say this is due to a prior incident that triggered my paranoia. I really was being followed at one point, and since then my paranoia has gotten worse. I don't need anti-psychotics, because I'm not psychotic. I need to be able to deal with the paranoia some other way. I don't think my life is in danger anymore, but the paranoia is really affecting my daily life. I probably could be diagnosed with paranoid personality disorder, but that will never happen considering I'll never trust or be completely honest with a psychologist. I really need to find a way to convince myself that airplanes/helicopters aren't watching me and there aren't as many people following me as I think. Also, I need to find a way to not care that someone knows what I'm doing 24/7. It seems ridiculous, but it is almost embarrassing for lack of a better word. Of course, it's an invasion of privacy, but I kinda feel embarrassed that someone knows where I am and what I'm doing at all times. Plus, it's difficult thinking EVERYTHING has to do with me. I find hidden meanings in everything, and I think everyone is a potential "watcher" (not enemy/threat). Even though I don't feel that my life is in danger, it is exhausting to think everything is about me and everyone is watching me.

Is there any way to deal with paranoia without anti-psychotics? I'm not sure if anxiety meds would help or not. My thinking seems pretty set in stone at this point.

I struggle with feelings of paranoia as well. I have to be very conscious to not let my thoughts get away from me or I become very unwell. Here are some things that I find helpful:
-reality testing (listing just the facts of the situation)
-Orienting myself to the current Who, what, when, where, why of what I'm doing to keep myself centered into the present and not let my mind wander
-distracting myself with other activities so that my mind doesn't spin into these unhelpful places.

hopefully some of those help?

Cheze2 wrote:I struggle with feelings of paranoia as well. I have to be very conscious to not let my thoughts get away from me or I become very unwell. Here are some things that I find helpful:
-reality testing (listing just the facts of the situation)
-Orienting myself to the current Who, what, when, where, why of what I'm doing to keep myself centered into the present and not let my mind wander
-distracting myself with other activities so that my mind doesn't spin into these unhelpful places.

hopefully some of those help?

Well, what if you had a past that warranted true paranoia and for good reason? How would you deal with "accidentally" bumping into these psychopathic "associates" years later? How would you deal with the anger?Let's say you NEVER wanted their presence or help, but they created a sense of obligation over time. How would you feel once they catch up with you, because YOU happened to choose a better way?

-Reality Testing: What happened in the past does not mean that it will happen in the future. Right now, I only bumped into them, we're not close friends/associates like we once were. I have grown a lot and am no longer under their obligation and have learned how to manage these things if they come up in the future etc.

For the blinding feelings of anger, I find distraction helpful. I'll get in my car and drive with the music SUPER loud. Doing something physical helps too. I like intense/deep cleaning. (i know, I'm weird like that) other people like running, or going into the woods and screaming at the top of their lungs.

Also, what about writing them a letter explaining what you've been through. You don't have to send it, but sometimes it's helpful to get those things out.