Is it Paranoia or do I just see people for who they really are?

[JimmyJammy]

I have often wondered if I have paranoid personality disorder. I seem to mistrust the intentions of others. However, I seem to sharply recognize when someone genuinely wanted to use me or exploit me?

Have you ever felt the same?

[Luctor]

Maybe you've just got good intuition? Hot any specific examples that might help clarify?

I also don't trust anyone. And when I do, it's usually the wrong people.

[TrcyMcgrdy1]

I thought I knew everyones true motives and thoughts when I would get too high smokin da ganj. I realized it was just paranoia. I want to say I believe it is just paranoia, but I am not you. Try and give people the benfit of the doubt untilt hey actually prove they are bad. You could ruin possible friendships with great people if you misread someones initial intentions. Maybe someone just gives off a mean vibe or talks like they are angry and wants to murk someone. Yet deep down inside they are big friendly teddy bear. Seen this so many times it isnt even funny! And there are the nice ones who in reality are dicks. They are just amsters of emotional deception.

[JimmyJammy]

Originally Posted by Luctor

Maybe you've just got good intuition? Hot any specific examples that might help clarify?

I also don't trust anyone. And when I do, it's usually the wrong people.

For example, I see from an early point when a female is not interested in me. Even though my friends are saying "go for her" or things along those lines; I can just spot it. I can't explain how or why I know. Secondly, there have been a few people I know that deep down were shady characters. I told my friends of my suspicions. They told me I was being paranoid. The weird thing is that I was right about 4 out of the 5 times. They later even admitted that the person was shady. I don't know how or why this is happening. I don't think its a coincidence.

[Luctor]

Sounds like you might have heightened interpersonal sensitivity is all. It's not uncommon in people with SA.

If you were suspicious of everyone without any evidence that would be real unhealthy paranoia.

[JimmyJammy]

Originally Posted by Luctor

Sounds like you might have heightened interpersonal sensitivity is all. It's not uncommon in people with SA.

If you were suspicious of everyone without any evidence that would be real unhealthy paranoia.

I'm not suspicious of everyone at all. I just find it weird because I can't really explain why I know certain things. I bet people here must think I'm mad.

[Viper]

I have something similar, I don't mistrust the intent of others but I regularly question whether or not they really like me, whether or not they talk about me behind my back, things of that nature.

I think in my case this pattern of thinking was brought on by events from my past. Perhaps it's the same for you? Have you been intentionally used or mistreated in the past? More likely then not what you think about their 'intentions' is not true and is simply paranoia caused by how you think and perceive things. I'm starting to think that SA is just a manifestation of PTSD, and the PTSD changes how you think and perceive events in your life. How you think and perceive changes how you act.

The best course of action is probably going to be Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and some type of medication (optional). I wish you luck.

[distinctlybeautiful]

The way I see it, if you mistrust everyone's intentions, you're bound to be right every once in a while, right? So that doesn't necessarily mean that you have this acute sense of knowing when people are using you. I think it just means you're paying more attention than the average person. See, since you mistrust everyone you're more likely to pick up on it when someone really is trying to use you. Make sense?

[tehuti88]

Paranoia actually seems to go hand-in-hand with social anxiety. I'm far, FAR more paranoid than you (to the point of creeping into the kitchen and arming myself with a knife if I see a stranger walking around outside the house, or pondering why a truck has been parked on the corner for a half hour), but I see much of it as just a part of my existing disorder, and not an aspect of another, personality disorder (paranoid personality, as you mentioned). (Though I'm also possibly schizotypal. So there's a lot of gray, overlapping area regarding such things!)

You may be paranoid, you may have good intuition; regardless of which is right, the paranoia itself might just be an aspect of the anxiety (if you have SA). I don't think that's evidence enough to toss a personality disorder into the mix. (One can never know for sure, though. I'm just saying, don't unnecessarily complicate it. )

[JimmyJammy]

Thanks for all of your responses. I just think I need to re-evaluate my thoughts.

[JimmyJammy]

Originally Posted by distinctlybeautiful

The way I see it, if you mistrust everyone's intentions, you're bound to be right every once in a while, right? So that doesn't necessarily mean that you have this acute sense of knowing when people are using you. I think it just means you're paying more attention than the average person. See, since you mistrust everyone you're more likely to pick up on it when someone really is trying to use you. Make sense?

I wouldn't say I mistrust people too much. I am right the majority of the time. I don't think it's a coincidence at all. I tend to see people's motive more clearly. I think to look at things realistically.

[JimmyJammy]

Originally Posted by Viper

I have something similar, I don't mistrust the intent of others but I regularly question whether or not they really like me, whether or not they talk about me behind my back, things of that nature.

I think in my case this pattern of thinking was brought on by events from my past. Perhaps it's the same for you? Have you been intentionally used or mistreated in the past? More likely then not what you think about their 'intentions' is not true and is simply paranoia caused by how you think and perceive things. I'm starting to think that SA is just a manifestation of PTSD, and the PTSD changes how you think and perceive events in your life. How you think and perceive changes how you act.

The best course of action is probably going to be Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and some type of medication (optional). I wish you luck.

If I'm honest sometimes I do over-analyze things. However, I have had people treat me real badly in the past for no reason. I liken it to the following experience: If a lot of girl's are turning me down for being unattractive and I get to understand the signs they give when they find me unattractive; the next time this happens I know straight away.

[JimmyJammy]

Originally Posted by tehuti88

Paranoia actually seems to go hand-in-hand with social anxiety. I'm far, FAR more paranoid than you (to the point of creeping into the kitchen and arming myself with a knife if I see a stranger walking around outside the house, or pondering why a truck has been parked on the corner for a half hour), but I see much of it as just a part of my existing disorder, and not an aspect of another, personality disorder (paranoid personality, as you mentioned). (Though I'm also possibly schizotypal. So there's a lot of gray, overlapping area regarding such things!)

You may be paranoid, you may have good intuition; regardless of which is right, the paranoia itself might just be an aspect of the anxiety (if you have SA). I don't think that's evidence enough to toss a personality disorder into the mix. (One can never know for sure, though. I'm just saying, don't unnecessarily complicate it. )

Wouldn't you say that you get a lot of things right as it were.

[JimmyJammy]

Sometimes I feel that people think I am a creep of some sort by the way they look at me. I know a kind look; from one that is very condescending and sometimes fully fierce.

[tehuti88]

Originally Posted by JimmyJammy

Wouldn't you say that you get a lot of things right as it were.

Oh yes, I do get a lot of them right. But being as paranoid as we are, sometimes it's nearly impossible to tell whether 1. we were right, 2. we just lucked out in that we happened to guess correctly, or 3. we ourselves perpetuated the belief, in that our paranoid reactions actually MADE the other party reject us or otherwise act in a way to verify our paranoia. (A self-fulfilling prophecy.)

There are days I'm absolutely CERTAIN in my paranoia. Other days, I realize my perspective must at least sometimes be skewed. It's difficult to tell which is which.

[beothuck1]

Yes I have definitely felt the same. I tend to distrust people a lot and I doubt their true intentions. I sometimes read people as being conniving or selfish in their intentions and I start to dislike them. I always try to "read" people and am perhaps way too confident in my own judgement of someone's character. I have a hard time believing something is different than what I think in my head to be the case.

I sometimes will evaluate people's entire situation and their life history as much as I know of it and tend to overanayze in my head and make rash judgements based on that. I know I am paranoid about many things. It is a hard thing to overcome, when your mind is telling you so strongly that this is the case and you start to believe (because you don't trust others) that your the only person you can trust.

[theseventhkey]

Sometimes I feel that paranoia is complete awareness.

[SunflowerGirl]

I think the problem with making your mind up about someone first just leads you to only see the things that you suspected and leading you to jump to conclusions (sometimes correct ones, but more often not). That's just my view, as I often do that myself - believing people are just out to get you or annoy you .....when often there is a good explanation for things, yet we don't want to see it.

I've just started working in a new place that's 1 big open plan room, for some reason everyone whispers to each other and that really bugs me. You just assume that if someone is whispering then they are talking about you, but stepping back and looking at the situation, they are more likely whispering as to not disturb the other people working in the office who are trying to get on with their own work....... that or they are plotting against me, lol!

[WalkerTexasRanger]

Originally Posted by theseventhkey

Sometimes I feel that paranoia is complete awareness.

I feel that way sometimes

[Reallynow]

Originally Posted by TrcyMcgrdy1

Maybe someone just gives off a mean vibe or talks like they are angry and wants to murk someone. Yet deep down inside they are big friendly teddy bear. Seen this so many times it isnt even funny! And there are the nice ones who in reality are dicks. They are just amsters of emotional deception.

Agreed.. I've found it to be the people who give of a 'mean/personal' in public kind of vibe as you describe, to be in private the most fluffy human being in the world. And then there's the nice guy who just turns out to be a total prick.. It's wierd... People's facades sometimes.

I dont trust the overly nice people, that just shows me they cant show normal emotions towards other people and possibly have to cover it up to seem approachable? those people turn as a red lightbulb for me if anything. But then you got those who sincerely mean it... those are the people you can seriously hurt by shoving their feeling away like that..