Paranoid personality disorder

What is Paranoid Personality Disorder?

Paranoid personality disorder or PPD belongs to the group of eccentric personality disorders. PPD usually starts in young adults and men are more prone to this condition than women. Combination of various factors is blamed for the development of PPD. These patients usually have a close relative suffering from schizophrenia and as kids they had some intense emotional or physical trauma.

Symptoms of this disorder include twisted perception of the reality. These patients believe that everyone around them is a threat, so they should be at guard at all times. Everyone else is trying to deceive them and therefore PPD patients don’t believe other people. For these people, it is hard to open and to trust anyone, because they are convinced this information will be used against them. They tend to be oversensitive, can’t take a critic and can’t forgive anyone.

PPD patient may see some hidden meanings behind everything and every situation may be the attack on their personality (although completely apparent to anyone else). Suspicions, jealousy and control are very common in the relationships of these patients, as well as distance and coldness. They are usually stubborn, argumentative and hostile personalities and relaxing may be a real problem for these people.

What Can Be Done about PPD?

Prevention of paranoid personality disorder is not possible. The person prone to this condition may learn to deal with these feelings and emotions in more positive way. If there is no advancement in the management of PPD, the person will suffer from it to the rest of his life. The condition may seriously affect professional and social life of these patients, although some are able to function normally to some extent.

The treatment is often hard for these patients since they don’t want to be treated. They don’t think there is anything problematic or to be solved, so they don’t want the counseling. Psychotherapy is the best possible treatment option for PPD, but only if the patient trust his therapist and follow the plan of the treatment. Because of the nature of this disease it is not often the case and patients frequently disagree to work with the therapists.

Psychotherapy treatments are generally focused on the coping skills and mechanisms of these patients. Therapists strive to improve their self-esteem, communication and social interactions. In some cases, medications may be the addition to the counseling. If the PPD patients are suffering from anxiety, depression or psychotic thoughts, therapists could prescribe some drugs to resolve their problems.