“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.