As the old saw goes, even paranoids have enemies… but mental health is determined by whether you are clinically paranoid and even there we have two psychiatric diagnostic possibilities:
1) Paranoid personality disorder
World Health Organization states that common symptoms include excessive sensitivity to setbacks and rebuffs, bearing grudges, suspiciousness, misinterpretation of others' actions as hostile, a combative and tenacious sense of personal rights out of keeping with the actual situation, recurrent unjustified suspicion about a partner's sexual fidelity, a tendency to experience excessive self-importance and a preoccupation with unsubstantiated conspiratorial explanations of events.
In addition to these symptoms, a personality disorder diagnosis requires a patient to meet general personality disorder diagnostic criteria. Symptoms of paranoid personality disorder sometimes appear in other mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and delusional disorder. The primary difference is that paranoid personality disorder is a fundamental part of the patient's personality and not a psychotic disorder or a disorder with psychotic features, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychotic depression or delusional disorder. Wikipedia explains that due to the mistrusting nature of patients who suffer from a paranoid personality disorder, treatment is often difficult. Treatment options exist providing the patient is willing to cooperate with mental health practitioners. Psychotherapy, antidepressants, antipsychotics and anti-anxiety medications are sometimes effective in treating paranoid personality constructs. Reference.com
2) Paranoid schizoprenia
Paranoid schizophrenia, or schizophrenia with paranoia as doctors now call it, is the most common example of this mental illness.
Schizophrenia is a kind of psychosis, which means your mind doesn't agree with reality. It affects how you think and behave. This can show up in different ways and at different times, even in the same person. The illness usually starts in late adolescence or young adulthood.
People with paranoid delusions are unreasonably suspicious of others. This can make it hard for them to hold a job, run errands, have friendships, and even go to the doctor.
Although it's a lifelong illness, you can take medicines and find help to stop symptoms or make them easier to live with.
Paranoid Symptoms
Delusions are fixed beliefs that seem real to you, even when there's strong evidence they aren't. Paranoid delusions, also called delusions of persecution, reflect profound fear and anxiety along with the loss of the ability to tell what's real and what's not real. They might make you feel like:
- A co-worker is trying to hurt you, like poison your food.
- Your spouse or partner is cheating on you.
- The government is spying on you.
- People in your neighborhood are plotting to harass you.
These beliefs can cause trouble in your relationships. And if you think that strangers are going to hurt you, you may feel like staying inside or being alone.
People with schizophrenia aren't usually violent. But sometimes, paranoid delusions can make them feel threatened and angry. If someone is pushed over the edge, their actions usually focus on family members, not the public, and it happens at home.
You could also have related hallucinations, in which your senses aren’t working right. For example, you may hear voices that make fun of you or insult you. They might also tell you to do harmful things. Or you might see things that aren’t really there.