TALK 161 FALSE BELIEFS, DELIRIUM PERSECUTION, PARANOIA
TALK 161
HOW TO AVOID FALSE BELIEFS, DELIRIUM PERSECUTION, PARANOIA
We have all heard this in one way or another, without fully understanding how it affects us. Delusions of persecution occur when someone thinks that other beings are out there to harm them even though the evidence shows otherwise. It is a form of paranoid thinking which emerges from various mental aspects, fixations or beliefs. Even when people who suffer from this condition think that their colleagues are sabotaging their work, or that the government is trying to affect them, delusions of persecution vary in severity. Some may believe they have to go far away to stay safe---which is why they struggle to function in daily life. Other people may experience false beliefs that there are people out there trying to grab them all the time, these kinds of thoughts seriously affect them, in many cases, professional help is required for this mental alteration.
Among some persecutory delusions are people who experience schizophrenia, but also manifest manic episodes of bipolar disorder with severe depression and psychosis. This type of affectation is one of the most frequent. But there are other signs of delirium disorder, where for example for a month the person has delusions, although there are no psychotic symptoms. There are people with dementia who may develop delusions, and experience persecutory disturbances from time to time. Delusional disorders are less common than illnesses that do involve psychosis. It has been detected that 1 or 2 percent of the population has experienced it. Other types of delusions include: somatization-a fixed belief based that the person has a physical defect or medical problem. Others are the conviction that someone is obsessively in love but that is not the case.
Another type of persecution disorders is when the person thinks that something bad is going to happen to them and that other people are trying to make them affected. For example, they may say: “my neighbors come into my house at night to steal my clothes from the closet” // the police are chasing me because they want to torture me” // “a malevolent spirit is trying to kill me” // the government is poisoning me through my drinking water” // “people on the street are spying on me so they can steal things from me” // “the evil ones are out there to catch me (but they don't indicate who they are)”
Sometimes people with delusions of persecution and paranoia report what bothers them to the authorities, but notice that they do nothing about it, they begin to suspect that the authorities may be involved in some way. They may also increase their frustration when no one helps them, they may feel confused as to why family or friends do not take their concerns into account, and they may be angry that no one takes any action.
There are several causes linked to psychosis, including trauma from childhood, as well as social, genetic or biological disorders.
Biological factors: involve abnormalities in the brain, an imbalance of internal chemicals, alteration by alcohol or drugs that contribute to delusions of persecution.
Childhood trauma: Some studies have linked trauma experienced in childhood to paranoia.
Genetic factors: delusions are more common in people who have family members who suffer from a mental disorder or schizophrenia.
Social factors: images in movies, books, and other media that can increase or trigger delusions of persecution.
Those who experience these delusions have some factors in common, for example: the way they think, management of their feelings, attitudes and behaviors. Although it is still not very clear what these factors cause delusions of persecution or what delusions themselves cause things to happen to them.
Some of the factors that people with delusions of persecution have in common include: