Paranoia?!?

Question

I need some help from someone who has experienced this, if it's possible. :)

I was diagnosed as being bipolar about 4 months ago. I have been severely clinically depressed for about 8 years, so I've been medicated for a long while. Anyway, my question is...if you come off your meds do you experience paranoia? Like, convinced that people hate you or would like nothing to do but hurt you? This sounds crazy, even as I type it, but I'm trying to figure out if these feelings have something to do with my meds (Lexapro & Wellbutrin), or if I just go through phases like this every once in a while. I'm insecure anyway, so that's more of what I'm asking. Is it my meds or is it just plain old insecurity?

Answer 1

Are you seeing a councelor?
You should have someone that you can talk to about these things regularly to keep you in check with reality.

It is common for someone who has been repressing mental triggers through sedatives to encounter unusual thoughts once released from the slumber.

The paranoia can be dealt with by modifying your belief systems.
Most depression tend to be a result of post traumatic stress.
I myself have experienced numerous traumas over my childhood which I did not deal with, and have suffered from compounded stress which leads to depression.
Bipolar disorder is actually the result of higher levels of depression over a period of time. If this continues the next place to go is schizophrenia. The mind has these methods of dealing.
It will take alot of introspection and objective reasoning to work through the sources of your issues.
Medicine only subdues the symptoms, which are your body telling you that your forgetting to deal with something mentally.
You must make a home for these things you could not deal with when you encountered them.
I have read books which helped me to understand my existing belief systems and suggested better ones to replace them.
Made an amazing difference to my life, although at times I am concidered delusional. It works for me, and that's what's important to my happiness and well being.
We can talk about these things if you want. I am no psychologist. Just someone who has been through more than most and has spent countless hours thinking about it all.

Answer 2

I wouldn't call your fear "paranoia". Paranoia is fear of someone or something that is totally irrational and unreal. You may very well have had experiences with people while bipolar that caused them to not like you or in someway you know they disapprove of you. I don't know how meds you are taking affect you but I have never heard of a medication inducing paranoia. What I think you have is a real fear.

What you have to do about your fears is to understand the real cause of them and face them. Bipolar people can have had episodes of very abnormal behavior and it is necessary to realize this and the impression it leaves on others. Even people who love you can be put off by your behavior while depressed or high.

The lack of understanding of and negative opinions toward mentally ill people is a real problem and one you have to face. There is not much you can do about it but try to politely educate (yourself and) them about the real nature of your mental disorder. Once you and they understand that the symptoms of mental illness are not caused by ill will or bad intent on the part of the patient they may accept you more readily as being truly ill. And if you are truly ill there is always hope for recovery to normalcy.

Good luck, good health, peace and love!

Mad Mac

Answer 3

Paranoia is an excessive anxiety or fear which is considered irrational and excessive, perhaps to the point of being a psychosis. This typically includes persecutory beliefs concerning a likely threat. In the original Greek, παράνοια (paranoia) means simply madness (para = outside; nous = mind) and it is this use which was traditionally used in psychiatry to describe any delusional state. However, the exact use of the term has changed over time in medicine, and because of this, modern psychiatric usage may vary. Paranoia is distinct from phobias where there is an irrational and persistent fear (generally without blame) of certain situations, objects, animals, activities, or social settings. By contrast, the paranoid person blames and/or fears intelligent beings for their supposedly intentional actions, which typically include persecution or mental and physical harm. Many paranoid people are socially isolated and may try to compensate for this by showing a strong interest in animals and nature, as well as computers and electronics (mostly males) or infants and young children (mostly females).

Answer 4

MY buddy's dad has this. She hates his guts and calls him loopy. yet she in basic terms found out he had paranoia those days. Her dad fairly feels all people is out to get him or attempting to take his money (he's money obsessed), so he's customarily agressive to people he's acquainted with. yet for strangers he acts actual superb. Paranoia is the irrational and protracted feeling that all people is ‘out to get you’ or which you are the concern of persistent, intrusive interest via others. This unfounded distrust of others could make it perplexing for a individual with paranoia to function socially or have close relationships. Paranoia may be a symptom of different circumstances, consisting of paranoid character illness, delusional (paranoid) illness and schizophrenia. the reason for paranoia is unknown yet genetics are thought to play a place. treatment relies upon on the situation clinically determined as its reason, and could comprise treatment via psychological scientific care or medicine.

Answer 5

I am bipolar for 16 years. Recently I went to see my psych because i felt like I was being paranoid. After discussion of what was going on (alot of people at work not acceptin me ans talking about me) he said I was not being paranoid but was being hypersensitive. I do have alot of insecurity and was personaling what was happening. I decided to start therapy again to work on some of these issues and it is really helpful.

Answer 6

Sounds like the meds. Normally, people would not be paranoid. Most people do not feel others hate them or are trying to hurt them unless they see real actions by others to make them think this. So to me it sounds like the meds.

Answer 7

It could be a mixture of both. I'm always going through life convinced that my friends aren't really my friends & that they don't really like me. It hurts, but I honestly believe it's just a mixture of both.
It could be the same for you too.

Answer 8

I don't know the meds you are taking but I confirm you that I can be happy and sad at the same time.
Sometime, people want to hurt you; they do. This is not paranoia. It's wickedness.

Answer 9

look the name of your med #up and see the side affects and see what you think make a day by day notes for your mude swing's