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Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety, suspicion, or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. [1] Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself (i.e., "Everyone is out to get me" ).
The word appeared in the psychological literature in 1982, when the academic journal Social Problems published an article entitled "Pronoia" by Dr. Fred H. Goldner of Queens College in New York City, in which Goldner described a phenomenon opposite to paranoia and provided numerous examples of specific persons who displayed such characteristics: [1] [2]
Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) is a mental disorder characterized by paranoia, and a pervasive, long-standing suspiciousness and generalized mistrust of others. People with this personality disorder may be hypersensitive, easily insulted, and habitually relate to the world by vigilant scanning of the environment for clues or suggestions that may validate their fears or biases.
Delusional insanity, [1] paranoia [citation needed] Painting by Théodore Géricault portraying an old man with a grandiose delusion of power and military command. Grandiose delusions are common in delusional disorder. Specialty: Psychiatry, clinical psychology Symptoms: Strong false belief(s) despite superior evidence to the contrary: Usual onset
Personality disorder is a term with a distinctly modern meaning, owing in part to its clinical usage and the institutional character of modern psychiatry. The currently accepted meaning must be understood in the context of historical changing classification systems such as DSM-IV and its predecessors.
Persecutory delusion is at the more severe end of the paranoia spectrum and can lead to multiple complications, from anxiety to suicidal ideation. Persecutory delusions have a high probability of being acted upon, for example not leaving the house due to fear, or acting violently.
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The term is a piece of computer humor entered into the 1981 The Devil's DP Dictionary. [47] Anatidaephobia – the fictional fear that one is being watched by a duck. The word comes from the name of the family Anatidae, and was used in Gary Larson's The Far Side. [48] Anoraknophobia – a portmanteau of "anorak" and "arachnophobia".