Lingering delusions and paranoia

[Zebrawhite]

Hi, 3 months since my episode I am still feeling paranoid that people are monitoring me when I go out. Did anyone struggle with this? Is the answer to just keep going out?

[Rachel_at_APP Partner APP]

Dear Zebrawhite,

I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling with paranoia. I know some feelings we experienced can really linger, which can make recovery really challenging.

I wonder if you’re able to chat with your health professionals about this, as they might have some suggestions as to how to cope with this. In the meantime Mind have a useful guide on paranoia which may be useful to read? I’ve popped a link below for you. Ideas like keeping a diary of your thoughts, and asking yourself questions in order to challenge those thoughts.

I think it’s good you’ve identified the feeling, as in, it’s a feeling you’re experiencing as opposed to it actually being the case that you’re being monitored. Sometimes giving those feelings a name and place really helped me to try to process them. I had lots of doubt of my reality to overcome following PP - confidence was completely taken away so in my early recovery I had to do lots of checking with other people, which did give reassurance. I guess you could describe me as being very paranoid about whether I was better enough to be home. I wondered if taking some walks with a friend by a useful thing to do on days you’re feeling this as you describe particularly badly?

Thinking of you. Keep checking with your health professionals, they’ll have lots of experience in this I hope to be able to share with you.

Rachel

mind.org.uk/information-sup...