Caught in the web of delusions: surviving paranoid schizophrenia. I am not just schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a part of me, but not the whole me.
People back away from you when you tell them you’re a paranoid schizophrenic or they think “well that explains everything.” I get that a lot, especially when I end up in the ER.
They think I always have some warped vision of how life is which is not true (most of the time:) I’ve been doing really good for a while.
About 3.5 million people in the United States are diagnosed with schizophrenia. It affects about 1.1% of the world’s population.
In brief, the paranoid schizophrenia definition is a type of psychosis that affects a person’s thinking and behavior.
As a result, it’s characterized by delusions and hallucinations that can make it difficult to distinguish reality from fantasy. Delusions can include:
- Firstly, believing that someone is trying to harm you
- Feeling like your partner is cheating on you
- Believing that the government is spying on you
- Believing that people are plotting to harass you
- Lastly, believing that your thoughts are being broadcast over the radio
Paranoid Schizophrenia Causes
The exact causes of paranoid schizophrenia are unknown, but experts believe it’s likely caused by a combination of factors, including genetic, environmental, and personal factors.
- Firstly, genetic: Inherited genetic mutations from one or both parents
- Environmental: Stressful life events, such as abuse, loss of a loved one, or poverty
- Personal: Brain abnormalities, childhood trauma, or substance use
- Lastly, pregnancy and birth: Low birth weight, exposure to toxins or viruses before birth, or not getting enough nutrition
Other factors that may make schizophrenia more likely include: Also, drug and alcohol use, differences in brain chemistry, living in danger, and taking mind-altering drugs as a teenager or young adult.
Consequently, a stressful or emotional life event may trigger a psychotic episode in people who are already prone to schizophrenia.
Stressful life events
Caught in the web of delusions: surviving paranoid schizophrenia. Highly stressful or life-changing events may sometimes trigger schizophrenia. These can include:
- firstly, being abused or harassed
- losing someone close to you
- additionally, being out of work
- feeling lonely or isolated
- having money problems
- lastly, becoming homeless.
Genetic inheritance
Accordingly, you are more likely to have schizophrenia if you have a parent or sibling who has experienced psychosis. Researchers aren’t yet sure why but they think that some genes might make it more likely.
Living in certain environments seems to increase your risk of schizophrenia too. For example, some studies suggest that living in cities increases the likelihood, but researchers don’t yet know why.
Differences in brain chemistry
Altogether, studies show that people can be more likely to experience schizophrenia if their brain development was disrupted during pregnancy or early childhood. Changes in brain structure do not appear in everyone with schizophrenia though.
Some chemicals also seem to behave differently in the brains of people who experience schizophrenia. These chemicals are thought to include dopamine, which helps to carry messages between brain cells.
Also, some research suggests that an imbalance between certain neurotransmitters, including dopamine and serotonin, may be one of the causes behind schizophrenia.
Antipsychotics, which are sometimes used to treat schizophrenia, can help to lower dopamine levels.
Early Signs of Paranoid Schizophrenia
Caught in the web of delusions: surviving paranoid schizophrenia. Subsequently, as people are equally likely to get this brain disorder, but guys tend to get it slightly earlier. On average, men are diagnosed in their late teens to early 20s.
Women tend to get diagnosed in their late 20s to early 30s. Although, people rarely develop schizophrenia before they’re 12 or after they’re 40.
Paranoid schizophrenia can be hard to diagnose for a few reasons. One is that people with the disorder often don’t realize they’re ill, so they’re unlikely to go to a doctor for help.
Another issue is that many of the changes leading up to schizophrenia, called the prodrome, can mirror other normal life changes.
For example, a teen who’s developing the illness might drop their group of friends and take up with new ones. They may also have trouble sleeping or suddenly start coming home with poor grades.
Emphatically, some research suggests that if a doctor strongly thinks someone is getting the disorder while still in this early phase, low doses of antipsychotic medication might delay it.
More studies need to be done to know whether these drugs work for young people at risk for the disease.
Signs and Symptoms of Paranoid Schizophrenia
There are currently no physical or lab tests that can diagnose schizophrenia, but they can help rule out other conditions that sometimes have similar symptoms. Such as seizure disorders, metabolic disorders, thyroid dysfunction, brain tumor, and drug use.
The following symptoms of schizophrenia fall into three broad categories: positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive symptoms.
Positive Symptoms
Caught in the web of delusions: surviving paranoid schizophrenia. Positive symptoms refer to thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors that are present in people with schizophrenia, but not in other people.
These symptoms can come and go. Sometimes they are severe and at other times hardly noticeable.
Hallucinations – Hallucinations are false perceptions. Therefore, the person may hear, see, feel, smell, or taste things that are not actually there.
The most common type of hallucination is auditory hallucinations.
- Auditory: Hearing things that other people cannot hear. Many people with the disorder hear voices. The voices may talk to the person about his or her behavior, order the person to do things, or warn the person of danger. Besides, sometimes the voices talk to each other.
- Visual: Seeing things that are not there or that other people cannot see.
- Tactile: Even more, feeling things that other people don’t feel or feeling something is touching their skin that isn’t there.
- Olfactory: Smelling things that other people cannot smell, or not smelling the same thing that other people do smell.
- Gustatory: Hence, Tasting things that are not there.
Delusions – Delusions are false beliefs that are held in spite of invalidating evidence. Hence, people hold these beliefs strongly and usually cannot be “talked out” of them. The content of the delusions may include a variety of themes. Some examples include:
- Delusions of persecution: Generally, the belief that they (or someone close to them) are being plotted or discriminated against, spied on, threatened, attacked or deliberately victimized.
- Delusions of reference: When an individual attaches special personal meaning to actions of others or to various objects and events when there is no information to confirm this. The person may believe that certain gestures, comments, or other environmental cues are specifically directed at him or her. For example, it may seem as if special personal messages are being communicated to them through the TV, radio, or other media.
- Somatic delusions: False beliefs about their body. For example, that a terrible physical illness exists or that something foreign is inside or passing through their body.
- Delusions of grandeur: Fourthly, the belief that they are very special or have special powers or abilities.
- Delusions of control: The belief that their feelings, thoughts, and actions are being controlled by other people.
Thought disorders: Thought disorders are unusual or dysfunctional ways of thinking. Indeed, one form of thought disorder is called “disorganized thinking.” This is when a person has trouble organizing his or her thoughts or connecting them logically. Henceforth, they may string words together in an incoherent way that is hard to understand, often referred to as a “word salad.”
The person may make “loose associations,” where they rapidly shift from one topic to an unrelated topic, making it very difficult to follow their conversation.
Also, “thought blocking” may occur in which the person stops speaking abruptly in the middle of a thought. When asked why they stopped talking, the person may say that it felt as if the thought had been taken out of his or her head.
Furthermore, a person with a thought disorder might make up meaningless words, or “neologisms,” or perseverate which means to persistently repeat words or ideas.
Negative Symptoms
Caught in the web of delusions: surviving paranoid schizophrenia. In addition, negative symptoms are the absence of thoughts, perceptions, or behaviors that are ordinarily present in other people. These symptoms are often stable throughout much of the person’s life.
Affective flattening – Particularly, affective flattening is characterized by a reduced range of emotional expressiveness, including limited or unresponsive facial expression, poor eye contact, and reduced body language.
The expressiveness of the person’s face, voice tone, and gestures may be reduced or restricted. However, this does not mean that the person is not reacting to his or her environment or having feelings.
Alogia – In a word, alogia, or poverty of speech, is the lessening of speech fluency and productivity. The person may have difficulty or be unable to speak and may give short, empty replies to questions.
Avolition – Avolition is the difficulty or inability to begin and persist in goal-directed behavior. Nonetheless, it is often mistaken for apparent disinterest. The person may not feel motivated to pursue goals and activities. Otherwise, they may have little sense of purpose in their lives and have few interests. They may feel lethargic or sleepy, and have trouble following through on even simple plans.
Anhedonia – In any event, anhedonia is defined as the inability to experience pleasure from activities one used to find enjoyable. For example, the person may not enjoy watching a sunset, going to the movies, or close relationships with other people.
Cognitive Symptoms
Cognition refers to mental processes that allow us to perform day-to-day functions, such as the ability to pay attention, to remember, and solve problems.
Nonetheless, cognitive impairments are considered a core feature of schizophrenia and contribute to difficulties in work, social relationships, and independent living.
Some examples of cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia include:
- Firstly, trouble concentrating or paying attention
- Poor memory
- Slow thinking
- Lastly, poor executive functioning. (Executive functions include the ability to plan, solve problems, and grasp abstract concepts.)
The Stages of Paranoid Schizophrenia
The First 2 Phases of Schizophrenia
Caught in the web of delusions: surviving paranoid schizophrenia. In particular, schizophrenia tends to happen in episodes, in which you cycle through all three stages in order. These cycles are hard to stop without help from a doctor.
In the first, prodromal phase, friends and family might notice strange behavior. In sum, you might want to be alone much of the time and may start to talk only about certain topics, such as religion, the government, or a particular public figure.
Specifically, this phase can last from weeks to years. Some people with schizophrenia never go past this point, but most do.
The active phase (sometimes called “acute”), can be the most alarming to friends and family. Thus, it causes symptoms of psychosis like delusions, hallucinations, and jumbled speech and thoughts. Sometimes, this phase appears suddenly without a prodromal stage.
The Residual Phase of Schizophrenia
Doctors sometimes call this the “recovery” phase. In many ways, it mirrors the prodromal phase. In due time, the more intense symptoms, like hallucinations, start to fade. But you may still have some strange beliefs. You’re also likely to withdraw into yourself and talk less.
In fact, you might have trouble concentrating or keeping your thoughts straight. You can become depressed as you become aware of the episode.
Therapy for Paranoid Schizophrenia
Caught in the web of delusions: surviving paranoid schizophrenia. The main type of talking therapy recommended for the treatment of schizophrenia is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
This helps you identify and change any negative thoughts or behaviour that is making your life hard. CBT aims to help you:
- firstly, cope with symptoms of psychosis such as delusions or hearing voices
- ease stress so your symptoms don’t get worse
- manage any side effects from medication
- lastly, cope with other problems like social anxiety and depression, which people with schizophrenia may also experience.
Medicine for Paranoid Schizophrenia
What different types of antipsychotic are there?
In sum, Antipsychotic drugs tend to fall into one of two categories:
- first generation (older), or ‘typical’ antipsychotics (Haldol, Anquil, Chlorapromazine)
- second generation (newer), or ‘atypical’ antipsychotics. (Abilify, Clozapine, Latuda, Zyprexa)
Both types can potentially work for different people. They also have different side effects.
First generation (older) antipsychotics
Key facts:
- Firstly, these are sometimes referred to as ‘typicals’.
- They divide into various chemical groups which all act in a very similar way and can cause very similar side effects, including severe neuromuscular side effects.
- But they are not all the same. For example, some may cause more severe movement disorders than others, or be more likely to make you more drowsy.
Second generation (newer) antipsychotics
Key facts:
- Firstly, These are sometimes referred to as ‘atypicals’.
- In general, they cause less severe neuromuscular side effects than first generation antipsychotics.
- Some are also less likely to cause sexual side effects compared to first generation antipsychotics.
- But second generation antipsychotics may be more likely to cause serious metabolic side effects. This may include rapid weight gain and changes to blood sugar levels.
Caught in the web of delusions: surviving paranoid schizophrenia. Besides the side effects that you may experience from drugs in either group will vary, depending on your dose and how you respond to the drug that you are prescribed.
What is high functioning schizophrenia?
Caught in the web of delusions: surviving paranoid schizophrenia.
“High functioning schizophrenia” is a term used when people with schizophrenia function well in life despite their diagnosis.
Thereupon, this might mean they maintain strong personal relationships, have a steady job, or are able to live independently.
A diagnosis of schizophrenia must include at least two of the following symptoms, with one of these symptoms being among the first three:
- firstly, delusions
- hallucinations
- disorganized speech
- severely disorganized or catatonic behavior
- lastly, negative symptoms
The symptoms must occur frequently for at least 1 month, with some symptoms lasting for more than 6 months.
In addition, you’ll need to have experienced reduced functioning in one or more important areas of life, such as personal relationships, work, or self-care.
Living With a Paranoid Schizophrenic
Here are some tips for living with someone who has paranoid schizophrenia:
- Be supportive. Let them know you understand how they feel and offer support. So, try to stay positive and calm, and avoid arguing or blaming them.
- Create a safe environment. Give them space so they don’t feel trapped, and try to reduce stress. You can also try to move them away from things that might be causing fear or activity.
- Encourage treatment. Ask how you can help, and encourage them to see a mental health professional. You can also help them find the right medication and therapy, and stick to their treatment plan.
- Educate yourself. Learning about schizophrenia can help you understand symptoms and how to cope with them. You can also help your loved one set realistic goals and be patient with their recovery.
- Practice self-care. Finally, you can get support from voluntary organizations to help you cope with your own feelings.
Dealing With Paranoid Schizophrenia
Caught in the web of delusions: surviving paranoid schizophrenia. Dealing with paranoid schizophrenia hasn’t been the most easy life, but interesting. Therefore, I get to see things (hallucinations) that most people don’t see.
My mind makes up stories (delusions) that are out of this world. I shouldn’t make lite of it, but it is true.
I just go with the flow of life. If I’m having an ‘episode,’ I just let it take it’s course. Subsequently, I can’t stop them, they just seize to end on their own accord.
My last one started around September 2022 and ended about April 2024. I’m kind of guessing on the months. It centered around my cat being sick.
I’m on Zyprexa for them, but it doesn’t work that good. This is the medicine that is causing the Parkinson’s symptoms. I’m hoping the microdosing works for it.
Sum It All Up
Caught in the web of delusions: surviving paranoid schizophrenia. Sum it all up…what can I say? To reiterate, I have paranoid schizophrenia, but that is not who I am.
I do have a personality that people tend to ignore once they hear the diagnosis.
Can you tell that irritates me. I beileve I’m what’s considered a ‘high functioning schizophrenia’ person. Therefore, I can still live my life day to day.
Although, I have problems when changing my routine. When my laptop was down for a week, I couldn’t do the blog.
I felt so lost. So, I know I need a consistent routine in order to function ok. If I don’t have that, I’m in trouble. Though, I tried doing something else, but it wasn’t the same. Consistency…that’s the ticket. Until next time…
Articles About Paranoid Schizophrenia
-Paranoid Schizophrenia
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23348-paranoid-schizophrenia
-Schizophrenia: Helping Someone Who Is Paranoid
-Paranoia as a Symptom of Schizophrenia
Have a Good One,
Cindee Murphy, One Voice In The Vastness Of Emotions
“Living with schizophrenia requires immense courage and resilience, as we navigate a world that may not always understand or accept us. But let us remember that our experiences and perspectives are valid, and that our journey has the potential to inspire and empower others.”― Dr. Rameez Shaikh
“I have schizophrenia. Still, I am not schizophrenia. Also, I am not my mental illness. My illness is a part of me.” — Jonathan Harnisch
“You’re not your illness. You have an individual story to tell. Also, You have a name, a history, a personality. Staying yourself is the battle.” – Julian Seifter, youthdynamics.org
“I have schizophrenia. My eyes do see. My ears do hear. I am still me, so let’s be clear. My memory may fade, my walk may slow, but I am me inside. Don’t let me go.” – Unknown, youthdynamics.org
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