Paranoia

In psychiatry, paranoia is a wrong perception in which a person thinks others are planning to harm them. A paranoid person may believe people are concerned with everything they are doing (for example, "Everyone is watching me", or "Talking about me"). These beliefs can also be persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself (e.g., "Everyone is out to get me"). 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. Paranoia is distinct from phobias, which also involve irrational fear, but usually no blame. Making false accusations and carrying a general distrust of other people also frequently accompany paranoia. For example, a paranoid person might believe an incident was intentional when most people would view it as an accident or coincidence. Paranoia is a central symptom of psychosis.