Copy - Paranoid Treatment

Paranoia

Treatment By Madison Lavergne

Summary

Paranoid or persecutory delusions are a type of fixed, false belief in which a person irrationally thinks they are being targeted or mistreated. In clinical contexts, these delusions often cause significant distress or disruption to the individual (Freeman & Garety, 2018).

SYmptoms

• ​Behavior: Socially detached, highly suspicious, possibly aggressive, argumentative, or hostile; may respond defensively or with counterattacks.
• Affect: Emotions may shift quickly but often show hostility, stubbornness, or sarcasm.
• Thought Content: Constant distrust of others; often sees negative or hidden meanings in neutral situations. Brief psychotic episodes can occur under stress, so regular checks for suicidal or homicidal thoughts are recommended.
• Thought Process: Rigid, concrete thinking, with limited flexibility in perspectives.
• Perceptions: May experience hallucinations, suggesting a possible psychotic spectrum or medical issue.
• Cognition: Potential deficits in memory, attention, processing speed, and executive function, which could indicate a more formal thought disorder, like schizophrenia (Jain, 2024)

Treatment -Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive Therapy is a method of talk therapy that aims to challenge harmful thought patterns like those experienced by people with a paranoid personality disorder. CBT helps people become more aware of paranoid thoughts, allowing them to alter how they think and eventually see things in a more realistic light (Freeman & Garety, 2018).

Article Link

Article 1 -Conginitve therpay Treatment

• The cognitive-behavioral approach to helping people with paranoid thoughts is about understanding why they believe what they do.
• These beliefs, or delusions, are shaped by their past experiences, emotions, and personality.
• To work effectively, therapists build a strong, trusting relationship, as this helps patients stick with the treatment.
• Rather than dismissing these beliefs as wrong, therapists view them as understandable conclusions based on the person's unique life. With an open mind, therapists guide patients through their beliefs to help them feel less fearful and distressed (Freeman and Garety, 2018).

Article 2- How SLOMO Helps

Targeting Thinking Biases: SlowMo focuses on reducing paranoia by addressing "jumping to conclusions" and "belief inflexibility," which drive paranoid thoughts. Slow, Flexible Thinking: The therapy encourages slower, more reflective thinking, helping individuals reconsider their fears and beliefs. Blended Therapy Approach: SlowMo combines face-to-face sessions with a mobile app, supporting patients’ use of therapy in daily life and improving engagement. Effective Results: The study found that SlowMo led to reduced paranoia, better reasoning skills, and improved quality of life, showing that it can enhance traditional CBT outcomes (Garety, n.d).

Overall

Paranoia and Cognitive Therapy (CBT) Paranoia: Persistent fear of harm from others, often seen in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. CBT Solution: SlowMo intervention addresses "jumping to conclusions" and "belief inflexibility." SlowMo Benefits:

• Encourages slower, flexible thinking.
• Blends in-person sessions with a mobile app for daily support.
• Proven to reduce paranoia and improve quality of life.
• This approach enhances traditional CBT by improving patient engagement and therapy outcomes

• Garety, P. (n.d.). Scientific summary. Digitally supported CBT to reduce paranoia and improve reasoning for people with schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis: the SlowMo RCT. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK572821/

• Freeman, D., & Garety, P. (2018, January 2). Helping patients with paranoid and suspicious thoughts: A cognitive–behavioural approach: Advances in psychiatric treatment. Cambridge Core. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/advances-in-psychiatric-treatment/article/helping-patients-with-paranoid-and-suspicious-thoughts-a-cognitivebehavioural-approach/2249747A0A5E647E1F8BFF3D6FABBB4C

• Jain, L. (2024, June 5). Paranoid personality disorder. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK606107/

Citations