Paranoid Personality Disorder - PPD

Paranoid Personality Disorder Overview- Treatment, Cause, Case study, Symptoms, Medication

Short description of Paranoid personality disorder

Paranoid personality disorder is a psychiatric condition characaterized by extreme distrust, sensitive and suspicion of others. They have a marked sense of self-importance, but easily feel shame and humiliation.

Paranoid personality disorder is characterized by a distrust of others and a constant suspicion that people around you have sinister motives. People with this disorder tend to have excessive trust in their own knowledge and abilities and usually avoid close relationships with others. They search for hidden meanings in everything and read hostile intentions into the actions of others. They are quick to challenge the loyalties of friends and loved ones and often appear cold and distant to others. They usually shift blame to others and tend to carry long grudges.

Paranoid personality disorder may first appear in childhood and adolescence with solitariness, poor peer relationships, hypersensitivity, peculiar thoughts, and idiosyncratic fantasies. There is some evidence of increased prevalence of PPD in individuals with relatives who have a delusional disorder. The prevalence of PPD is estimated to be 2% to 10% in outpatient mental health clinics. In clinical samples, this personality disorder appears to be more common in males. PPD must be distinguished from symptoms developed in association with chronic substance use, e.g. cocaine.

Cause of Paranoid personality disorder

Personality disorders are chronic patterns of behavior that cause lasting problems with work and relationships. The cause of paranoid personality disorder is unknown, but it appears to be more common in families with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia and delusional disorder, which suggests a genetic influence.

Diagnostic Criteria of Paranoid Personality Disorder

1. A pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
   1. suspects, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him or her
   2. is preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends or associates
   3. is reluctant to confide in others because of unwarranted fear that the information will be used maliciously against him or her
   4. reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events
   5. persistently bears grudges, i.e., is unforgiving of insults, injuries, or slights
   6. perceives attacks on his or her character or reputation that are not apparent to others and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack
   7. has recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding fidelity of spouse or sexual partner
2. Does not occur exclusively during the course of Schizophrenia, a Mood Disorder With Psychotic Features, or another Psychotic Disorder and is not due to the direct physiological effects of a general medical condition.

Treating the Paranoid Personality Disorder

Few individuals with a Cluster A personality disorder are particularly inclined to seek treatment. They are often forced into therapy by family or the legal system. However, life crises can precipitate self-referral. The challenge then is to engage clients with PPD in a collaborative working relationship based upon trust.

There are many types of help available for the different personality disorders. Treatment may include individual, group, or family psychotherapy. Medications, prescribed by a patient's physician, may also be helpful in relieving some of the symptoms of personality disorders, including problems with anxiety and perceptions.

Recommended medication for clients with PPD involves a combination of low-dose neuroleptics and SSRIs. However, since individuals with PPD will distrust medication, respond quite negatively to unpleasant side effects, and may well be offended by the suggestion that they take antipsychotic medication, it is likely to be more effective to delay considering medication until these clients ask about it for specific target symptoms.

Features of a paranoid personality disorder

• Suspicious
• Mistrustful
• Jealous
• Sensitive
• Resentful
• Bears grudges
• Self-importance

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Site last updated: March 4, 2008

paranoid personality disorder treatment, case study, cause, disorder paranoid personality symptom