We always see anxiety and depression as the topic of mental health discussion in the news, however I want to talk about something that goes hand in hand with those two mental illnesses but never gets any attention — paranoia.
There are many different levels of paranoia; There are people that are paranoid practically every moment of the day, and there are people that become paranoid because of their surroundings. I'm part of the first group, where I am paranoid practically every moment of the day.
Being paranoid isn't something to look down on, it's simply refusing to trust or being suspicious. And while everybody has some experience with it, those of us that experience it on a daily basis know just how miserable it is. Here are five scenarios that every paranoid person understands. . .
1. Embarrassment is worst case scenario.
If you're going to be embarrassed, you probably just won't do it. Getting drunk is a nightmare because what if you say something stupid and somebody brings it up again when you're sober? What if you slip and fall and everybody laughs at you? I've learned that being paranoid about people laughing at you or judging you is really a waste of time and energy, but that doesn't always stop me.2. Haunted houses are a punishment.
I went to Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens for the first time in 12 years yesterday because I was so scared from the first time. I decided it was time to conquer my childhood fear and I did it, but boy was I paranoid. Even outside of the scare zones I was looking left, right, and behind me for possible scarers. Sure, I thought it was hilarious every time I got scared, but I did not like wondering when it was coming next. But that's the fun of Halloween I guess.
3. Being alone sounds fun...until you're actually alone.
I just don't understand people that enjoy spending time alone. When I'm home alone, even in the daytime, I'm looking out the window for one of those clowns to come get me. I listen for the smallest of sounds and then walk around with pepper spray, ready to catch whoever just broke in, even though it was probably my dog.
4. You always look in the mirror after you eat.
If you're like me, eating anything messy in public is a whole lot of anxiety. You always see people with food on their face and wish you could do something about it...surely you don't want that to happen to you. Not only are you worried about food on your face, you're worried about your clothes showing too much or something being on your back. But honestly, is it really that bad if those things do happen?
5. The amazing feeling that comes when something you were paranoid about turns out to not be that bad.
It's a big sigh of relief when you conquer your fear and stay home alone all night, just to wake up the next morning and realize nothing happened, or to say something silly when you're drinking and laugh about it the next day. I guess what I'm saying is it's not fun to be paranoid in the moment, but on the days when you can conquer your fears and just do it, it's a pretty good feeling.
