I remember always being paranoid trough out my life but never new it was paranoia. My friends would tease me and say “your so paranoid”. As I got older it became worse. In February of 2009 I had gone through several weeks of severe paranoia. I thought everyone at work was conspiring against me. I believed that law enforcement was plotting to set me up. I thought law enforcement used my neighbors to plant listening devices and cameras in my home. I even heard voices that I was being set up to be killed. I covered all the vents in my home with tape, took apart my television for fear there was a hidden camera inside and cut the wires of all my smoke detectors. Everywhere I went I believed I was being followed. If I tried to talk to anyone about it they didn’t believe me. I isolated myself from everyone with great mistrust of them. The depression and fear became more than I could handle and I attempted suicide. I was found and lay in ICU for 3 days then a week long hospital stay. During my stay in the hospital my paranoia continued. I believed the hospital staff was conspiring to kill me by poisoning my food or putting poison in my IV as I slept. I escaped from the hospital on the 3rd day but was found and brought back and strapped to my bed. After my week stay when my liver was ok, I entered a medical unit Where I was finally diagnosed with Paranoid personality Disorder and Bipolar Type 1. Through treatment and understanding of my illness I am better today. Although I still have small episodes, I am learning to distinguish them from reality. Cognitive Thinking is a useful tool. There is no known cure but you can triumph over this difficult disease with the support of understanding friends and family and the willingness and determination to get well.
