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Introduction
Fear and paranoia can be very distressing at times. If the people you care about don't believe you or take you seriously, it can feel even worse. It can make you feel like you are trapped in a scary situation all on your own.
As horrible as being afraid can feel - fear is a normal human emotion. It's there for a reason and can sometimes protect us from harm. The problem is that, as with anxiety, when fear goes into overdrive it can affect the way you life your life. This can sometimes become paranoia.
When people feel paranoid, they might worry that people are trying to harm them in some way. They might feel that they're being talked about, watched or followed. If someone is really distressed, they can worry that people are trying to poison them or that there's a big conspiracy that only they know about. It can be scary stuff.
As bad as it feels, some degree of paranoia is a very common experience. It tends to get worse when people are going through a rough time. In people who hear voices, paranoid thoughts can often trigger these (or vice versa). It can become a loop, where each experience sets off the other.
Many people find coping strategies that can help both with paranoia and the voices that may accompany it.
These include:
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