Table of Contents:

  1. Introduction
  2. Features of PPD
  3. Paranoid personality style vs disorder
  4. Common PPD traits
  5. Resources & FAQs

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) prototypic description:

Paranoids believe that the world is dangerous and that others will try to harm, exploit and deceive them if they open up. They are always on guard to any sign of threat. They hold grudges, never forget a slight, nor pass up a chance for revenge.

PPD is part of the schizophrenic spectrum, and is a schizotaxic PD. It may develop into a psychotic disorder (schizophrenia, schizoaffective etc.).

Features of PPD

  • Triggering Event(s): Close relationships; personal questions
  • Behavioral Style: Always tense and hypervigilant; defensive, argumentative, guarded
  • Interpersonal Style: Distrustful, secretive, suspicious, tend to isolate themselves and avoid intimacy; hypersensitive to criticism; bears grudges and blames others; reluctant to open up for fear of vulnerability
  • Cognitive Style: Mistrustful; hypervigilant; focuses on feelings (of paranoia) rather than facts; brief psychotic episodes; their need to find evidence for their paranoid suspicions gives them a tendency for authoritarianism
  • Affective Style: Cold, aloof, humourless; difficulty expressing feelings; tendency for anger and jealousy
  • Temperament: Active and hyperresponsive (narcissistic subtype); irritable (obsessive-compulsive and passive-aggressive subtypes)
  • Attachment Style: Fearful
  • Parental Injunction: “You’re different. Keep alert. Don’t make mistakes.”
  • Self-View: They're alone and disliked because they're different and better than others
  • World-View: Life is unfair, unpredictable, demanding, and dangerous; they need to be suspicious and on guard against others, who are to blame for failures
  • Maladaptive Schemas: Abuse/mistrust; defectiveness
  • Optimal Diagnostic Criterion: Paranoia, without evidence, that others are trying to harm, exploit or deceive them
  • Defining Strategy & Belief: Defensive; kindness always has an ulterior motive.

Subtypes: Fanatic; Insular; Malignant; Obdurate; Querulous (Millon)

Often comorbid with: NPD, AvPD, BPD, StPD, SzPD, OCPD, depression, OCD, agoraphobia, substance abuse

Often confused with: AsPD, StPD, BPD, NPD, AvPD, OCPD (Millon), other psychotic disorders, paranoia in other disorders, paranoia due to substance abuse, SzPD, HPD

Personality Style vs Disorder
Style Disorder
Independent and likes to rely solely on themselves. Fears that others will act against them, without evidence.
Very good at reading body language, and in between the lines. Reads too much into innocent remarks and events.
Takes criticism seriously. Bears grudges or is unforgiving of insults or slights.
Highly values loyalty, hard work, and not taking loyalty for granted Unjustly questions others' loyalty to them
Careful and cautious in new relationships Expects, without evidence, that others will hurt them
Assertive and can defend themselves, but can control their anger Easily offended and quick to anger

Traits associated with PPD:

  • Mistrustful: Reluctant to presume others’ goodwill.
  • Suspicious: Scrutinizes the actions of others for any hint of malevolent or selfish motive.
  • Vigilant: Actively scans surroundings and inspects interactions for signs of danger.
  • Cynical: Believes positive expectations will be spoiled, that human nature is inherently selfish, and that the universe is unjust.
  • Rivalrous: Actively engages in social comparison.
  • Wronged: Views self as innocent victim of injustice. Sees self at short end of social comparisons.
  • Jealous: Questions the loyalty of intimate associates, including spouse.
  • Thin-Skinned: Hypersensitive to perceived slights. Easily enraged by narcissistic injury.
  • Seething: Recounts past wrongs while boiling with anger.
  • Revengeful: Determined to “balance the books,” through own action, if necessary.
  • Guarded: Maintains self-protective posture. Indiscriminately secretive and evasive.
  • Convicted: Impervious to correction by new information or information inconsistent with previous views.
  • Humorless: Takes everything seriously. Especially unable to laugh at self. Brittle.
  • Dichotomous: Polarizes perceptions in terms of good versus evil, just versus unjust, “me versus everyone else.”
  • Self-Contained: Impervious to correction based on the advice of others.
  • Self-Important: Believes own experience has special significance. Personalizes neutral events. Constructs world with self at center.
  • Self-Righteous: Certain of own superior virtue or clearer understanding. Arrogant and indignant.
  • Self-Justifying: Views own transgressions as either a defensive necessity or as “payback” for the malevolence or wrongs of others.

This text came straight from the source and needs to be rewritten.