#much higher stakes emotionally speaking...and more avenues for potential abuses etc.

[painted-bees]

every time I read about Raf's distorted perception of people I feel so sad for him and for anyone like him. I thought at least maybe there'd be medications for paranoid disorder but no??? There isn't? People actually just live feeling like everyone wants to harm them. That's such an upsetting way to live.

It's a personality disorder that's really difficult to treat effectively because it's kind of a disorder of "personal outlook" that develops as a defense against the kinds of environments that the person was raised in (alongside genetic factors)--and uses real lived experiences (not delusions) as its scaffolding. You can treat the accompanying anxiety or mood issues with medications, but not the prevailing suspicious outlook itself. Even just getting someone to believe that they have a [paranoid] personality disorder (and that you're not lying/gaslighting/manipulating them) is often a fruitless and mishandled effort. Therapy is commonly not afforded the amount of time/commitment/seriousness that it requires to be effective--and it's really...the only viable way to treat this one.

Consistently defensive behaviors preceeded by the worst-faith reading of anything you do or say is pretty hallmark for paranoid personality disorder, exactly because folks plagued by this disorder live with the understanding that people will always try to devalue, undermine, exploit, or harm them for personal gain in any situation where they feel they can get away with it.

Being constantly on guard and emotionally armed to defend yourself...isolating, exhausting, harmful to everyone involved.

Patience and understanding when met with these behaviours are two things worth exercising if you can afford them.