It is thought that a child who is exposed to an environment in which an adult has unpredictable episodes of anger and rage may not have the mechanisms to cope or escape, so instead develops a paranoid way of thinking as a way to deal with the stressful episodes.įalse belief in something that is not changed by logic and reason.

Some healthcare professionals think that this disorder may be a learned behavioral response that can be traced back to a person's childhood. Instead, it is thought to be due to a complex relationship between social factors (how a person acts with their family and friends during childhood), genetics and temperament. There is no single factor that causes the development of paranoid personality disorder. Although considered a lifelong condition, the symptoms typically decrease in intensity with age for most people with the condition, symptoms grow milder by the time they reach their 40s or 50s. Treatment may involve a combination of psychotherapy and medication.Īs with other personality disorders, paranoid personality disorder involves a long-standing and ongoing pattern of behavior, so it is typically diagnosed in adulthood. There is no cure for paranoid personality disorder however, treatments are available to help people manage their condition. It is a lifelong condition, but symptoms typically become milder by the age of 40 to 50. Paranoid personality disorder is a mental health condition characterized by a chronic distrust of friends, strangers, family and authority figures.

Paranoid personality disorder treatment