Abstract
Pandemic paranoia is a real thing, experts are saying. “The pandemic has brought on great uncertainty and stress,” said Dr. Bandy X. Lee, a New York City–based forensic psychiatrist and violence expert with a long list of achievements, including having taught at the Yale School of Medicine and Yale Law School and served as a fellow of the National Institute of Mental Health, CNN reported Feb. 23. Lee is currently president of the World Mental Health Coalition. The Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide defines paranoia as “a response to perceived threats that is heavily influenced by anxiety and fear, existing along a continuum of normal, reality‐based experience to delusional beliefs.” The symptoms of paranoia can range from the very subtle to completely overwhelming and can exist with or without other mental conditions, according to Lee and major medical associations. Learning to identify your paranoia is the first step to mitigating it, Adam Borland, a Cleveland‐based clinical psychologist who has seen an uptick in patients who are experiencing paranoid thoughts and feelings since COVID‐19 became widespread. Intervention can range from self‐applied to seeking professional medical help, depending on the severity of your symptoms and how much they are interfering with your ability to function in your daily life.
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