Has anyone ever had your mind play tricks with you such as making you think people are against you or that they talk I’ll behind your back even though deep down you know it’s not true just this out there
Isn't that called paranoia?
It hasn't happened to me but it's not at all rare. It's usually a symptom of current or previous trauma/abuse. A variety of help and treatments are available through through mental health systems and charities.
If you are experiencing this, consider seeking help. Actually, d'you know what, don't bother with the considering part - just go for it.
Thanks I do see a therapist and I’m seeing my physician on Monday and I’ll talk to him about it
Wait? What have you heard? Who ..umm...who was talking about me?
@alz480 yes good idea. They will be familiar with this kind of thing.
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Weird thing... my sister used to tell me, "You're being paranoid. No one's talking behind your back."
So gaslighting or paranoia. Sometimes we want to believe the best of people so we think it's us and that 'deep down' they couldn't be doing that because we love them or we think whoever it is couldn't possibly. They can. Trust your 1st instinct its usually right "deep down" tends to be rationalization of someone else's bad behavior.
Yes. Because people do that. The ones that do it the most will do it with you, especially people who are not that intuitive. People who are most intuitive need to learn when that's happening and when it isn't. That takes life experience.
Honestly I have those same feelings. Growing up I was picked on a lot on school so I've become self conscious and anytime people are by me and talking and look at me I assume they're talking about me
Beyond paranoia, there is this thing called rejection sensitivity dysphoria, common in people with ADHD and may be worth discussing with your therapist - particularly if you've been diagnosed with ADHD or suspect you may have it.
In RSD, the combined effect of different brain wiring, heightened emotional reactivity, and repeated rejection in childhood due to mistakes and not fitting the neurotypical mold creates an emotional pathway that causes people to respond excessively negatively to perceived rejection - even if no rejection actually happened or has not happened yet. We can interpret vague phrases or body language as pending rejection and overreact, causing us to spiral into negative thought patterns and anxiety. In a way, it's very similar to PTSD but with a neurodivergent twist.
One of the biggest ways to combat RSD is just to recognize that it's happening, which is why I mention it and that it's important to talk to a therapist in order to learn coping skills if that is indeed what is going on. Plus, even if it isn't it doesn't hurt to learn emotional regulation skills to stop the spiral.
Sending hugs 🤗
@cuddlefaery very interesting. That sounds like me and I do indeed have ADHD. 🤔🤔🤔
@Jova114 ADHD is way more than just RSD, and it looks a lot different in adulthood than the stereotypical "hyper little boy bouncing off the walls and talking too much" that we tend to think of. I didn't get diagnosed until last year, even though I'm classic combined type ADHD, because in women and girls it can look different and I was a high achiever who had a lot of supports in school. It wasn't until I went through my teacher Training program and started learning more about our modern understanding of ADHD, autism, and learning disabilities that things started to click. Then it took me another 10 years to get diagnosed 🤣🤦🏻♀️
If you suspect you may have it, definitely do some research from peer reviewed sources to get a better idea of what ADHD actually is so that you are better prepared to talk to a medical professional.
@cuddlefaery thank you. I appreciate it
I think it translates into being self aware but can also bleed pretty easily into paranoia if completely unfounded. Though, I don’t think it’s grounded in a feeling that deep down you know it isn’t true. I think deep down it manifests in a fear that it is … indeed true. This internal conflict though could lay the groundwork for an added layer of complexity in almost every interaction one has with someone else which could be so terribly mentally exhausting & sometimes even overwhelming if given the mental bandwidth to self-propagate in one’s own mind, even painfully so, if its validating/triggering buried, not quite yet resolved pre-existing notions/insecurities or past traumas in one’s mind. At that point, letting go of the fear itself, irrespective of whether it’s true or not, is really one of the best solutions, outside of confronting it head-on for what it really is, if it turns out it is indeed someone talking negatively about you behind your back.
@Jova114 I think we also have to consider the fact that we live in a society that’s quick to slap labels on a people and blame the victims of psychological warfare whilst allowing the offenders of such abuse to run around scot free to continue their self-righteous and self-propagating abuse on others. Sometimes it isn’t as much a “you” problem as it is a “them” problem that needs addressing. One must seriously weigh whether it’s truly an “all in your head - figment of your imagination” type situation that you’re manifesting or if you’re actually being manipulated and gaslighted into thinking so before volunteering yourself as “the problem” for therapy.
My mom always said "If they're talking about me they're leaving someone else alone."
@PrettyLuv I see what you're saying. It's like that old quote "the more they talk about me the more it says about them"