It is essential to your recovery to understand any unexplained paranoia as it can lead to extreme or exaggerated situations. Sticking to your aftercare recovery plans requires you to avoid scenarios that lead back to unhealthy habits. Sometimes, paranoia comes in the context of mental illness and can ignite with just a simple thought process or emotional fluctuation. So how do you deal with paranoia after treatment and in recovery?
Paranoia is a term used to describe the unfounded thoughts and feelings that something terrible might happen to you as caused by something you can't control. It can often get exaggerated to the point that some individuals may feel convinced of things like their neighbors are spying on them, someone is out to get them, or their spouses are unfaithful. Being paranoid can bring out jealousy, envy, and secrecy.
When individuals struggle with paranoia, they have a difficult time seeing things as reality, or they may become highly suspicious of the people around them. Complex paranoia can outweigh any rational thinking and cause intense misery for those who struggle with it. These feelings may be especially prevalent in those with schizophrenia or who have a history of substance use disorder. Paranoia can cause irrational behavior and lead individuals to try and drown out the voice in their mind telling them bad things are on their way through the use of drugs or alcohol.
If you deal with paranoia in recovery, having professional addiction recovery specialists on your side can make all the difference in your aftercare plans. Sometimes individuals may be more paranoid after leaving treatment because they worry that, without the guidance of a professional, triggers will overcome them and they will suffer a relapse.
Those diagnosed with a mental illness may suffer from substantial paranoia after leaving treatment. Before leaving addiction recovery treatment, it is vital to know if you are dealing with other mental health conditions such as depression, delusional disorder, personality disorder, or schizo-affective disorders so you can plan for those things and any potentially co-occurring paranoia.
If you struggle with paranoia, there may be an underlying cause that has not been addressed, like a mental health issue. It's natural to feel a bit of worry and be on high alert for triggers or temptations, but if this is stopping you from truly living, it's time to get help.
There are many events after leaving treatment that may trigger paranoia because your life must now look completely different from how it did before and during treatment. In addition to treatment for addiction, your recovery plan likely helped you learn coping mechanisms to work through certain emotions and think through alternatives to substance use. Using these principles can be a powerful influence in your life to eliminate paranoia.
If paranoia begins to feature itself more frequently, identify what might be causing it. This can happen when you feel more stressed than usual if you're starting to go down unhealthy paths again, or anything in between. There will be times after leaving treatment when your self-esteem and confidence may decrease, and paranoia may start creeping in. This is a cause for concern, as paranoid feelings may drive you to try and drown them out with substances, so talk to someone right away if this happens.
Many individuals struggle with paranoid delusions when they have underlying mental health disorders. However, paranoia can affect people in different ways. It may cause some people to think they're not doing enough for their recovery, while it may cause others to become suspicious of the support their friends or family show them.
You can deal with the unexplained paranoia situation by making your environment as recovery-friendly as possible and taking full advantage of the self-care techniques learned in treatment. If paranoia is leading you to unshakable or uncomfortable feelings, there are other ways to defend yourself, like reaching out to a healthcare professional or your peers. If it becomes too much for you, and expressing your feelings to people who have your best in mind doesn't help, seek clinical intervention. The treatment center you graduated from may be able to help, or at least provide resources for you to use.
When individuals go to addiction recovery treatment, they are given techniques to help them pursue a healthier lifestyle. They are taught new innovative ways to improve mindfulness to push them forward without feeling insecure or paranoid after the treatment. At NorthStar Transitions, we address possible paranoia with each client that comes to us to give them the most tools for long-term recovery.
NorthStar Transitions gives you the tools and resources you need to help you focus on the right path. Our team of professional and caring individuals will provide coping mechanisms to help you maintain your commitment to a sober lifestyle. These help you know what to do if paranoia starts hindering your progress. Our staff understands how difficult life is in the real world after leaving treatment, and we want to help you avoid the dangers of triggers and temptations. If you or someone you love is dealing with paranoia, and you think it may present a danger to your sobriety, we are here to help you. You deserve to have the best tools for dealing with anything that comes your way so you can pursue a healthy and happy lifestyle without the need for substances. For more information on understanding paranoia in recovery or to get information on substance use treatment, call us at (303) 558-6400.
