Paranoia manifests as extreme anxiety or fear, to the point of irrationality and delusions. Paranoid delusions are usually persecutory in nature — someone or someones is “out to get them.” There is little actual evidence this is the case, but the paranoid person is quite convinced it’s true and cannot be shaken from this belief by reason or fact.

Behaviors associated with paranoia include making false accusations, and exhibiting a generalized distrust of others. A paranoid individual is much more likely to deem an incident intentional, vs. others who would see it as accident or coincidence.