Paranoia is a word that is frequently used in today’s society to describe someone who is mistrustful in the way they view the world. Although it is now quite a common word, it has only become popular in the last two decades.

The rise of paranoia in today’s society is thought to have come about from the public’s perception that we live in an Orwellian society. The term Orwellian refers to George Orwell’s book 1984, which describes a world in which everything, down to our thought processes, is monitored. It is true that on a brief shopping trip into town we are captured on camera almost 300 times in a single day. This constant monitoring, which allows companies to know our shopping habits and people to be traced through their DNA, has brought about a rise in paranoia. It seems that in today’s Big Brother society, everyone knows everything we are doing.

Paranoia is medically classed as a psychotic disorder. The sufferer feels persecuted by others. He also usually has an exaggerated view of his own self-importance. Although paranoia is a mental illness, it is not usually an isolated condition and is often linked to some other mental illness.

It is difficult to determine the cause or causes of paranoia. Paranoid people may suffer from an emotional and mental breakdown in certain thought processes. An incident in the past may have built up unconsciously into a serious underlying mental disturbance. Repressed feelings can also be a cause of paranoia, along with circumstances or projected feelings onto other people.

The symptoms of paranoia are diverse. The most common is a distrust of people. Paranoid people always look for the ulterior motive and question others' actions. They are easily offended and unable to relax. Paranoid people may also be uncomfortable at social functions and fear being taken advantage of. Other symptoms may include stubbornness, perfectionism and difficulty in expressing forgiveness.

A paranoid person will not usually be aware that she is paranoid, no matter how much you tell her. Insisting that a sufferer is paranoid will only increase her questioning of the people around them. Paranoid people may, in time, come to realize that they are questioning every action another person takes, no matter how small, but it is very difficult for the paranoid person to break this cycle.

Treatment for paranoia is usually through behavior therapy. Behavior therapy teaches the sufferer how to be less sensitive to criticism. It also tries to make the paranoiac increase his social skills. The therapy may take a long time, as paranoia is very difficult to overcome due to the guarded traits associated with the disorder.

We are constantly taught from an early age to question others' motives, to be aware and to be mistrustful of people. The media supplies us with mass examples everyday of people who are not to be trusted: corrupt politicians, lying businessmen and warmongering world leaders. Paranoia may be a mental illness, but it may be one that society takes for granted and actually caters to.