They're out to get me

People are watching me, waiting for a chance to embarrass or hurt me. Everyone is banding together against me....

Do you feel like that most of the time?

Your feelings of persecution could be perfectly understandable, a natural result of some truly stressful situation.

Or, it could be related to paranoia. In popular culture, the term paranoia is usually used to describe excessive concern about one's own well-being. Sometimes, paranoia suggests a person who believes he or she is being persecuted and that there is a threat to themselves or their property. Paraonia is also often linked to a belief in conspiracy theories. *

Will it help if you talk about this with someone in a setting where you feel safe? For free, anonymous and confidential telephone counseling that is non-sectarian and non-judgmental, call 893-7606 or 893-7603, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ask for Crisis Line, where there is help at the end of the line.

* Adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.