Paranoid Personality Disorder

Paranoid Personality Disorder is a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:

• suspects, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him or her;
• is preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends or associates;
• is reluctant to confide in others because of unwarranted fear that the information will be used maliciously against him or her;
• reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events;
• persistently bears grudges, i.e., is unforgiving of insults , injuries, or slights, perceives attacks on his or her character or reputation that are not apparent to others and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack;
• has recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding fidelity of spouse or sexual partner.

Source: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
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