The difference between delusions and hallucinations

Hallucinations vs. Delusions: What’s the Difference?

Medically reviewed by Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW — By Jaime Herndon, MS, MPH, MFA on June 4, 2021

Symptoms of psychosis like hallucinations and delusions often overlap. This means it can be easy to get them mixed up. Although they’re both symptoms of psychosis and are part of an altered reality, the two symptoms have one major difference — one is sensory, and one is cognitive.

Knowing the difference between the two can help differentiate symptoms and get the appropriate treatment. In this article, we’ll compare hallucinations and delusions, including what causes them and how they’re treated.

Hallucinations and delusions are often grouped together when talking about various illnesses or conditions, but they’re not the same. While both of them are part of a false reality, a hallucination is a sensory perception and a delusion is a false belief.

For instance, hallucinations can involve seeing someone who isn’t there or hearing people talking when there is no one around. Delusions, on the other hand, can involve someone thinking they are a celebrity when they’re not, for example.

Sometimes illnesses or medical conditions can cause hallucinations and/or delusions, or even psychosis. These illnesses can include:

Parkinson’s disease
Huntington’s disease
brain tumors
certain forms of dementia, like Alzheimer’s disease
syphilis
HIV
some forms of epilepsy
stroke
substance use or withdrawal

Knowing the underlying causes of hallucinations and/or delusions is important, since an accurate diagnosis will help guide treatment.

Hallucinations are sensory experiences that one perceives as real when they’re actually not. They can be caused by medications, substance use, or certain medical or mental health conditions.

Hallucinations can be visual, olfactory (your sense of smell), gustatory (taste), auditory, or tactile. Someone might think they feel bugs on their skin, hear someone talking to them, see something that isn’t there, or even smell something that isn’t present.

Medical conditions that can cause hallucinations can include:

substance use
mental illness
lack of sleep
medications
migraine
seizures
social isolation
deafness, blindness, or vision problems
epilepsy
high fevers

Delusions are beliefs that are obviously false. They’re symptoms of a disturbance in thinking.

The belief in a delusion isn’t accounted for by cultural or religious background. They also have nothing to do with the intelligence of the person who believes them. These beliefs are held even with evidence of the contrary and despite what almost everyone else thinks.

Delusions can be about almost anything, but common types of delusions include:

delusion of persecution
delusion of infidelity
delusions of love
delusions of grandeur
religious delusions

delusions of guilt or unworthiness
nihilistic delusions

Conditions that may cause delusions can include:

schizophrenia
affective psychosis, like in bipolar psychosis
delusional disorder

Is hearing voices a hallucination or a delusion?

Hearing voices is a hallucination. This is because hearing voices a sensory experience that isn’t real.

Delusions are beliefs, not experiences, so hearing voices would not be a delusion. A delusion would be someone believing that a person wants to hurt them, not simply hearing a voice.

In schizophrenia, an individual appears to have lost touch with reality. It’s often diagnosed after a psychotic episode, which can include hallucinations and delusions.

While these are often symptoms of schizophrenia, hallucinations and delusions present with other symptoms like:

flat affect
difficulty with everyday functioning
problems with thinking and memory

What is psychosis?

Psychosis is when a person has lost contact with reality. The person has disturbances in thinking and perception, and they may not know what’s real and what isn’t.

Hallucinations and delusions are often symptoms of psychosis. This is because they represent breaks with reality.

Treatment for hallucinations depends on what’s causing them. Medications may be used, along with counseling.

The specific medication that will be prescribed depends on what the hallucinations are a symptom of. Counseling can help you with insight into what you’re experiencing and work with you to develop coping strategies.

If the hallucinations are because of a medication, your doctor may reduce the dosage of that medication or discontinue it.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective way to treat delusions. CBT therapy is a process that involves building a relationship with a mental health professional, recognizing how delusions are affecting you, and implementing CBT strategies.

If the delusions are part of psychosis, CBT is often used together with antipsychotic drugs.

It can be easy to confuse hallucinations and delusions. Both are symptoms of psychosis, and indicate a break from reality. They also often occur together.

But though the two are related, hallucinations and delusions each have their own unique symptoms. Hallucinations indicate more of a sensory experience, and delusions are a false belief.

There are ways to help treat and manage hallucinations and delusions. With medication and therapy, an individual can manage their symptoms appropriately.

If you or a loved one are living with hallucinations or delusions, talk with your doctor. They can help you with next steps to get help, or refer you to a mental health professional who has more specialization and can provide the support you need.

Last medically reviewed on June 4, 2021

How we vetted this article:

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Bell V, et al. (2021). Derationalizing delusions.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7820571/
Health Quality Ontario. (2018). Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis: A health technology assessment.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6235075/
Lancellotta E, et al. (2019). Are clinical delusions adaptive?
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6899558/
Schizophrenia. (2020).
nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/
Steps for working with delusions. (2021).
bcss.org/support/how-do-i-get-help-for-my-loved-one/steps-working-delusions/
What is psychosis? (n.d.).
nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/raise/what-is-psychosis

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Jun 4, 2021

Jaime R. Herndon, MS, MPH, MFA

Edited By

Debbie Nurmi

Medically Reviewed By

Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW, CYT

Copy Edited By

Connor Rice

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW — By Jaime Herndon, MS, MPH, MFA on June 4, 2021

Hallucinations vs. Delusions: What’s the Difference?

Medically reviewed by Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW — By Jaime Herndon, MS, MPH, MFA on June 4, 2021

Sometimes illnesses or medical conditions can cause hallucinations and/or delusions, or even psychosis. These illnesses can include:

Parkinson’s disease
Huntington’s disease
brain tumors
certain forms of dementia, like Alzheimer’s disease
syphilis
HIV
some forms of epilepsy
stroke
substance use or withdrawal

Knowing the underlying causes of hallucinations and/or delusions is important, since an accurate diagnosis will help guide treatment.

Hallucinations are sensory experiences that one perceives as real when they’re actually not. They can be caused by medications, substance use, or certain medical or mental health conditions.

Medical conditions that can cause hallucinations can include:

substance use
mental illness
lack of sleep
medications
migraine
seizures
social isolation
deafness, blindness, or vision problems
epilepsy
high fevers

Delusions are beliefs that are obviously false. They’re symptoms of a disturbance in thinking.

Delusions can be about almost anything, but common types of delusions include:

delusion of persecution
delusion of infidelity
delusions of love
delusions of grandeur
religious delusions
delusions of guilt or unworthiness
nihilistic delusions

Conditions that may cause delusions can include:

schizophrenia
affective psychosis, like in bipolar psychosis
delusional disorder

Is hearing voices a hallucination or a delusion?

Hearing voices is a hallucination. This is because hearing voices a sensory experience that isn’t real.

Delusions are beliefs, not experiences, so hearing voices would not be a delusion. A delusion would be someone believing that a person wants to hurt them, not simply hearing a voice.

In schizophrenia, an individual appears to have lost touch with reality. It’s often diagnosed after a psychotic episode, which can include hallucinations and delusions.

While these are often symptoms of schizophrenia, hallucinations and delusions present with other symptoms like:

flat affect
difficulty with everyday functioning
problems with thinking and memory

What is psychosis?

Psychosis is when a person has lost contact with reality. The person has disturbances in thinking and perception, and they may not know what’s real and what isn’t.

Hallucinations and delusions are often symptoms of psychosis. This is because they represent breaks with reality.

Treatment for hallucinations depends on what’s causing them. Medications may be used, along with counseling.

If the hallucinations are because of a medication, your doctor may reduce the dosage of that medication or discontinue it.

If the delusions are part of psychosis, CBT is often used together with antipsychotic drugs.

It can be easy to confuse hallucinations and delusions. Both are symptoms of psychosis, and indicate a break from reality. They also often occur together.

But though the two are related, hallucinations and delusions each have their own unique symptoms. Hallucinations indicate more of a sensory experience, and delusions are a false belief.

There are ways to help treat and manage hallucinations and delusions. With medication and therapy, an individual can manage their symptoms appropriately.

Last medically reviewed on June 4, 2021

How we vetted this article:

Bell V, et al. (2021). Derationalizing delusions.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7820571/
Health Quality Ontario. (2018). Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis: A health technology assessment.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6235075/
Lancellotta E, et al. (2019). Are clinical delusions adaptive?
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6899558/
Schizophrenia. (2020).
nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/
Steps for working with delusions. (2021).
bcss.org/support/how-do-i-get-help-for-my-loved-one/steps-working-delusions/
What is psychosis? (n.d.).
nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/raise/what-is-psychosis

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Jun 4, 2021

Jaime R. Herndon, MS, MPH, MFA

Edited By

Debbie Nurmi

Medically Reviewed By

Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW, CYT

Copy Edited By

Connor Rice

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW — By Jaime Herndon, MS, MPH, MFA on June 4, 2021

Delusions of persecution, its symptoms and treatment

Delirium of persecution, what is it? It is quite difficult for a simple person to explain this from a medical point of view. In this article we will try to deal with this concept, the causes of its appearance, symptoms and treatment of this disease.

What is delusions of persecution?

So, first we will try to understand this concept in simple words. Delusion of persecution is a mental disorder characterized by constant thoughts of persecution, surveillance, which can harm the life and health of a patient. The patient may talk about being constantly pursued by some creatures or a group of people. These creatures are often fictional, but sometimes it seems to a person that he is being pursued by very real people: relatives, friends, relatives.

Professionals also refer to persecutory delusions as persecutory delusions. In the people, this disease was called "persecution mania", although this disorder does not apply to manic diseases. Persecutory delusional syndromes include suspicion, anxiety, isolation, jealousy, life-threatening thoughts, psychosis, insomnia, and other symptoms.

Causes of the disease of delusions of persecution

The causes of delusions of persecution are a predisposition to this kind of disease. It is also possible to develop this disease with:

disorders of the central nervous system;
psychological traumas such as social problems, negative family environment, violence;
permanent state of stress;
alcohol or drug poisoning;
diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, tumors.

Disease pathogenesis

The formation of the disease is preceded by a delusional mood - anxiety, suspicion, a sense of constant threat. With the development of hallucinations, affective disorders, the pathogenesis of delusions of persecution is different. The perception of what is happening is disturbed: the patient feels touches or voices from creatures unknown and invisible to other people. The origin of these phenomena is not clear to him, and this causes a growing sense of anxiety.

Delirium is a way to find an explanation for what is happening. The person does not feel relief, impulsive, although the strength may be running out.

Symptoms or how the disease manifests itself

The symptoms of delusions of persecution are mainly external factors. A person suffering from this mental illness is constantly afraid of persecution and worries about it. Its main manifestations are the conviction of a person that someone wants to harm him. If these are elderly people, as a rule, they are afraid of the persecution of loved ones - spouses, children, grandchildren. Schizophrenic or alcoholic paranoia is accompanied by thoughts of persecution by the government, secret services, demons, werewolves. In patients, behavior changes, both in behavior and in emotions. A person becomes distrustful, withdrawn, seeks to isolate.

With persecutory delirium, a person feels that he has been harmed, offended, that he suffers from others, that someone is constantly chasing him. It seems to patients that they are constantly under someone's attention. Often, along with delirium, the patient experiences anxiety, fear, panic attacks, and loses the possibility of critical thinking. The patient becomes selective, concentrates on details, perceives any events differently. The progression of the disease increases the number of pursuers. The later stages of delirium make enemies of almost everyone around. Patients stop communicating even with relatives, they do not let anyone in. Often they turn to various bodies with complaints and statements.

Also, one of the symptoms and signs of delusions of persecution is insomnia, distrust not only of strangers, but also of those closest to you, constant isolation, immersion in your thoughts with a complete disconnection from reality, irritability and attacks of aggression.

Symptoms of persecutory delusions have 3 stages of development:

First stage. The easiest stage, at which there is constant anxiety, fear, as well as some signs of social phobia

Second stage. Characterized by antisocial behavior, difficulty communicating with loved ones. A person with an average stage of persecutory delusions easily loses his balance, becomes extremely suspicious, constantly fears for himself and his property

Third stage.

At this stage, a person has a depressive disorder, the condition of a person as a whole worsens. This is the most dangerous stage, because, being under the influence of hallucinations, a person can harm himself and others. This can be both suicide attempts and harming others for trying to harm a person with this disease.

Classification of persecutory delusions

Delusions of persecution are of two types: primary and secondary. Primary delirium is the stage that is expressed by anxiety. The secondary is already expressed by hallucinations. They also distinguish types of delusions by gender, by reason of occurrence and by type of manifestation.

Delusions of persecution in women are mainly associated with hormones. It can be anything from a teenage hormone surge to pregnancy. Doctors note a significant manifestation of pathology during stressful situations. Often, this pathology in women is projected onto all family members. The constant feeling of surveillance provokes hysteria in women. With an increase in pathology, an increase in temperature is observed and an increase in heart rate is possible.

Delusions of persecution in men manifest themselves in the form of deep depression. Also, the male population is more likely to experience attacks of aggression. Feeling persecuted on an ongoing basis leads to suicidal thoughts and suicide in particular.

There are also other types of delusions, for example, alcoholic delusions of persecution. This type of delusion of persecution is most often expressed in auditory hallucinations. These hallucinations are heard by the patient in the form of voices that talk about the patient in a rather dramatic way. Most often they communicate with each other, talking about the patient in the third person. Alcoholic delirium manifests itself suddenly. According to the course of the disease, two forms are distinguished: acute and subacute. In the subacute form of delirium, no oddities in the patient's behavior are noticed, there are no signs of alcoholism and hallucinations, while in the acute form alcoholism plays an important role in the development of the disease. The patient has gross trembling and gastric phenomena. The voices in the patient's head often turn to him with abuse. With a slow course of the disease, patients do not pay attention to delusional thoughts and can easily be in society. In a more acute course, the patient is so much immersed in himself and anxiety about the future that he can also calmly be in society without contact with people.

Delusions of persecution in drug addicts practically do not differ from those of alcohol. The patient, against the background of the use of psychotropic drugs, begins to show schizoid signs, a persecution mania appears, a fear of leaving the house, and every suitable person becomes an enemy. There are also frequent cases of auditory and visual hallucinations.

Another type - delusions of persecution in schizophrenia is considered the most common type of delusion. The only thing that betrays him is the formation of a new “I”, different from the essence of a person, as well as the obsession of various ideas, depending on the type of disease. In particular, the symptoms of persecutory delusions are complicated and expanded due to various reactions to ridicule, bullying, and more.

Delusion of persecution by type of manifestation:

Delusion of damage
Manifested by the patient's constant thoughts that someone or something wants to harm or steal his property.
Delusion of poisoning
The patient thinks that the pursuers are poisoning food and water.
Delusion of relationship
People and objects surrounding the patient acquire a special meaning for him. Voices in his head begin to condemn the plan to harm the patient or treat him badly.
Delusions of influence
The patient assumes that something affects his psychological or physical state with the help of rays, waves, or hypnosis.
Delusion of querulism
The patient thinks that people around him infringe his rights in every possible way. He has a craving for lawsuits, the struggle for justice.
Delusions of jealousy
There are ideas about betrayal or betrayal by a partner.
Staging delusions
The patient is sure that everything that happens around him is part of the performance, and everyone around him is actors.
Delirium of possession
A person believes that something otherworldly has moved into his body, but his thoughts remain unchanged.
Double delusion
There are two varieties of this delusion: positive and negative. With a positive form of double delirium, a person believes that all people unfamiliar to him are close or relatives. With a negative process, the process is reversed: people familiar to a person seem to be strangers to him.
Delusion of metamorphosis
The patient believes that he has been reborn into some object or the like. With this form of delirium, the patient is haunted by involuntary transformations without his knowledge.
Delusions of accusation
It seems to the patient that all people accuse him of some misconduct.

Complications of delusions of persecution

The consequences of this disease can both shake the psyche of a person and bring him to suicide.

With a long-term development of the disease without medication, patients lose the ability to perceive reality correctly, to soberly assess existing objects, people and phenomena.

Everything that surrounds a person seems threatening or dangerous to him. Patients try in every possible way to protect themselves from the outside world, since for them it is dangerous. Such people do not have contact with people, may not go out for a long time, refuse to eat, suffer from insomnia and often experience panic. In a state of passion, they can be very aggressive and harm both themselves and others. In this case, hospitalization and strict supervision in a medical institution are necessary.

When to see a doctor?

Relatives and friends of the patient should consult a doctor at the moment when a person has been showing signs of manic behavior for more than 2 weeks. He starts talking about conspiracies, suspecting close people, does not open the door for anyone, locks himself with keys, speaks in a whisper. Such behavior does not develop immediately, but incrementally. It is difficult to see such behavior and recognize it to the untrained eye. Do not sound the alarm when a person gives the first signs of mania. Perhaps in his life there was stress or some kind of negative event that left its mark.

But if this behavior persists for a long time, a visit to a doctor for diagnosis and further treatment is mandatory.

Diagnostics

When identifying symptoms of delirium, the doctor must first determine the stage. There are several ways to diagnose delusions of persecution:

A CT scan of the brain and skull allows doctors to identify tumors, injuries, or strokes that have caused delirium.
MRI - scan of the brain, skull bones and tissues of adjacent tissues to detect pathologies.
EEG of the brain - allows you to identify foci of excitation of the disease.

The diagnosis of persecution mania is established by a psychiatrist. First, a conversation is held with the patient and the person accompanying him. Basically, the doctor talks with the accompanying person, since the patient cannot describe his condition. A conversation is an initial examination, during which the doctor reveals a genetic predisposition to this kind of disease, reveals information about alcohol or drug addiction, as well as about the possible causes of real persecution.

Next, the doctor monitors the behavior of the patient. Often patients are very alert and worried about every rustle or footsteps outside the door. The patient may suspect the doctor of collusion with other persons pursuing him. And the final stage of the initial examination is various psychological tests: at this stage, the doctor uses complex questionnaires, drawing and interpretation tests. Also, the doctor reveals any paranoid traits, impaired thinking and perception of reality.

Treatment

Delusions of persecution are treated as part of the treatment of paranoid schizophrenia, alcoholic or drug psychosis, and delusional disorder. A set of procedures is prescribed individually, but there are certain stages of treatment. The first stage of treatment is the use of medications, often neuroleptics. With depression, panic attacks, the doctor prescribes antidepressants.

The next stage is a psychotherapy session, which uses a cognitive-behavioral method of treatment. One of them is metacognitive training, which allows the patient to see their thoughts, explore their patterns and learn to control their thinking, as well as correct their behavior. And the last of the possible stages is family counseling and rehabilitation. The doctor informs the patient's relatives about his condition and about the features of delirium.

It is important at this stage that relatives do not deny the existence of this disease in the patient, but also do not contribute to the consolidation of thoughts that everything that happens is a reality. They need to support the patient and slowly involve him in business, without exposing the patient to stress.

+7 (495) 121-48-31

Prevention or advice in case of illness

With timely diagnosis and treatment, it is possible to completely get rid of delusional ideas. Recommendations for delusions of persecution:

To reduce the risk of spreading the risk of developing delusional symptoms, it is important to follow these guidelines:

refusal to use alcohol and drugs;
avoidance of stressful situations;
preventive examination in the presence of a mental disorder;
strict doctor's prescription for dementia and schizophrenia.

Don't put off taking care of your health and the health of your loved ones until tomorrow.

References:

Tsirkin S.Yu. Analytical Psychopathology
Shabalov I.P. Peonatology. - St. Petersburg: Special Literature
Ushakov G.K. Child psychiatry.
Tiganov A.S. Psychopathology and clinic of manic states in schizophrenia:
Tiganov A.S. About some features of manic states in schizophrenia, proceeding in the form of fur coats

Delirium or paranoia: what's the difference?

In this section:

Paranoia and delusions are terms used in psychiatry. They denote conditions that are often intertwined in the development of mental illness. Paranoia and delusions can be seen in a variety of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and mania, as well as depression, substance abuse, or dementia. People with schizophrenia often have delusions and paranoia. In fact, the most common form of schizophrenia is called paranoid schizophrenia ¹ , and delusions are a common symptom of the disease ¹ .

Colloquially, the two terms are often used interchangeably. Although many people do not fully understand the meaning of these concepts, both terms are often heard in everyday life, especially when expressing anger towards another person: “You are delirious!” or "That's your paranoia!" What do these concepts really mean? And what is the difference between them?

This is nonsense

Delusions can be described as "persistent false judgments or conclusions that cannot be dissuaded, despite the apparent contradiction of reality" ² . In other words, the delusional person is unwilling to change his mind about something, even in the presence of facts that prove that his beliefs are wrong and unfounded. For a better understanding of this term, below are some examples of ² different types of crazy ideas.

Persecutory delusion (most common), also known as paranoid delusion. A person's belief that a person, organization, or group is seeking to harm and/or harm them.

Delusional relationship (also common). It seems to a person that any actions, comments of acquaintances and strangers, stimuli and objects of the environment are directly related to him.

Somatic delusions. It is based on pathological preoccupation with the state of one's own health and concentration on the work of internal organs.

Delusions of grandeur. Conviction in one's own glory, wealth, exceptional abilities.

Erotic nonsense. Belief that the other person is in love with him/her.

Nihilistic nonsense. Belief in the inevitability of a major catastrophe.

Crazy ideas are considered ridiculous "if they are completely implausible, incomprehensible to members of the same culture and do not follow from ordinary life experience" ² . An example of a ridiculous delusional idea is the belief that some external force removed a person's own internal organs and replaced them with someone else's, leaving no wounds or scars. On the other hand, the certainty that the patient is under police surveillance, although there is no evidence of this. This is example "ordinary" nonsense (which is not considered ridiculous). Crazy ideas are regarded as ridiculous if their content is associated with a loss of control over one's own thinking or body. Below are some examples ² :

Alienation of thoughts. A person believes that someone from the outside “takes away” the patient’s own thoughts.

Suggestion of thoughts. Belief that someone “puts” “foreign”, “foreign” thoughts into the head.

Delusions of influence. Some external force manipulates the body and actions of a person.

Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between crazy and overvalued ideas ² . In this case, one should take into account the extent to which a person is convinced of the correctness of his conclusions, even in the presence of clear / substantiated facts confirming their fallacy.

This is paranoia. Paranoid people constantly suspect others of being “trying to harm”

³ . Paranoid thoughts are not uncommon and can occur in anyone. Imagine, for example, the feelings of a man who is walking home in the evening, and a car is slowly driving next to him. Or a woman at the subway exit notices a group of people discussing something and throwing glances in her direction or even looking at her. It is unpleasant, disturbing and there is nothing unusual in the fact that a person who finds himself in such a situation feels fear and fears for his life or property.

Paranoia becomes a problem only when it reaches clinical significance, that is, the level of delusions. In the future, paranoia develops into delusions of persecution / paranoid delusions, the content of which is that another person or group of persons or organization is trying to harm, deceive, rob, kill ¹ . Other delusions, such as nihilistic delusions, delusions of alienation and suggestion of thoughts, delusions of influence, can aggravate paranoia, and, therefore, persecution mania. In addition, hallucinations, which are "sensory sensations (visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory and tactile) and occur in the absence of a real stimulus" ¹ , can also lead to the development of paranoid delusions. The person experiences hallucinations and believes/feels that they are real, in connection with which he develops fear/delusions that these hallucinations come from hostile people.

Conclusions:

In conclusion, it should be noted that delusions and paranoia are closely related to each other.

Learn more

The difference between delusions and hallucinations

Hallucinations vs. Delusions: What’s the Difference?

Is hearing voices a hallucination or a delusion?

What is psychosis?

How we vetted this article:

Read this next

Hallucinations vs. Delusions: What’s the Difference?

Is hearing voices a hallucination or a delusion?

What is psychosis?

How we vetted this article:

Read this next

Delusions of persecution, its symptoms and treatment

What is delusions of persecution?

Causes of the disease of delusions of persecution

Disease pathogenesis

Symptoms or how the disease manifests itself

Classification of persecutory delusions

Delusion of persecution by type of manifestation:

Complications of delusions of persecution

When to see a doctor?

Diagnostics

Treatment

Prevention or advice in case of illness

Delirium or paranoia: what's the difference?

In this section:

This is nonsense

This is paranoia. Paranoid people constantly suspect others of being “trying to harm”

Conclusions: