Paranoid

June 22, 2015
Paranoia is equally hard to define, study, and treat, according to this solid if disquieting treatise. Individuals with the condition “don’t tend to come in asking for help or treatment,” psychology professor LaPorte points out. With paranoia so widely misunderstood, he intends his book most directly for the friends or family members of people who suffer from it. They will not be comforted, however, by the numerous examples given—one sad tale after another of people afflicted with beliefs that range from the bizarre to the deadly. A man who believes that the government has placed computer chips in his teeth removes them all. A mother kills all three of her sons because she thinks they are clones planted by the FBI. Like depression, paranoia can be either a symptom of another mental illness or a condition unto itself. Substance abuse can occur as a root cause or exacerbate an existing problem. The book’s most significant contribution is a concept that the author calls the suspiciousness system, an evolutionary advantage turned liability in urban environments. Readers will be left with the memorable insight that a useful personality trait—a modicum of caution—can turn into torment in an increasingly crowded, complex, and surveillance-filled world. Agent: Clare Gerus Literary Agency.