Three types of paranoid processes.

Abstract

In classical descriptive psychiatry the term 'paranoid' is often used ambiguously -- referring to a variety of clinical processes which should be more clearly differentiated. Specifically, in this paper, we have differentiated three distinct sets of clinical phenomena all usually lumped together as 'paranoid': 1. Paranoid from a Sense of Guilt, 2. Paranoid from a sense of Low Self-Esteem, and 3. Paranoid from a Sense of Persecution. These three processes are distinct descriptively, dynamically and genetically. Further, this differentiation is most significant pragmatically as the treatment is different for each type.