Paranoia is an instinct or thought process believed to be heavily influenced by
anxiety or
fear, often to the point of
delusion and
irrationality.
[1] Paranoid thinking typically includes
persecutory, or beliefs of
conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself (e.g. the American colloquial phrase,"Everyone is out to get me").
Due to the suspicious and troublesome personality traits of paranoia, it is unlikely that someone with paranoia will thrive in interpersonal relationships. Most commonly paranoid individuals tend to be of a single status.
[6] According to some research there is a hierarchy for paranoia. The least common types of paranoia at the very top of the hierarchy would be those involving more serious threats.
Social anxiety is at the bottom of this hierarchy as the most frequently exhibited level of paranoia.