Hi,

My opinion on this is that paranoia becomes a big problem when we respond to it in ways that are very unhealthy and/or potentially dangerous. Spending excessive amounts of time thinking about things that we fear when these things are very unlikely to pose any kind of threat isn't something that I'd consider to be healthy, and I'd say that responding in extreme ways to things that are very unlikely to pose a threat would represent taking paranoia too far more than anything else. Based on what I read in your post, I don't get the impression that thinking about your fears consumed very large amounts of your time, nor do I get the impression that putting a piece of tape on your wall or pulling the door at your work shut before it would have otherwise closed amount to responding to your fears in a way that's extreme. Putting the piece of tape on your wall almost definitely wasn't protecting you against any actual threat of you being watched, but considering that you've recognized that your fear in this instance was unnecessary and exaggerated and that putting a piece of tape on the wall is a small, harmless response that sounds like it was done to ease your fears, I wouldn't say that your response in this situation was going too far. Of course, what I've shared here represents my opinion on this matter, so I'd encourage you to listen to other opinions as well, including those that you might receive from other members here on Psych Central and/or those that you might receive from a therapist or other professional.

Take care, and best wishes.