Hi Paraply,

I guess paranoia kicks in with a lot of the illnesses we deal with here. It seems to be part of being unsure about ourselves.

Once people get the idea that we are a bit different, and maybe we get defensive, then it's a vicious circle.

I remember having a really good reality check. I worked in an office and I had the growing idea that some people in the store room section didn't like me. I felt paranoid.

One day I was hanging on the phone about something and they must have forgotten I was there. Someone came into the room at the other end of the phone line and they started talking about me. They were ripping me to SHREDS. Talk about badmouthing, this was the works. I eventually put the phone down.

But, you know, I handled it and even felt better. Once I knew how petty they were, I wasn't afraid of them anymore. It was a tonic for me, odd as it sounds. I guess we just want to know who our friends (and enemies) are. We want to know where we stand.

Cheers, Myzen