How do you deal with paranoia?

The paranoia is awful. I do not deal with it very well. I try to redirect, and it works sometimes, most times not.

I cope with it in two ways: If my mom is having what I call a "good day", I am able to speak to her and correct her, putting her mind at ease. I do it gently. My moms paranoia is complete fear related. She sees people that are not there that make trouble for her. If she is having a bad day, I am not able to reach her on an understandable level. If she is like that I go with the flow. I ask her what they are doing, what she would like me to do to stop it, and what I can do to help. I have literally opened the door to let the people out.

It depends on my moms day and her mood on how I am able to handle it.

I have joined up this forum recently, looking for resources & support.
My Dad has been showing signs of forgetfulness for a while, but in the past couple of months the signs of Dementia/Alzheimers is becoming more evident.
The family are waiting for him to be properly assessed by the "Memory Clinic", but in recent weeks the paranoia has kicked in. He thinks people (one person in particular) has/have insulted and even "hypnotized" him!.
I am feeling afraid as he is now threatening to "get even" with that particular person, in all sorts of scary ways. Also, I am fearful for my Mom, in case his bouts of aggression become physical. Help! What can we do to ?

This disease is just so weird. My mom keeps thinking people are stealing her things. I say mom there are no people. She hides things in socks, behind the pillow and other places. She drives me crazy and there is no talking her out of her thinking. My mom is finding it harder to make sense with her words. She has trouble telling time, but loves to wear her watch. She sees people in pictures waving and smiling at her, so she thinks they are real. I tell her they don't wave at me. Some days it seems like Im going crazy myself, trying to deal with all her false thinking. They really need to get busy and find a cure for this disease as it is so sad to watch their mind go, when their body is still in good health. It does really help me to cope knowing that others are going thru this and that Im not alone.

We had the same too. Her stupid Doctor kept saying it was short term memory loss, and we, knowing Mum so well, knew her depression was much more than that.
Yes, you need to sort the EPA out....do not allow yourself to get dragged down with this.
Good luck!

Oh, wow, I went through this absolutely miserable paranoia weirdness with my mother the last year or so before she died. There is just no talking them out of these delusions--pointless to argue. She thought somebody was sneaking in and taking her vacuum cleaner and then bringing it back. She hid it behind the clothes in her bedroom closet and checked it constantly. Just one of about 50 versions of crazy that were driving me around the bend; I wanted to check into the nut house myself. You need to see a lawyer about the power of attorney and trust; if the lawyer who prepared the trust is still around, start there. Best to you--this is a very, very difficult situation to be in.

My Mom had hallucinations (as did her Mother before her). The doctor put her on Aricept and it made a big difference. Even though she will claim I've done something or we've been somewhere we haven't, it has really helped her.