Video Transcript: Dr. Phil on Traits of the Paranoid Personality Disorder

Dr Phil  

I haven't diagnosed you I can't say what's going on with you. I'm using your own diagnosis and saying that you have a rare mental illness. That's your words, not mine. I don't know what that rare mental illness is. I know that if I if I were still practicing and I were seeing in you seeing you in my office, on my short list of considerations would be a paranoid personality disorder.

Unknown speaker  

If if I'm not paranoid, and I'm not paranoid, at all, 

Dr Phil  

Would you know what that means? 

Unknown speaker  

Sure, wasn't afraid. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you retaliating against me or anybody else. Was no reason for me to be paranoid. 

Dr Phil  

But it means more than what  your saying when I say paranoid. Again, I haven't diagnosed you. It's a pattern of distrust and suspiciousness such that others' motives are interpreted as malevolent. And the traits are things you might want to consider: suspects, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming or deceiving them; preoccupied with doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends or family; reluctant to confide in others; reads hidden, demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events; bears grudges; reacts quickly to perceived attacks on their character; has recurrent suspicions without justification. It could be infidelity, if it's in a marital situation. But if you look at those traits, it kind of describes a lot of what could be going on here.

Unknown speaker  

Not with me. No, sir. Dr. Phil, not with me. Well, we'll try again on that one, please.

Dr Phil  

Reads hidden, demeaning or threatening meaning into benign remarks or events? Like a zip code.

Unknown speaker  

Anybody can feel threatened, you can feel threatened.

Dr Phil  

Not by a zip code.

Unknown speaker  

You sure can. I don't fit any of those criteria up there. I'm sorry. My son does and his wife does but not me.

Dr Phil  

Do you feel that maybe there's suspicion without sufficient basis? 

Unknown speaker  

No, I do not. 

Dr Phil  

Is that a possibility? Because you said you had a rare mental illness that you tend to turn things around.

Unknown speaker  

I have. There is no possibility at all that I'm going to turn anything around like this whatsoever.