Lemondrop

If you feel like everyone's been looking at you funny today, you could be right normal. Research shows that about 25 percent of people routinely suffer from paranoid thoughts. British psychologist Daniel Freeman, author of "Paranoia: The 21st Century Fear" says that media consumption and living in a city are two big predictors of who feels freaked out.

Full-on delusions are pretty easy to ID, but what's the difference between feeling a little uneasy and anxiety that's beyond the norm? Glad you asked ...

Everyday Fears
While textbook delusions, unfounded suspicions, and hostility are the extreme, not all paranoia is a bad thing. "There are levels of what I would call 'healthy paranoia,'" says Katherine L. Muller, Psy.D., of the Montefiore Medical Center. For example, if there have been a series of break-ins on your block, you may begin to believe that you could be next and invest in extra locks and alarm systems accordingly.

Then there are those of us who are so used to imagining the worst-case scenario, it's become part of our personalities. In a post on her blog Kind of Freaking Out, Jocie illustrates that kind of blown-out-of-proportion thinking that's familiar to many of us. Musing over a pal, she says, "I just don't know. It is all too soon. I feel like my crazy psycho stalker friend (I realize she is not this, it is in my head) who I just decided was alright is now moving in with me. *gasp* Didn't I just get her OUT of my closet? Breathe, keep breathing ..."

Click here to read how to get your freak-outs under control.


Taking a Chill (No Pill)
Carolyn Dean M.D., Medical Director of the Nutritional Magnesium Association, says that stress, depression, hunger, hormones and medications are common triggers for paranoia in women. Experts recommend some mental tricks to help you break your panicky habit.

For example, if news reports of layoffs have you obsessing over losing your job, follow that daydream to its conclusion -- what happens if you do lose your job? What will you do in the next day, week and month? Sure, it's scary, but if you imagine the worst, you'll feel more prepared for it.

Another easy fix -- ask yourself what you can do right this minute about the situation that's worrying you. You'll either come up with something, which makes you feel in control, or realize that it's out of your hands, in which case you can let it go. Hey, that delayed flight will either take off or it won't, regardless of your behavior -- so you may as well save your energy.

Too Much Terror
But some people worry to the point of it interfering with their day-to-day life, like a woman who's late for work because she's too scared to get on the subway, or one who won't date because she's so worried she'll encounter a con man.

When it comes to chronic, unfounded worrying, women have almost twice the rate of generalized anxiety disorder than men, with an estimated 3 to 8 percent of Americans experiencing it. A related syndrome is anxiety sensitivity, in which a person misinterprets the physical symptoms of anxiety as cues that they are in immediate danger.

Behavioral therapy and medication can help with these levels of fear -- click here to find more resources.

Tell us! Does your mind race at every little thing? Have you ever suffered from crippling anxiety?