Paranoia: Getting rid of it

“O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin…” (Quran 49:12). 
Paranoia is an unwanted and excessive suspicion that has no reality and is usually based on assumption. Paranoia is one of the worst enemies of a human being and as a Muslim with strong faith it is important to stay away from such unwanted negative thoughts and assumptions. According to the verse above, one must try to avoid assumptions of all kind especially the negative ones. 
Due to the kind of lives we lead – always under stress and scrutiny – it is not surprising to develop such negative thoughts. Paranoia can be about external events or about a personal defect that you would not want the world to know. Whatever may be the cause of this paranoia it is important to know paranoid thoughts can be overcome. However, if you feel that nothing is helping you get better then it is essential to seek professional help so that the problem does not blow out of proportion. There are many ways to overcome paranoia and here is a list of things you can do at the initial stage: 
Always think positive
Paranoia stems from negative thinking; hence it is important to surround yourself with positive thoughts. It is very easy to assume the worst in a bad situation but if you really put your mind to it, it becomes second nature to look at things with a positive outlook. If you always assume the better, it makes it easier to shun away the negative thoughts that might be creeping up. 
Face your fears
Another important thing that we usually forget is how important it is to face your fears. Paranoia also exacerbates because we sometimes fail to tackle the problem at hand. Hence, it is necessary for you to confront your problems and fear head on. For instance, if you feel like your partner is hiding something from you, you should call them out and ask them. If you feel are worried that your friend told someone else on you, confront them about it. A lot of times we would stop feeling paranoid if we just take the first step towards dealing with the actual problem; rather than letting it build up to a point of no return. 
Steer clear of negative people
Negative company can be very harmful to your emotional and mental well-being. One thing you should definitely do is to cut out toxic people from your life. It is likely that their negativity brings you down even if you do not take their comments or insights seriously. The best thing to do is to avoid their company. In the Holy Quran, Allah says: 
 
 “And be patient over what they say and avoid them with gracious avoidance” (Quran 73:10). 
The only thing you can do is to walk away from these people without causing them any harm. 
Tawakkul is the way to go
Tawakkul means reliance on God’s plan for you. Always have faith that Allah Almighty has a plan for you and He will surely never leave you hanging. 
 “Say, "Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector." And upon Allah let the believers rely” (Quran 9:51). . 
It is important to remember this especially in times of distress, if Allah brought you to your calamity then He will surely bring you out of it and Allah has promised in the Quran: 
 “For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease” (Quran 94:5). 
So do your part and know that Allah never burdens you more than you can handle. Hence, have faith in His plan for you because as it is said in the Quran, 
 “…But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners” (Quran 8:30). 

Keep busy
As the saying goes, an idle mind is a devil’s workshop. Hence keeping busy is a great way to keep paranoid thoughts away from you. Schedule each day with work and activities that you enjoy and start each day anew. Make some time during each day to do Dhikr as remembering Allah always helps to keep unwanted thoughts away and is the best thing to do in your free time. Whenever you feel like you are unable to sleep, just do Dhikr and it will help ease your mind and allow you to sleep better. 
If nothing helps, seek help! 
If you have tried everything and still your paranoid thoughts keep you occupied day and night, then your best bet is to seek help from a mental health professional. There is no harm in admitting you need help and actually seeking it – it is bound to make you feel better sooner.