650 Personality Disorders
Individuals with this disorder assume that other people will exploit, harm, or deceive
them, even if no evidence exists to support th is expectation (Criterion A1). They suspect on
the basis of little or no eviden ce that others are plotting against them and may attack them
suddenly, at any time and without reason. They often feel that they have been deeply and
irreversibly injured by another person or persons even when there is no objective evidence
for this. They are preoccupied with unjustifie d doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness
of their friends and associates, whose actions are minutely scrutinize d for evidence of hos-
tile intentions (Criterion A2). Any perceived deviation from trustworthiness or loyalty
serves to support their underlying assumptions. They are so amazed when a friend or as-
sociate shows loyalty that they cannot trust or believe it. If they get into trouble, they ex-
pect that friends and associates w ill either attack or ignore them.
Individuals with paranoid personality disord er are reluctant to confide in or become
close to others because they fear that the information they share will be used against them
(Criterion A3). They may refuse to answer personal questions, saying that the information
is “nobody’s business.” They read hidden meanings that are demeaning and threatening
into benign remarks or events (Criterion A4). For example, an individual with this disor-
der may misinterpret an honest mistake by a store clerk as a deliberate attempt to short-
change, or view a casual humorous remark by  a co-worker as a seri ous character attack.
Compliments are often misinterpreted (e.g.,  a compliment on a new acquisition is mis-
interpreted as a criticism for selfishness; a compliment on an accomplishment is misinter-