Handling a paranoid partner can be extremely difficult. Often we can be deeply in love with a person, but their accusations can be incredibly hurtful and totally destroy what was once a peaceful and loving relationship. There are things you can do to help yourself and your partner, though, so here are some tips for handling a paranoid partner.
The best thing that you can do to deal with any problem is to communicate, and this means trying to find out why they are feeling paranoid. If you have cheated before, the answer is more obvious, but you may be totally devoted and trustworthy. It could be that your partner has been betrayed in the past, or that they don’t feel deserving of you. Whatever it is, there’s little you can do if you don’t identify the cause.
If your partner is very jealous, flirting to wind them up is definitely best avoided. It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to fall into this trap to get back at somebody if you’re upset about the constant accusations they’ve been throwing at you. Deliberately winding them up will only make things worse for you both.
As hard as it may be, you should try not to lose your temper, as that never makes anything better. Equally, though, you should never be beaten into submission. Don’t give everything up just because someone demands it of you. It is your life, and you should always stay in control of it.
Many people often fall into the trap of falsely admitting to doing something that they didn’t, just because they’ve been accused of it 100 times, they’re angry, or they think it might shut their partner up. It’s actually just about the worst thing you can do, because you’ll be sending your partner the message that their paranoia has been justified all along, and you’ll probably never have any chance of convincing them that you didn’t do it.
People that are paranoid and suspicious can sometimes be that way because they’re up to no good themselves (or have been before), and think that you will do the same thing. If there’s no other obvious cause, do ask them outright, and look out for any suspicious behaviour, but take care not to turn into the paranoid partner yourself.
If there still seems to be no cause of the paranoia and your partner hates and doesn’t understand the way that they feel, it might be worth suggesting that they see a counselor and even their doctor. Their paranoia may be a symptom of a mental health condition that can be treated or managed, and if not, counseling can help anyway.
If you’ve tried everything, your partner just doesn’t seem to want to help himself or herself and your relationship is making you miserable, leave. It is much better to be alone than be stuck in an unhappy relationship.
If anyone is currently having a hard time handling a paranoid partner, hopefully something here will help you and make you realize you’re not alone. Who has had a paranoid partner, and how did you deal with it?