A person with persecutory delusions is unable to recognize reality. They strongly believe people or groups, like the government, intend to harm them. These beliefs are often unrealistic or bizarre. Persecutory delusions frequently appear in mental health disorders, like schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

An irritable, angry, or low mood. Hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not really there) that are related to the delusion (For example, a person who believes he or she has an odor problem may smell a bad odor.)

Erotomania is when you think someone is in love with you but they’re not. It may be a person you’ve never met. They might even be famous, like a politician or an actor. You can be so sure of this love that you think you’re in a relationship with this person.

Persecutory delusions are the most common type of delusions and involve the theme of being followed, harassed, cheated, poisoned or drugged, conspired against, spied on, attacked, or otherwise obstructed in the pursuit of goals.

Although the disorder can go away after a short time, delusions also can persist for months or years.

Psychosis is a term to describe when you experience reality in a different way to other people. Common examples are hearing voices. Or believing that people are trying to harm you. Psychosis can be a one-off experience or linked to other conditions.

Capgras Syndrome This syndrome is named for Joseph Capgras, a French psychiatrist who explored the illusion of doubles. Those with Capgras syndrome hold the delusional belief that someone in their life, usually a spouse, close friend or family member, has been replaced by an impostor.

The most common psychotic disorder is schizophrenia.

There’s no test to positively diagnose psychosis. However, your GP will ask about your symptoms and possible causes.

Good indicators of malingered psychosis include overacting of psychosis, calling attention to the illness, contradictions in their stories and sudden onset of delusions, Resnick said. Individuals may also attempt to intimidate mental health providers.

The 2 main symptoms of psychosis are: hallucinations – where a person hears, sees and, in some cases, feels, smells or tastes things that do not exist outside their mind but can feel very real to the person affected by them; a common hallucination is hearing voices.