How do I deal with not knowing what's real

Hey @Gillie1 ,

Welcome to the forums.

It sounds a little concerning you are having these thoughts which seem to be intrusive.

Have you spoken to a GP or doctor about this?

I hope you find you can connect with others here on the forums.

When you have these thoughts, consider:

- is there solid evidence that people are watching?

- do others feel the same way as I do?

- how do people react when I tell them what I'm thinking?

If you ask these questions, it may help you determine if something is real or not @Gillie1

Hi @Gillie1 ,

How do you know they are trying to help if you say they won't tell you the truth? That seems a bit odd, surely they would just be able to tell you clearly if there was something wrong. Do you think maybe they don't trust you? As @tyme suggested if you are unsure about paranoid thoughts you might be better off speaking to a mental health professional.

Heyo..

I’ve been floating around the middle of something similar for a bit..

something that feels real silly but I found of use was if I can’t shake the feeling to consciously assume they were staring for good reasons. Maybe they were watching the kindness you were showing your dog or they liked your hair… it has a two pronged benefit.

at the end of the day reality is kinda relative. Everyone has their own. as long as you’re not putting yourself or anyone else in danger maybe you can trick your paranoia into working with you?

chances are you have really great hair

Double check everything? Chances are they are telling you their truth but that may not be the best truth for you. Do you by chance trust yourself? Because that’s be useful in this situation…

research, ask questions, get your own knowledge base so maybe you can trust them when you’ve backed up their truth with your own?

so much work.. but maybe it’s the kind of hard work that’s worth it 🫣 your acute awareness leads me to believe you can definitely work through this with success. You know, if you’re taking votes about it.

I think some of them are trying to protect me and some aren't. I trust myself but everyone says the reality is all about perspective and I find that a really hard thing to get around, it lets anyone tell you you're just seeing things wrong instead of telling you the truth.

There's my perception of reality.

There is reality. (What is really happening)

and there are others' perceptions of reality.

To say it doesn't matter what is really happening as long as you delude yourself to fit what is convenient for other people or more comfortable for you is really crazy to me. And unsafe.

Hmm yes, to base reality entirely on a delusion isn’t a safe way to engage with society. However if you’re struggling to make sense of things above the base line fact then deciding on your reality doesn’t feel like the same as a wild delusion.. unless it does?

Your perception, actual events and others perception is literally what makes a reality, no? Can you consider these three things when trying to work it out?

reality must be about perception.. just like time- we kind of make it up. Which is why it’s so easily messed with, no? Do you like reading? There’s a lot of wonderful philosophy on reality 😍 happy to share some if it is of interest

if you’re looking for a singular right and wrong way in most situations then I’ve heard it can be found next to the magic wand that makes everything better .. and I’d love to know where you found it!

in a world of greys surely the only option is to decide on your own outlines?

I understood it as lost over anything else but appreciate the smooth either way… I also obviously don’t want to mess with anyone! It’s sounding like if *you* were Neo in the matrix you took the red pill and it doesn’t make sense 😏

doesn’t mean it’s not your reality tho?

I don’t think there’s one way to see reality. Question everything till you find a stable comfort?