A complete stranger (met him once in a professional setting) has started to stalk me and harass me on social media.
It’s really scary stuff with terrifying accusations about how I treat my kids (this person has never met my children) and how he’ll save them from me.
It has been confirmed by mutual contacts that he’s suffering manic episodes. I suspect drugs are also involved. I’ve been told other people have also received scary messages from him.
Every time I block and report him, he starts a new account and starts again. Sometimes the messages are accusatory, sometimes threatening, sometimes completely nonsensical.
This person lives in the U.K. and I’m in Australia, so I have no idea what my next step is, legally. In my more sensible moments, I m don’t feel under any real threat as I doubt he’d even have a passport or the means to buy a flight, but at the worst of my anxiety about it, I’m watching over my shoulder continuously. I don’t have a partner so it’s just me and the kids.
I’ve never suffered anxiety before and now I can barely function. As soon as I start to feel better, he reappears.
My poor kids are having to deal with me being a total shell of a person at the moment. And the more anxious I am, the more I disengage with the kids and then start to buy in to this person’s comments about what an awful parent I am. So it’s a vicious cycle.
It’s impacting every aspect of my life. My work, my interaction with family, my kids. I’ve even argued with friends for the first time in my whole life, because I’m so on edge. Both about the safety of my kids but also I can’t stop thinking about the fact someone (manic or not) is making these insane accusations about me.
I’ve told some people what’s happening but not family, as they’re far away and will worry.