Does anyone else dislike living alone and get scared?

[Cow00000]

I know it's a bit pathetic but I'm scared of being in the dark alone so I sleep with a lamp on.
I'm very scared of spiders but I can't afford therapy or anything like that, I'm living alone so no choice but to deal with them.
Live in a very old property so seem to have more than average and have had some horrendous hand-sized ones in the bath.

Every night I'm anxious and scan every room for them, spray repellent around and so on.

Does anyone else feel like this?

Don't kill spiders its bad karma. They also eat flies so they're your friend

Put some conkers down in corners of your home and it will keep spiders away
You can get silence plug in alarms for about 20 quid that keep spiders away

Get a ring door Bell and presence lights if you haven't already

There is a neighbourhood next door app you can download which neighbour s report suspicious behaviour.

Conversely, I HATE people in my home
I'm autistic. I've lived by myself since I was 22 and im now 44. The thought of a man snoring or making a mess in my house makes me break out in a Cold sweat.

Wishing you well

They don't like peppermint; get some peppermint oil and put some in water and spray it round your windows and doors.

Also don't like the feel of chalk so chalk around the outside of your front and back door frame- it does work, we had two big ones who wouldn't cross it last year.

If you've got any cellar spiders, leave them because they eat the big bastards.

I lived on my own for three years. I never slept very well because I’m also scared of the dark. (I’m not sure if that’s because I have PTSD.) Anyway, I also had every light on in the house. In the end I got a lodger just because it helped me to actually sleep better at night. Re the spiders - get one of those spider hoovers.

A spider hoover from Lakeland is your friend. My house is practically in the woods and September appears to be spider time. The hoover sucks them up then you shake them out of the window.

I’m married, but for ten years I lived alone in another country for work for six months of every year, and liked it. I also spent a year living alone on an island that had no other inhabitants in winter.

I mean, I sympathise about the spiders, but other than them, what exactly are you afraid of?

I walked face first into a spider web outside my door this morning- I’m not scared of them but could have done without a massive one on my face at 7.30am- might aversion therapy work ? :-)

sorry to be flippant @Pollqueen but of all the things to be scared of spiders have got to be quite far down the list, they really can’t hurt you. Can you maybe practice mindful acknowledgment? Say hello, but please leave me alone then just ignore them?

Also collect conkers and put near doorways and corners as spiders don’t like them, and orange oil. Less harmful than chemical repellants

I don’t have any helpful suggestions, but the comments above do! Just wanted to say you aren’t alone, and not “silly” xxx

Could you get a cat or a dog?

I live on my own. I have the radio on.
Saying that I am actually freaked out by night windows.

Conkers are supposed to deter spiders.
I feel for you. When I do sleep ins I leave the light on cos I think clowns are coming. Can't sleep with my back to the door. When she isn't at home I put barricades at doors and panic about whether to leave a light on so I can see an intruder or keep in the dark so they can't see me. Sorry no help but your imagination is not your frie

Thank you, I do spray peppermint around which hopefully helps. I have got a cat but he doesn't seem to bother with them!

I find that my brain starts thinking of horror films I've seen (i don't watch them anymore but previous ones) when im trying to sleep .

I've always been afraid of the dark although it does seem to be better now.

I don't live alone but used to be scared at night time. I try not to watch anything crime related or horror close to night. I'm terrified of spiders this stuff works I also try to keep my windows shut. It's not too bad for me because my partner will get them but even now if I see one i am scared for days I spray this round my door frame and keep my door shut.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spider-Creepy-Crawly-Insect-Spiders/dp/B08WCLHJZW/ref=asc_df_B08WCLHJZW?mcid=47382d0131b539deae08a24b2a289c18&hvocijid=7332325726867485798-B08WCLHJZW-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7332325726867485798&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007077&hvtargid=pla-2281435177418&psc=1&gad_source=1

I don't live alone, but I totally understand this on the rare occasions I'm in overnight on my own! (I partly blame it on my older sister, who loved horror films and would watch them constantly - half an hour before school, all evening... And we shared a bedroom with a TV/video set 😱). Have you got a Ring alarm system? My mum has one and they're dead easy to set up - you don't even need a drill, think you just stick the sensors to any door/window you want to alarm, then you have a wireless keypad - really easy to use and might make you feel a smidge better. Good luck and you're definitely not the only one! Xx

Essential oils, including peppermint oil, can be toxic to cats (and other pets). Through inhalation, skin contact or ingestion.

Just wanted to point this out in case you weren't aware, so your cat doesn't become sick.

I hope you find a solution to the spider problem!
I've never tried conkers, as pp suggested above, I'm going to try using them. I hate spiders in my home too and I also hate sleeping in total darkness.

Glad it’s not just me that does this! I don’t live alone but it still happens when it’s dark. Various scary images I’ve seen pop into my head and I never go to the bathroom in the dark in the middle of the night - always take a torch!

This won't help with spiders (hope some of the other tips will), but I'd try a mental cleanse and good old fashioned distraction to remove the horror film thoughts at night. Spend at least the last hour or half-hour before bed watching, reading, or listening to things that are as far removed from horror or true crime as possible. That might be comedy, romance, cosy mysteries, natural history or other gentle non-fiction, or whatever else relaxes you. I think there are apps that will tell you boring stories while you drift off to sleep, though I've never looked into that myself.

Don’t get a cat! I mean I’m smitten by my gorgeous girl but recently she bought a rat into the house… an alive rat.. not sure how long it had been in here but I spent 4 days terrified out of my wits with it in the house somewhere.. my young teenage son appeared v nonchalant about it all.. anyway him and a friend managed to catch the bastard thing.. I’m still v v jumpy! I am v happily single and intended to remain that way but rat-gate has had me weighing up the pros and cons of this decision!! 🥺🥺🥺

Oh, just seen that you have a cat already 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

I like spiders! But I'm scared of tons of things that you may not be: snakes in the toilet, stairs, birds, frogs, snails, fish so I don't think you're silly at all. All the best people sleep with the light on. Do you like dogs? I'd be very scared without my dog.

I always think I like living without a partner and alone but realistically it’s because I have my dogs and they make me feel safe

I used to leave a light on in the hallway all night, and have a radio on quietly next to it. Radio 4 is good, then it flicks to the World Service between 1am and 5.30 then back to R4, just soothing murmuring voices.

Also, something I still do is close all the curtains of rooms I’m not using well before dark eg bedroom, bathroom, sitting room if I’m in the kitchen (and vice versa). And while I don’t have the light on in the hallway all night any more, I have a small plug in that has a dark sensor, then I flick it off before bed.

I live alone.

I love horror movies but avoid a couple of genres now as I know they creep me out and might disturb my sleep.

Spiders - I get the horror of them, I used to be a screaming mess, but I've had to just get used to dealing with them. I've got a catcher with a fairly long handle, rarely misses them, then they get chucked outside.

If you need a light on maybe try a nightlight or light in the hall rather than a lamp - light disturbs your sleep too.

Have a night time locking up routine early evening then try to settle before you go to bed. What is it you are frightened of with being alone, other than spiders?