Paranoid and anxious?!

[Aliceinwonderland987]

Hi, never posted to a site like this... I'm a little nervous... I have history with depression and anxiety before I had my daughter and I never really had a chance to full recover because I fell pregnant and was thrown in to happiness and excitement... she's now 2 and a half and I'm 21... the minute it gets dark outside I turn into a paranoid anxious mess, I constantly think people are in the house or going to break and I check on her every half hour or just sit outside her room, sometimes it takes me hours to sleep to the point that any small noise I hear I'm up darting around the house in panic looking in every room and checking all the doors and windows, I'm so tired for work in the mornings and this is becoming every night... does anybody else feel like this... I should add I'm a single mum and sorry for this rant

Hi Alice,

I'm so sorry you're having a tough time with your anxiety. I do suffer myself but not as badly as you seem to be suffering right now.

Have you taken any practical steps to help you feel more secure in your home?
-security lights outside
-padlock on any back garden gates
-window locks
-bolts on internal front door
Of course you will need to be mindful of fire safety and have a planned escape route.

It's worth making an appointment to see your GP and discuss steps to help you overcome this, there is help out there for you, if you don't mind me saying it sounds as if there may be an element of OCD going because of the constant repeated checks you're making at night.
Do you have anyone you can speak to in real life?

How are you this evening OP?

The thing is it's totally irrational, my house is very safe and in a lovely safe area... I've tried the extreme measures of safeness but the fear is too irrational it makes no difference... I have people I can talk to, infact I've very lightly mentioned it before to friends as more of a jokey comment and sometimes they stay the night but it only offers a short time solution and even then I'm struggling to sleep because I can't keep checking the house it almost makes it worse.... I'm just embarrassed to tell anyone I'm this scared in my own home... I'm just thankful it's a night so my daughter has no idea and can't pick up on it

Last night just the same... I found myself cleaning the house to keep myself occupied and my mind on other things... but I have to stop whatever I'm doing and stand silent and still for minutes on end if I think I hear something. Same routine as usual... up till the early hours, barely any sleep and then up with little one early.

Thankyou for your reply! I hadn't even considered an OCD element although I do have OCD tendencies in day to day life in general.

I'd book to talk to your GP OP. You'll wear yourself into the ground carrying on like this