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Awful anxiety about break ins at night etc.

11 replies

scaredofalone · 07/08/2023 01:41

I live alone with my daughter who is one and a half and I am absolutely terrified of someone being in the house. Even the thought of ghosts etc. sends me into a spiral.
I should add that I have anxiety and OCD and have done for many years. I have a do but he stays a few nights a week at the moment. We are looking for a place together now which will help. When he is here, I have no worries essentially.
But tonight for example, I had my washing hung up and got so extremely worried that I had a meltdown crying etc. that someone would break into my garden, notice the clothing was only for a female and baby and break in! I know it sounds silly, but I get so terrified and my brain goes into worst case scenario mode. I ended up getting it all in.
I also check my door handles and windows over 50 times. I have to do them in sets of 9 too which is my OCD.
My daughter then woke up crying and my brain goes straight to worrying it's a ghost or a spirit etc and I get terrified. She's now in my room with me as she couldn't sleep and I got scared.
I know that it sounds crazy, but I'm just so anxious Sad

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 07/08/2023 02:08

What treatment are you having for your anxiety and OCD OP?

scaredofalone · 07/08/2023 02:44

Nothing at the moment Sad
I have been on fluoxetine and sertraline in the past but came off. I was fine for a while but I now work nights and my daughter doesn't sleep well so I average about 5 hours sleep a night and I've gone backwards with my mental health.
I have just self referred for therapy and will call doctors tomorrow as I can't take anymore

OP posts:
ParisP · 07/08/2023 03:02

If these are not medication withdrawal symptoms I think you need sertraline. This will help the ocd and anxiety.

ParisP · 07/08/2023 03:03

Also consider what is making your mental health decline. Can you change anything?

247SylviaPlath · 07/08/2023 03:30

Can so relate to this, I had exactly the same thing for almost 20 years. The only thing which has practically helped is having a professional alarm system with sensors and external cctv fitted. It's a really extreme solution to what is a mental health problem of mine but it means I can now sleep properly and when I hear noises I know that as long as the alarm doesn't go off no one is breaking in. Am aware this doesn't address the root cause of my mental health (and like you ocd issues) but it has enabled me to have a much better quality of life.

I really wish you the best OP - it can feel very isolating because anyone I have ever spoken to about it really doesn't 'get it' which can be hard to hear.

Netaporter · 07/08/2023 03:34

@scaredofalone you poor thing. I used to be the same about being alone in the house. Alarms, CCTV wouldn’t make it any easier and I also catastrophised. I can’t offer any advice on the meds or MH front I’m afraid, but just to say I got a dog, and never looked back. Slept soundly (save for menopausal insomnia ironically) Is that a practical option for you?

truthhurts23 · 07/08/2023 03:38

whenever I have over active thoughts, I always challenge myself
so if my brain says, turn on the light there could be someone in the room!
I purposely don't turn on the light, and I walk around the room in the dark,
so I can say to my brain see , there is nothing wrong here

If I have locked the door and I remember doing it , my brain says, hey go and check the door again ,
I say no, I already locked it, I trust myself and then I go to sleep
when I wake up in the morning , I check the door , it is locked just like I already knew

I do not let my brain control me any more, my brain is my right hand but I am the CEO in charge 😆

It helps to do something significant when you lock the door,
you create a memory, so that its hard to doubt yourself later

for example, you lock the door and then you can knock on the door 3 times
so when you find that you start getting anxiety about the door, you will have that memory of knocking on the door straight after your locked it .

I do believe in the unseen,
if you do feel a presence in your house and you don't want it there,
stand in the room and tell it that it is not welcome, tell it to leave , say it out loud
its always worked for me ,
spirits are rarely anything evil , they are just leftover energy

if you believe in God, pray over your child every night and ask him to protect your child from all things seen and unseen
He will protect you and your baby

you don't have to be religious, but it helps to put your worries into the hands of a higher power, because you are only human and there is a limit on how much you can carry on your own back , your brain is limited in how much it can handle before it breaks
but Gods is limitless , so leave it in his hands

you cant control everything,
you cant stop things happening that are already going to happen
if someone was really watching your clothes, what can you do about it ?
you have to let it go and take each day at a time
handle things as they come

truthhurts23 · 07/08/2023 03:51

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world As it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right If I surrender to His Will;

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life And supremely happy with Him Forever and ever in the next.

Amen.

Lord you are a shield around me
Strong in love, heavy with power
Shaped with hope and gilded in truth
I will fear no evil as you watch over me and my children
You defend and deliver me
In this day, this hour, this moment, I put my trust in you

Amen

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Amen.

hippygirllucky · 07/08/2023 03:57

I used to live in a very deprived area in a very flashy new build house. The house was constantly targeted. We had 4 break in attempts during one year while we were home! We got a high tech security system. Didn't 100% work but ruled out about 70% of my anxiety. I eventually moved to a secure neighbourhood.

Do you know what triggered your anxiety about it?

Wolfiefan · 08/08/2023 15:09

@scaredofalone good luck with the GP. I have tried to come off medication in the past. I was fine. For a long time. Until I wasn’t. I’ve decided to stay on it. I also practice the CBT techniques I have learnt. Spend time outside each day. Exercise and started to use mindfulness too.

UncleRadley · 08/08/2023 17:32

That's really hard. I used to have this horribly and couldn't sleep at all if I was alone in the house. It did improve. I found living in a one room first floor flat for a few years helped me get used to it and after that I was ok wherever.

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