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Mental health

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Original poster

Home alone anxiety

26 replies

WorriedMum13 · 11/10/2023 21:28

I'm home alone this week with our 2 kids. DH is working away 4 nights and I'm a wreck and can't sleep for fear someone is breaking in.

This is an ongoing issue, he doesn't work away often, maybe 3 times a year for a few days at a time. We've installed an alarm downstairs and have a ring camera at our front door but I still don't feel safe.

I sleep for 1-2 hours at a time and wake convincing myself I hear footsteps and check the ring camera.

I'm not sure where this fear is coming from. Do I need to speak with someone? I'm so exhausted from broken sleep and still have 2 nights until DH is home again.

OP posts:

monkeydees · 10/03/2025 22:44

PoppyBaxter · 10/03/2025 11:27

Home break ins are quite rare these days as electronics have become cheaper and harder to sell on for a worthwhile amount. Burglars are more likely to break in to steal luxury car keys (not a problem for us with our 12 year old cars on the driveway!)
DH often stays away, and I feel safe as we have a composite front and back door and double glazing.
Yes OP, I think you need to seek help for your fear. It is wildly disproportionate to the level of risk.

I do agree that home break ins are quite rare especially during the night if obvious there are people home.
For me though, I'm alone with young kids, with no neighbours, I do have a 16 year old car which no one would want but also living on a farm and we've been targeted by thieves twice in the last few years so yeah house break in would be rare but the unwanted visitors to the property wouldn't necessarily be and apart from letting them get on with it I'm not sure how I could possibly deal with such an event. It would be so scary. So yeah some of it is in my head and escalating unnecessarily but some of it is justified

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