Does anyone else deal with paranoia? (1 Viewer)

[magali]

i dont know if i can call this paranoia because it sounds a bit extreme but i also wouldnt call it just being scared of the dark. right now it's 3:05 am and i cannot sleep. every night I start thinking about what would happen if someone broke into my house, what if someone was in my house downstairs where my parents sleep and i don't know, etc etc. i hear noises and i get really freaked out. when i sleep downstairs, i lock the door, close it with a key and put a couch in front of it like a barricade. until a few months ago, i would ONLY have nightmares. either about being kidnapped, something bad happening to my family, etc. i'm really, really paranoid I think. my parents even told me that one of the noises i hear is just air going through a spot in the roof and i still get freaked out when i hear it.

what can i do about this ??? i dont really need advice but it would be nice, forgive me if this is the wrong forum but i needed to rant somewhere

 

[litc]

i dont know if i can call this paranoia because it sounds a bit extreme but i also wouldnt call it just being scared of the dark. right now it's 3:05 am and i cannot sleep. every night I start thinking about what would happen if someone broke into my house, what if someone was in my house downstairs where my parents sleep and i don't know, etc etc. i hear noises and i get really freaked out. when i sleep downstairs, i lock the door, close it with a key and put a couch in front of it like a barricade. until a few months ago, i would ONLY have nightmares. either about being kidnapped, something bad happening to my family, etc. i'm really, really paranoid I think. my parents even told me that one of the noises i hear is just air going through a spot in the roof and i still get freaked out when i hear it.

what can i do about this ??? i dont really need advice but it would be nice, forgive me if this is the wrong forum but i needed to rant somewhere

Is this recent or going on for a long time? edit: I mean before the nightmares
Are you sleep deprived (and did this start when you’re sleep deprived)

do you get anxious, is this only at night?

 

[magali]

Is this recent or going on for a long time? Are you sleep deprived (and did this start when you’re sleep deprived)

do you get anxious, is this only at night?

i think it has been going on for like 2022-2024 if not before, since the pandemic happened i dont remember a lot from 2020 to 2022. im not sleep deprived i just go to bed late and sometimes wake up early sometimes not

only at night, at day i dont even think about it a quarter as much. i think it's because i also watch the news everyday and even tho i always tell my family it's unhealthy we just keep watching it so seeing all the crimes on tv makes me more insecure. i also think it's during the night because my sister and i sleep upstairs and my parents downstairs, so i feel a bit lonely or unprotected

 

[litc]

i think it has been going on for like 2022-2024 if not before, since the pandemic happened i dont remember a lot from 2020 to 2022. im not sleep deprived i just go to bed late and sometimes wake up early sometimes not

only at night, at day i dont even think about it a quarter as much. i think it's because i also watch the news everyday and even tho i always tell my family it's unhealthy we just keep watching it so seeing all the crimes on tv makes me more insecure. i also think it's during the night because my sister and i sleep upstairs and my parents downstairs, so i feel a bit lonely or unprotected

Do you sleep close to your sister? Is she older or twin, could you tell her? Do you have a night light, could you get one? That might make you feel more in control or aware of what’s going on, and also be a source of comfort

I thought the reason people were scared of the dark was because you couldn’t see if a serial killer was hiding there when I was little

Maybe you can ask if you can go elsewhere when the rest of your family watch the news?

I also think talking to your parents about your concerns and having a night time “safety” routine would help

by this I mean before you go to bed, go with your parents around the house make sure all the doors are locked windows latched etc, or suggest anything to them you think should be done as a safety precaution and then they go upstairs to your bed with you before going down

you could make a safety plan before you start doing this, like during the day and go over it with your parents

this could help you feel more in control as well as confirming that safety measures are in place

and yeah see if you can sleep closer to your sister if she doesn’t mind unless she’s like a little kid

 

[magali]

Do you sleep close to your sister? Is she older or twin, could you tell her? Do you have a night light, could you get one? That might make you feel more in control or aware of what’s going on, and also be a source of comfort

I thought the reason people were scared of the dark was because you couldn’t see if a serial killer was hiding there when I was little

Maybe you can ask if you can go elsewhere when the rest of your family watch the news?

I also think talking to your parents about your concerns and having a night time “safety” routine would help

by this I mean before you go to bed, go with your parents around the house make sure all the doors are locked windows latched etc, or suggest anything to them you think should be done as a safety precaution and then they go upstairs to your bed with you before going down

you could make a safety plan before you start doing this, like during the day and go over it with your parents

this could help you feel more in control as well as confirming that safety measures are in place

and yeah see if you can sleep closer to your sister if she doesn’t mind unless she’s like a little kid

she's my older sister, she sleeps in the room right next to me and is probably being bothered by my keys typing right now
i definitely should start doing that safety check or routine too.
i dont know if it is, but i suspect one of the reasons im scared is because my door is broken and doesnt properly close. it's one of those like accordion doors? and the last two or three planks broke off so it's just slightly open all the time.

 

[litc]

she's my older sister, she sleeps in the room right next to me and is probably being bothered by my keys typing right now
i definitely should start doing that safety check or routine too.
i dont know if it is, but i suspect one of the reasons im scared is because my door is broken and doesnt properly close. it's one of those like accordion doors? and the last two or three planks broke off so it's just slightly open all the time.

Do you think she’d let you sleep in her room for a bit? (Meaning few days not few minutes)

how has she treated you as an older sister?

I think include her in the conversation with your parents about the safety plan, make it a family discussion

and mention your concern about your door to them as part of your safety
and until something is done to make it feel more safe (like maybe even duct tape over missing planks as a start) that is discussed with your parents and works for you, ask if you can sleep with your sister in her room

So for this, your sister maybe “sacrificing” part of her room, privacy, etc. for you, she might see it as a bit burdensome/annoying/as if she has to babysit you (tho that’s not what’s happening)
Even if she’s nice she might subconsciously build some resentment that’ll make the sharing worse for both of you

so I think you should also do smth genuinely nice for her/sacrifice smth too, to “acknowledge her sacrifice”, like maybe smth you usually do in your room at night make a point not to in her room, do smth nice for her, make smth, do a chore or smth

and that’ll help

bc yes it’s helping you but it might be a sacrifice from her pov

And yeah

 

[magali]

Do you think she’d let you sleep in her room for a bit? (Meaning few days not few minutes)

how has she treated you as an older sister?

I think include her in the conversation with your parents about the safety plan, make it a family discussion

and mention your concern about your door to them as part of your safety
and until something is done to make it feel more safe (like maybe even duct tape over missing planks as a start) that is discussed with your parents and works for you, ask if you can sleep with your sister in her room

So for this, your sister maybe “sacrificing” part of her room, privacy, etc. for you, she might see it as a bit burdensome/annoying/as if she has to babysit you (tho that’s not what’s happening)
Even if she’s nice she might subconsciously build some resentment that’ll make the sharing worse for both of you

so I think you should also do smth genuinely nice for her/sacrifice smth too, to “acknowledge her sacrifice”, like maybe smth you usually do in your room at night make a point not to in her room, do smth nice for her, make smth, do a chore or smth

and that’ll help

bc yes it’s helping you but it might be a sacrifice from her pov

And yeah

sleeping in her room makes me even more uncomfortable since her bed is in the middle of the room facing towards the direction of her door. mine is broken and she straight up does not have a door so when i sleep in her room i usually have my mattress facing directly to the door and it's even worse

we have a good bond, we share interests and i like spending time with her we do fight but that is sibling business i think she would understand if i asked her tho

 

[litc]

sleeping in her room makes me even more uncomfortable since her bed is in the middle of the room facing towards the direction of her door. mine is broken and she straight up does not have a door so when i sleep in her room i usually have my mattress facing directly to the door and it's even worse

we have a good bond, we share interests and i like spending time with her we do fight but that is sibling business i think she would understand if i asked her tho

Ohhh

I think in your safety plan, discuss both your door and hers with your parents having both “secure” would probably help you a lot

rip that solution then I think sleeping with your parents would be more inconvenient for everyone than sleeping with your sister but see if you can for a bit or trade place with your dad or smth

make sure your family knows ur concerns and how serious it’s been (the nightmares, that this had been going in for over a year) and everything

i have a younger brother and he’s not even little but he used to like to come sleep in my room

 

[magali]

Ohhh

I think in your safety plan, discuss both your door and hers with your parents having both “secure” would probably help you a lot

rip that solution then I think sleeping with your parents would be more inconvenient for everyone than sleeping with your sister but see if you can for a bit or trade place with your dad or smth

make sure your family knows ur concerns and how serious it’s been (the nightmares, that this had been going in for over a year) and everything

i have a younger brother and he’s not even little but he used to like to come sleep in my room

i definitely dont think my dad would swap with me but at the same time, as you name these rooms i could sleep in i just notice that my bedroom feels the safest. unless it's 5-30 minutes after i finish my dinner (dining room is downstairs) i go lay down on their bed and occasionally fall asleep for a bit, or maybe nap there, but i also don't think i could stay in there for the night because they have a glass door leading to the backyard so basically i feel kinda unsafe but at the same time i feel the 'safest' here

 

[litc]

i definitely dont think my dad would swap with me but at the same time, as you name these rooms i could sleep in i just notice that my bedroom feels the safest. unless it's 5-30 minutes after i finish my dinner (dining room is downstairs) i go lay down on their bed and occasionally fall asleep for a bit, or maybe nap there, but i also don't think i could stay in there for the night because they have a glass door leading to the backyard so basically i feel kinda unsafe but at the same time i feel the 'safest' here

Address that in your safety plan too (like getting curtains or until then hanging a towel or smth)

Is there any non bedroom room you would feel ok in, and could that be arranged till the safety plan for the rooms is enacted? Like a couch or if you bring a mattress and blankets/pillows or a sleeping bag if you have any

 

[dark_tranquility]

I have paranoid schizophrenia so yes
also depression and anxiety

 

[magali]

I have paranoid schizophrenia so yes
also depression and anxiety

Wow, you're really strong. Keep pushing forward and don't let it get to you

 

[dark_tranquility]

Wow, you're really strong. Keep pushing forward and don't let it get to you

I have on and off days, but that's normal for most people with mental illness