Can’t sleep!! Feel scared!! No one to talk too!!

[Anxiety_overwhelmed]

I’m so scared, how do you cope with excessive break and enters in your local community and I’m talking EXCESSIVE it’s happening so often now it’s crazy the whole community is outraged. And I’ve never been anxious about it before but for the past 3yrs I’ve been so scared at night times even to the point where my partner doesn’t work night shift because I don’t want to be home alone!! Tonight though is the first night that I’ve physically cried tears about my anxiety and why this is happening to me! It’s currently 3am I’ve been up for 2hrs over analysing every single noise, scared to move, or look out the window incase my house is next!!! Is there help in managing this so I can at least get some rest I’m exhausted 😩

[Desedrata]

You are not alone in having these kind of feelings.

If you are concerned about your own safety then I suggest making a central room that is a room with the least amount of outside walls, your bedroom. If you have sliding windows you can buy one by two centermetre wide bits of wood to the lenghth needed and place in the window frame to prevent the window from being pushed back. Unlike locks a bolt can't be picked so it is worth adding one or two to the front and backdoor so, when you are home you can slip them across for added safety. Always lock the doors even when you are in your own yard. Don't leave anything in the yard that may be of interest to a thief whether it be that they want to steal it or that they can use to break a window.

I hope I haven't stressed you out more by saying all this but I know having taken these precautions I sleep much, much better.

[Anxiety_overwhelmed]

Hi thank you for your response! I have been thinking of ways to add extra security but just didn’t know how or what. Your tips are extremely helpful!

thank you I appreciate it 🙂

[Alana_H]

Hi,

I'm so sorry this is happening to you, I can't imagine what it's like to not be able to feel safe a secure in your own home, I'm not surprised you're exhausted. I really like Desedrata's advice about how to keep safe, they are some really valuable tips.

It sounds like your community might be really tight, I wonder if you have had much opportunity to speak to them about it? Or if there has been much consultation with local police? As a citizen they should engage with you on some really practical step you can take as an individual and as a community. Sometimes we can feel increasingly anxious about something because we feel we have no control over it.

That all being said it is still an extremely stressful situation and being in that heightened state for such a long time is bound to take a toll on your body. I would suggest reaching out to your friends or even a mental health professional or a GP. I know it wont fix your situation but talking it through with someone can help put those thoughts out there.

Feel free to post back on here with how you're going.

Alana_H

[Desedrata]

You are welcome. I hope you sleep better tonight.