# Anxiety + Irrational Fears?



## Star Zero (Jun 1, 2010)

I am wondering if any of you are experiencing the same thing...if so, i'd like to hear what you have to say on the subject. - I've noticed that as my SA worsened, i've felt more child-like fears that i don't remember having this severely before.

I'm as afraid of the dark as ever, turning on each light as i walk further across the house. I'm afraid of outside the curtain when i'm in the shower, and of what's behind it when i'm going to the bathroom. I can't look into mirrors in the dark without scaring myself by imagining something behind me! It's getting to be embarrassing, and i'm thinking maybe i developed these habits from being home too much?

It's not only certain nights, like after watching a scary movie, it's every single day i'm scaring myself silly over opening a door! I want to be able to watch a scary movie without it effecting me, cause i love them. Does anyone else have an irrational fear similar? Do you believe it escalated because i've been cooped up at home???​


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## deeds14 (Jul 9, 2009)

Yeah, when my anxiety was at my worst I was easily shaken. When you have anxiety, it's like your body is telling you that you're in danger when you really aren't. So it makes sense that little things would scare you. Thank goodness for meds...


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## flapjacker (Nov 30, 2008)

Funny. I am noticing I am having a lot of child-like fears recently, just like this. Things like walking down a corridor if a tv is on and flashing freaks me out. I can't go outside for long because I constantly feel like someone or something is watching me from lots of places, around corners, behind trees, etc.. All these fears that never bothered me after childhood.

Not really sure what causes it.


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## Rixy (Oct 4, 2009)

I also get irrational fears from time to time. Like running up the stairs on your own at night when everyone else is gone to bed. Although to be honest, I think most people experience these problems occasionally, just that some are more open to admit it than others.


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## Jayne311 (Aug 20, 2009)

I was terrified of things like the dark and having to walk around the house when no one else was home as a kid. If I was in one end of the house and everyone else was in the opposite end, I'd sprint to them and feel absolutely terrified of something grabbing me. I've gotten over a lot of that by now, but it still comes back from time to time.


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## Star Zero (Jun 1, 2010)

I just feel like its gotten worse, and i'm worried its gonna effect my life. You'd think i'd grow out of it by now. Even the space under my desk scares me sometimes and i gotta put my feet up! lol. But i guess high levels of anxiety makes you feel in danger, you're right.

I sometimes fantasize about moving out on my own, then i think about this and wonder if i'd be scared all the time. Well, my wild imagination helps with writing atleast! ^^; Thanks for the input guys!


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## ScaredbutStrong (Jun 3, 2010)

Unfortunately, I too have experienced the same thing due to my social anxiety and OCD. I remember thinking that bad things were going to happen to people -- for no particular reason at all. I had a whole bunch of irrational fears that yes, something like a child would think of. I was always afraid that other people were going to come after me too. Fear of nothing.


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## rachelynn (Sep 12, 2008)

I get like this too! I think that something might be behind the shower curtain that's bad and other things that others have already mentioned too. :um


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## NotRealName (Feb 28, 2010)

I feel as there are hidden cameras in my bathroom haha. 

Before I go to bed I make sure all doors are locked and check the downstairs bathroom, closet and garage. LOL, I open the door quickly and am ready to find the culprit and attack anyone who dares enter my house. So far, I've only been disturbed by a mouse, haha.


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## Tangerine (Feb 16, 2010)

I've always had 'child like fears' but they've gotten better in the past year or so. I used to be very afraid of the dark, especially the basement and upstairs, but afraid of both places in the light as well. I made myself face my fears a few times and it's not really a hindrance anymore, although my fears always come right back if I watch a scary movie, for a few days. 

I tried watching a whole bunch in a row a couple times to see if I would become less afraid, but that didn't really work. 
I mean, I still run upstairs from the basement after I turn out the lights, but it's more out of habit now.


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## BreakingtheGirl (Nov 14, 2009)

deeds14 said:


> Yeah, when my anxiety was at my worst I was easily shaken. When you have anxiety, it's like *your body is telling you that you're in danger when you really aren't.* So it makes sense that little things would scare you. Thank goodness for meds...


yes

anxiety + irrational fears = hell


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## Star Zero (Jun 1, 2010)

Haha, my parents have made me terrified of strangers. "Live in the dark and the world is threatening," is a lyric i can relate to perfectly - from Prayer by Disturbed. I just think as we isolate ourselves maybe our anxiety grows further into other areas! I read up on phobia of the dark too, and it says usually it develops after something traumatizing, which i cannot remember a thing like that. But my god, basements are the worst! And no, i cannot imagine horror movies helping! Lmao. But good for you Tangerine! =]


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## Sunshine009 (Sep 21, 2008)

*When this song came out I did have problems with closing my eyes and washing my hair! I was a freshman in highschool. It made me feel a little better. I can do that now without a problem today I can say *

*



*
I'm just an average man with an average life
I work from nive to five, hey hell I pay the price
All I want is to be left alone in my average home
But why do I always feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone 
CHORUS:
I always feel that somebody's watchin' me
And I have no privacy
I always feel that somebody's watchin' me
Is it just a dream? 
When I come home at night
I bolt the door real tight
People call me on the phone I'm trying to avoid
Well, can the people on TV see me or am I just paranoid 
CHORUS 
*When I'm in the shower, I'm afraid to wash my hair*
*I might open my eyes and find someone standing there*
People say I'm crazy, just a little touched
But maybe showers remind me of Psycho too much
That's why... 
I always feel like somebody's watching me
Who's playing tricks on me
I always feel like somebody's watching me
Tell me it can't be 
I don't know anymore
Are the neighbors watching me
Well is the mailman watching me
And I don't feel safe anymore, oh what a mess
I wonder who's watching me now?
Who?
The IRS? I always feel like somebody's watching me
Who's playing tricks on me
I always feel like somebody's watching me
I can't enjoy my tea!


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## Star Zero (Jun 1, 2010)

Haha @ Sunshine009

I love that song! ^_^ But yeah, even in the shower my imagination scares me a lot. I used to looooooove taking showers in the dark too, but now i can't. XD


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## Aya11 (Jun 15, 2010)

Star Zero said:


> I am wondering if any of you are experiencing the same thing...if so, i'd like to hear what you have to say on the subject. - I've noticed that as my SA worsened, i've felt more child-like fears that i don't remember having this severely before.
> 
> I'm as afraid of the dark as ever, turning on each light as i walk further across the house. I'm afraid of outside the curtain when i'm in the shower, and of what's behind it when i'm going to the bathroom. I can't look into mirrors in the dark without scaring myself by imagining something behind me! It's getting to be embarrassing, and i'm thinking maybe i developed these habits from being home too much?
> 
> It's not only certain nights, like after watching a scary movie, it's every single day i'm scaring myself silly over opening a door! I want to be able to watch a scary movie without it effecting me, cause i love them. Does anyone else have an irrational fear similar? Do you believe it escalated because i've been cooped up at home???​


I have all those fears too... the more I think of them, the more they scare me and effect me. But what`s even worse is how I feel inside my insane little head. I always feel the presence of death lerking all around me, I am always bothered or troubled about nothing, literally nothing that I can think of that would be causing the worry. I am stuck in my head all the time, so I torture myself from the inside. My anxiety is subtle, only making appearances during moments where everyone else in my family is comfortable with the atmosphere. But this shouldn`t be a surprise to me, I know what the apparition of fear looks like. It`s even as black as space, and it`s experienced during your most vulnerable state of mind, i.e., sleep paralysis (old hag syndrome).


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## Star Zero (Jun 1, 2010)

Aya11 said:


> I have all those fears too... the more I think of them, the more they scare me and effect me. But what`s even worse is how I feel inside my insane little head. I always feel the presence of death lerking all around me, I am always bothered or troubled about nothing, literally nothing that I can think of that would be causing the worry. I am stuck in my head all the time, so I torture myself from the inside. My anxiety is subtle, only making appearances during moments where everyone else in my family is comfortable with the atmosphere. But this shouldn`t be a surprise to me, I know what the apparition of fear looks like. It`s even as black as space, and it`s experienced during your most vulnerable state of mind, i.e., sleep paralysis (old hag syndrome).


I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but i get "troubled about nothing" when all i have to do is think of something scary and get scared and run for the light-switch! If i see a picture of a certain something, it upsets me for the rest of the night usually.


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## Ting (Jun 26, 2010)

i dont understand, everyone here says its a condition to have depression, anxiety, escalated fears and social outcasting (that 1 feels great).

i dont consider it a condition i consider it a way of life..
i have been sad, lonely,depressed, my whole life, and ive never taken meds for any of my 3 major depressions..

ive never known there was a way out ive never felt excited or happy or love because i have no family and minimal friends, a virgin, 18 years old, no girlfriend.. yeah the list of GREAT things can go on.

id just like to be happy you know?

you'd think after 12-13 / 18 years of no love or respect, only sadness and emptiness in an empty house, that id get a break but i guess not..

yeah got off track but im not deleting my truth

people look at me and see the saddest story in the region and the worst part about all of this is that ive continuously hit that point where you realise that nobody cares about anything youre going through; and how people dont care about me orrrr even want me around.. 

like ive had people ive never met speak with me for 2 minutes and they told me instantly that i had tons of issues.. which is shocking at first but at the same time NOBODY has a damn clue what ive been through; you say i have issues? man issues come and go through my mind on a daily basis and they have been doing so for the last 10 straight years without a single day of rest.

and issues are nothing.
ive got this mapped into stages.
1: the loss of the spark you had in your soul
2: the realization and dwelling of your sorrow
3: suicidal thoughts
4: suicide attempt and aftermath
5: surpassing suicide and living just to see if anyone would care or help
6: living for nothing.

im on stage 8, and i dont even know where that is.

and to relate to you i have a fear of the dark as well, i always think something is going to jump out at me; just REALLY convince yourself nothing's there and close your eyes.. thats the only advice i can give ya

you can talk yourself through it, i bet 99 % of the people on this forum talk to themselves.

i know i do, and in my mind i thought maybe it would increase my social skills because saying things to myself would make them sound not as abrupt or stupid..

but then i realised all that made no sense.. and my mind just turns itself in circles JUST LIKE THAT 24/7.

i am EXTREMELY thankful that i am not currently in a medical depression but i do massively suffer from anxiety and social awkwardness and MY GOD youve never seen someone as awkward and withdrawn as me, trust me, ive seen myself in public, its all i think about when im in public, me, me me, how i look, how people see me.. cant shake the thoughts.

and if you think ive gone overboard now i havent even started, i could tell you stories for weeks on this forum about what ive been through but in the end it all doesnt matter because nobody cares about what i have to sayyyy soooo why am i writing this.... peace


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Scary thoughts and irrational fears are our minds' way of distracting us from having face what we need to face. Instead of focusing on doing what we need to do, we scare ourselves something awful to derail ourselves.


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## Star Zero (Jun 1, 2010)

E93 said:


> :yes :yes :yes
> I have similar fears to you.
> I hate the dark, it terrifies me. I'm 16 and still sleep with a light on :sus
> And the mirror thing is exactly like me!
> ...


My closet door is broken, so it doesn't close, i gotta put a heavy object in front of it to keep it shut, or else i'd just stare at it from bed all night! I'm glad to hear you have similar problems in the dark, i am not alone! ^~^


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## Amber78 (Jun 25, 2010)

I think I have a touch of OCD in that when I leave my house I am often convinced I left something on. I have been as far as 5 miles from my house and driven back to make sure I locked everything, that the stove is really off, etc. I also have irrational fears of choking and being alone in the house at night.


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## Star Zero (Jun 1, 2010)

Amber78 said:


> I think I have a touch of OCD in that when I leave my house I am often convinced I left something on. I have been as far as 5 miles from my house and driven back to make sure I locked everything, that the stove is really off, etc. I also have irrational fears of choking and being alone in the house at night.


Well Amber that's really irrational.....haha kiddin! =]
My mom actually is the same way with freaking out to turn the car around and check to see if everything's off in the house! Fear of choking though?

The house is scary alone, at night. It seems as if something could be happening across the house and you wouldn't know until it gets to you. O~O I feel scared just when i'm the only one awake here, lol. Luckily i have nights of highs and lows when it comes to this anxiety! ^^;


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## Dictionary (Jun 26, 2010)

I had an anxiety attack once because i was holding my hand on my heart and the thumping of it against my hand freaked me out.My heart started racing and i was gasping for air.A very pathetic scene it was.


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## Star Zero (Jun 1, 2010)

Dictionary said:


> I had an anxiety attack once because i was holding my hand on my heart and the thumping of it against my hand freaked me out.My heart started racing and i was gasping for air.A very pathetic scene it was.


I'm afraid to flush the toilet when everyone's asleep, but not because it'll wake anybody up, because it terrifies the [email protected]# out of me when i'm alone! :afr

So yeah, doesn't take much to scare ourselves i guess, lmao.


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## origami potato (Jan 9, 2010)

^ When growing up, my dad would get mad at us (kids) for flushing the toilet at night. haha So that habit of not flushing at night has still carried on. Also because it really is loud and would wake me up further anyhow.  


I'm a lot better with this now, but before I couldn't undress in a room at night with just blinds. I was super paranoid that people could still see into our apartment because I've noticed that sometimes you can see into homes with just blinds. (only because they have them turned the wrong way)


I also have a difficult time going places by myself. I've always been like this, but it's getting worse. It's almost like I'm trapped because I refuse to go out alone. Erm.


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## Ape in space (May 31, 2010)

Occasionally I do get scared in the middle of the night when I'm thinking about something scary - something which wouldn't scare me at any other time. I get this fear when I have to get up to go to the bathroom when I have these images in my mind, because I have to walk across open areas in the dark and that's when the scary creatures can 'get me'.

Whenever I get this fear, I get over it by forcing myself not to run away from the situation. Instead of hurriedly getting back to bed or to a light switch, I just stand there in the open space, completely vulnerable to the oogly-booglies, and just let the intense fear wash over me without resistance. When I do this, I find that the fear only lasts a few seconds, after which I feel completely fine. The fear would be reinforced if I were to run away, because I wouldn't be able to show myself that nothing will actually happen if I just stand there.


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## caesarea (Aug 20, 2009)

I think these irrational fears go hand in hand with the other areas of anxiety. At the peak of my social anxiety (not being able to sit near windows during the day, scared to be seen in the car, scared to leave the house at all) my other fears hit the roof. Scared of the dark, windows had to be covered at night, no open doors, lights on, constantly thinking I see something out of the corner of my eye, had to be covered totally by my blankets at night no matter how hot it was. 

I wasn't aware of any sort of anxiety support until well after that part of it faded a bit on it's own so I can't provide insight, but I can say that, in my case, those fears lessened once my anxiety over people leveled out. 

Now that I think about it that's when I was severely depressed and practically homebound, too, so maybe being cooped up is part of it. Is there a way you can get out during the day? Maybe take a walk around your house, up and down a sidewalk, wherever. You can take something with you that calms you down/makes you happy. Portable music player, write down a poem, a passage from a book, a photo. 

Sorry for the novel, I hope something I said helps. I remember the fears you're having pretty well. <3


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## caesarea (Aug 20, 2009)

Ting, 
"i dont consider it a condition i consider it a way of life.
...
id just like to be happy you know?"

You contradicted yourself a bit there. Or maybe I just don't understand where you're going with it? I don't know if you've started a thread anywhere that I've missed, but if not I encourage you to post your thoughts in your own thread. It's easier to reply that way.  The thing about this forum is that some of us, I'd say most, really do care about others that seek this site out. People around us may not understand, they may not even care, but you have people here who want to share, help each other, and be helped. 

Just a thought.


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## Ting (Jun 26, 2010)

oh, if youre all wondering why youre all like this, search NEUROSIS on google, and you may find your answer.

i have neurosis. every single symptom of it matches my EXACT thoughts, actions, and lifestyle.

neurosis can turn into schizophrenia or psychosis, you can lose your HUMAN CONSCIENCE, and its only easily cured if caught early, but if youve been living with it for like 5 years like me, you may as well just give up on life, because youre probably already insane, LIKE [email protected][email protected]?! AJHAHSHADHAHAHDAHDAHDAHDAHDHAD


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## GreyScaleRainbow (Aug 16, 2010)

Okay here's my fears: dogs (yes even puppies), sounds that i don't know where they came from or weren't expecting, my grandmother (she's neurotic, bipolar, and about twenty other things), public speaking, talking when asked to, and also flushing the toilet at night *laughs*.

I get attacks with public speaking, making/hearing noises i wasn't expecting at night (creaking floorboard, stuff like that), and having to think of something to say or do when told to... also i usually get panic attacks instead of crying when i am upset. i haven't cried in almost a year because of this.


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## theCARS1979 (Apr 26, 2010)

I put a timer on my Television to so I dont have to sleep in the dark and also close to the time the sun comes up.
Steve


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## xxtiney (Aug 19, 2010)

yeahhhh i get really paranoid. my shower "curtains" are sliding mirrors so i always feel like someone or something is standing on the other side so i try to peep in between or keep sliding the doors open to check. 
i use to sleep with my closet door closed but now i sleep with them open idk i just fear something/someone is behind it. it's silly really but i just can't help it


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