Re: Fear of intruders, has anyone had help with this?
I struggle with this too. Both when I'm asleep and when I have to go into work because my dog and cat are home alone and I have a major fear of something happening to them while I'm out. I do think the pandemic contributed to the hypervigilance I was already prone to, but there are probably other factors too.
I don't know if I have the best advice; I sleep with bear spray by my bed and also keep my phone and keys close. I also have a dog that I know would bark and keep a leash for him in my bedroom in case we needed to go out the window, which as I type it sounds totally off the rocker but I feel better knowing I have a backup plan.
I did go to therapy for awhile and we were working on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, but I had to take a break due to finances. It was pretty helpful though. She had me take an Enneagram test and apparently my personality type is really prone to the need to be overprepared (fits right in with my OCD) and to feel safe and keep others safe, which was interesting but I suppose not surprising.
For me, it comes down to making sure my doors are locked, I have motion sensor lights in some spots on my house, and just having things so that if I needed to act I would be prepared. On top of that, I tell myself that crime is relatively uncommon where I live, especially violent crime, so that my odds of becoming a random victim are pretty low.
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