Paranoia

This was semi discussed once, but wasn't about paranoia in general.

I've been thinking lately about things that I have been and still are and only fairly recent paranoid about.

As many people do have at some point or another, I always felt like I was being watched. However for a short time, my paranoia about being watched was rather extreme. At night, when it was dark outside, I would become highly paranoid, that someone was watching through the window, so I would go around closing any and all blinds and curtains. Even the way I closed the curtains was paranoid. I would make sure the curtains were 100% covering the windows, so there would be no way someone could peek in.

Another paranoia I always had was, paranoia that I was being judged. Every time I noticed someone glance at me, I would assume they were judging me in some way and when I would hear a conversation in close proximately to me and hear something like "look at that guy" I would assume they meant me.

More recently, as I mentioned in the habits thread, I have become paranoid about whether or not I put the hand brake on, despite the fact I have not once ever, forgotten to put the hand brake on. Every time I walk by the car park, I look at my car and think "I really hope I didn't leave the hand brake off".

Another thing I only recently noticed I am paranoid about is my wallet. when I was 17 I nearly lost my wallet when it had $500 in it. since then any time when I am not 100% sure where my wallet is, I have a mini freak out until I find.

I am sure I can think of plenty of other things I am paranoid about, but thats all I can think of as of this moment.

So naturally, I have to ask. What have you been paranoid about in past? Do you still feel paranoid about certain things? And can you control your paranoia (if you have any) or does it tend to get the best of you?

As I said sort of, I used to really let my paranoia get the best of me, to the point I would do meticulous things to stop the paranoid feeling.

I'm not nearly as bad now, though its really hard to fight the urge to go check my car.

Oh yeah, I am also still paranoid that Ewok has an elaborate plan to eliminate me so that she can have the bed to herself and not have to sleep at my feet, but I don't feel this is being paranoid as I feel my fears are justifiable.

I think all of us have some hints of paranoia in certain aspects of life and they can end up being healthy and actually assist you. Although without a doubt sometimes this can get out of hand and, well, become unhealthy. One must tread carefully.

I have a mini-paranoia about making sure I park the car and do all the shut down procedures (Windows rolled up, lights turned off, handbreak on and car locked)

I also don't like being home with the curtains open, so most of the times they are active. I have some see-through-ish from the inside, but not really from the outside.

I used to be worried people were talking about me too, I think its an age thing, you know, self confidence and everything.

I'm with you both on the seeing in thing, where I live we have a carpark on one side, a road leading right to the front of our house at the front and a school playing field, which is higher than our garden, at the back. We also have large patio door sized windows. So yeah My sister is the worst though, she makes me cross over the curtains in her room before she goes to bed so nothing can look at her XD

I also get those little paranoias about leaving stuff unlocked, turned on ect.

My computer does this really strange thing every few days or so.

A window will pop up that says "preparing to install..." and then after about a second, disappear.

Makes me paranoid... feel like I've got hackers.

Paranoia is a natural instinct to remain protected. It is fairly healthy to have the occasional nagging feeling that something is wrong, that is one tool our ancestors had to avoid predation.

It becomes a problem, I think, when it becomes obvious to others (I don't mean questions about "Have I left the oven on?" or the like). I have had a friend who every time I saw him for the first few months he expressed some concern over some noise (heard and unheard by myself) and if I said he was just paranoid he would get antsy about it. He has clearly got over that now, but I think he was genuinely paranoid for a while.

I get paranoid about my house burning down, but only for the last 5 minutes before I get back there whenever I have been out for any reason, but I don't let it take me over.

The only time I get paranoid about open curtains is when I'm in my pj's and in the living room

I like wearing pj's at home :3

Vektrix wrote:I get paranoid about my house burning down, but only for the last 5 minutes before I get back there whenever I have been out for any reason, but I don't let it take me over.

I have that one really badly. Thatched House? No way. I always look for fire escapes to know where they are. I believe my phobia of a house fire stems from an experience when I was 11 in a hotel room on my own whilst my parents were down at dinner and the fire alarm went off...worst experience of my life.

When I was younger I also used to be really paranoid about burgulars...after our house was burgled when I was 7 for the next 6 or so years I was terrified of it. I've largely grown out of that now, but I still have a slight paranoia in obsessively checking that everything is shut and locked before going to bed.