Hi....I like your dancing chili peppers!

The racing, intrusive thoughts - nothing worked at first. I tried hypnosis. That stopped it for a while. I think if I kept going for hypnosis it would have worked better.

Also, I got out of the house. I was pretty much agorophobic and barely left my house for one year. I made up my mind I was going to drive somewhere. I started out driving down the block, then into town, etc.

Once I got distracted the racing thoughts eventually stopped.

For the nightmares, I just kept telling myself I was safe when I woke up. I sleep with stuffed animals...if you can touch something soothing, that helps.

For the startle response - I just had to tell people not to come up behind me. My fiance woke me up one time by leaning over me and I almost whacked him! When we moved in together I had to tell him not to squeeze me when we were sleeping because it scared me...

Also, figure out your triggers. I used to get very paranoid and didn't know why. Then I started noticing that I was being triggered...Insight does a lot.

I'll keep thinking and let you know more ideas, ok?