For some people with autism they have two things at the same time. They are extreme "S" on the Myers-Briggs scale, they take in the world detail by detail and they are not fantastic at drawing conclusions, so their interpretation of the world might be a little off. Also they have anxiety levels that high that their brains starts to ask for the reason of anxiety, and the reasoning parts, since they are not very good at putting things together, cannot "answer" anxiety what is really wrong, and since the human mind thirsts for explanations, the mind comes up with the wrong reasons for the anxiety, for example someone wants to hurt them.

I'm not saying this is the case with the OP, but I have seen actually quite a bit of autistic people like that.

I only get like that in one case, that is with heights, because I am so fearful of them, I actually get "psychotic" when I'm way up high. I am CONVINCED other people will push me over the rails.