scared of being robbed!

lately I've been having constant worrying about becoming a victim of crime, such as a robbery inside the apartment or someone coming up to me wanting my wallet/money. I often worry about it when I take my dogs out to do their business, I have to walk them on a leash outside the area, and I worry about what the person might do to them, especially if they have guns. I worry a robber would shoot my dogs. It worries me so much, I couldn't stand that happening. I'm finding myself taking the dogs outside less and less (and it has caused them to have accidents inside). I don't dare take them out at night. There was a stabbing in my apartment complex a couple weeks ago, so some of my worrying may well be justified. But I think they worrying goes beyond that. When I am done with taking the dogs out, and I make it indoors (thank goodness), I worry that there is someone inside my apartment, robbing the place. I leave the door unlocked when I take my dogs out cause it doesn't take very long, but I think soon I will start locking the door. But I have vivid scenarios in my head about coming home to find robbers taking the TV and the computer and me walking in on them. When I'm outside and I see another person, I get a lot of anxiety, thinking maybe he is out to hurt me or try to rob me (even though I have no cash on me! then he'd be mad at me and shoot me for not giving him money!) I'm just so afraid of everyone around me. I've never been like this before. Dunno what's going on!

It sounds like Harpaxophobia. This is fear of being robbed. I am seeing this one way. Perhaps you need to find a therapist help you in healing the emotional trauma produced from a personal experience on being robbed. There will be some emotional as well as psychological wounds that need to be healed well before the fear can be brought under control. Leaving this fear solely is anti-productive to feelings of safety and security.

I didn't know there was a simple phobia of being robbed but I think this guy is right and you have it. In that case, the way to treat it is via exposure. Talking yourself out of it won't work. See treatment below:

http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/h...ment-and-cure/

My recommendation would be as follows:

1. Get a journal.
2. Get a friend or family member to help you with the treatment.
3. List the situations in which you worry you will be robbed from the least scary to most scary.
4. Have your confidant with you and expose yourself to those situations. DONT DO ANY VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. Double check with the confidant to verify that they believe it is safe.
5. Record progress in journal. How scared where you? Did you in fact get robbed? How sure are you that you will get robbed the next time you do it?
6. Keep exposing yourself until you can do the situations on your own.
7. Continue exposing until the situations are no longer phobic.

If I were you i would
1) Carry around a pepperspray. It is legal in my homestate but i dont know about D.C
2) Make sure all your doors are double locked
3) You could take a class on self defence
Hope this helps

Have you considered moving to a safer part of town?

I'm not sure if you're going to like this opinion but... I think it's a natural fear/anxiety that is getting out of hand. The more you give in to it the worse it will get.
Always lock your door regardless of how long you will be out and just try to be cautious and alert...but confident. You and your dogs deserve this freedom and I hope you can begin to enjoy it again