[behndblueyes]

So I have social anxiety disorder/GAD. But what I am wondering is if that causes real extreme paranoia... even when i am alone? Because for example... whenever i am home alone (especially at night) I cannot be near any windows. It is like things in my head are telling me that someone is sitting in the woods across the watching my every move or waiting for me to be in sight so they can kill me. And it plays over and over in my head. Its like one of those stupid horror films over and over again. I wont go outside at night without someone else either. But it isnt only that.. it is a lot of things. like sometimes when I eat out in my head im paranoid that someone has poisoned my food. I am just not sure if this is still anxiety or I am going crazy :-/ Suggestions or input?

x Blue Eyes

i think its anxiety......

[Bethsway]

I think it is part of the anxiety disorder...I have it too...I cannot have an open curtain at night...someone might see...I cannot eat in restaurants for fear someone will laugh at me...or talk about me...I can't even go grocery shopping anymore because I may have to be trapped in a line full of people...thinking people are against you I think is part of the social phobia...I wish I could just go out and not worry about anything!

[Sarah116]

I have to put a blanket over my head so people if they are spying on me cannot hear my thoughts or harm them. I have to constantly look around for ghosts and people spying on me. SOMETIMES IT GETS ME CRANKY!!!

[jmo531]

Hi. I can relate to much of what you have said. I too suffer with similar thoughts that I myself would interpret as "Paranoia", although my T and PDoc insist that it is my anxiety coupled with what they have told me is called OCD (more obsessional thoughts). I had a hard time even believing them if truth be told. It wasn't until I came here and did research into OCD that I was able to identify with it and in turn accept it. I think that is the hardest of all. The fact that you suffer with anxiety makes these thoughts you are having even more disturbing. Please do some research into "Pure0" or "obsessional OCD". I hope that in researching this you find the comfort your looking for. I know how frustrating and scary this all is. Just know that your not alone. Please pm me if you need to.

Jen

[Perna]

My T was treating me for GAD. Whenever my husband would go away on a business trip and leave me alone for a few days, each night he was away I'd have to stay up until 3:00-4:00 a.m. by which time the "robbers" would have all gone home to their own beds I was quite sure someone was going to break in and "get me." Another time, in the snow, I was quite sure I saw footsteps under the windows, amongst the bushes.

It took a zillion years but I finally worked out that it was easier for me to be scared of vague robbers who never came (and weren't likely) than to deal with the "abandonment" of my husband being away from me on a trip and how much I missed having someone/him with me. What began to work over a lot of time was to leave the lights on in the living room (like they were when he was home; I'd go to bed an hour or more before he did and he'd be out in the living room watching TV or reading, eating his late night snack, etc. and it was comforting to "know" that) and that was enough. It looked/"felt" enough like when he was home that I could go to sleep gradually sooner each trip until I would only read until Midnight or 1:00 and, when I was tired/sleepy, instead of making myself stay awake I'd go to sleep (but sleep a bit more lightly/uncomfortably). The footprints in the snow under the bushes I finally realized were snow dropping from the bushes in footprint-like clumps

What is hard to think about/face when you're alone? Can you be "distracting" yourself from missing someone or being alone and "in charge" (one of my big things when I'm scared, "who's going to take care of me????")?

[Soidhonia]

Hello it sounds like OCD the Dr may have to give you somthing for the paranoid thoughts and obsessive thoughts that are in yourhead over and over. there is help if you talk to your Dr. Take care Soidhonia