[Don't touch me]

Okay.. This was a while ago, and I'm still not sure what it was.
I can always tell beforehand that I am not going to be able to sleep because of my nerves. But one night, things got weird.
I went to bed feeling really anxious. I closed my eyes, but I felt someone watching me. I opened them and thought I saw something hiding behind a desk. I ruled as "That's a dark corner of the room."
I sleep with the TV on because I'm afraid of the dark, but it seemed really really dark. I was even more on edge now. And I thought I saw something on the other side. I screamed a bit, and turned on the light. Nothing there. Then I turned it back off and closed my eyes. Again, I felt watched and I saw something in the same corner as the first time. And it came over to me and reached for me, and I turned on the light. I stayed up almost all night after that and was a bit more afraid of the dark since.
My old therapist ruled it as an anxiety attack, but she was wrong about everything else about me.
Thoughts?

[thetheft]

I dont think that was an anxiety attack. You could have had an intense rush of adrenaline. I get those alot too. A full anxiety attack consists of things like heart pounding, sweating, shaking, hot flashes, feeling tingly, and as much as thinking youre going to die. Plus, you probably have a fear, maybe even a phobia (They're kinda different.) of the dark, and you probably had it as a child and never got over it. And the fear just made you paranoid.
You're going to be okay[:

[Don't touch me]

Thanks. ^^ I have always been afraid of the dark. It sucks.

[sundog]

Hi Don't touch me. I agree with thetheft. What you describe does not sound like a typical anxiety attack. Are you seeing a new therapist, or getting any other professional help?

Wishing you all the best

[Don't touch me]

I go to both a therapist(new one) and psychiatrist.

[WikidPissah]

i would guess it's a severe phobia with a fixed delusion. That doesn't mean crazy, just that you have convinced yourself there is something there in the dark, so much that you can see it and feel it. So you are really afraid of the dark. It makes sense that you would be. It's ok to sleep with the tv on or even a light on. But talk to your therapist about it, there is stuff that can help.

[Gently1]

I have had similar, feels real, the mind is awake but my body is asleep.
Pdoc said some feel a presence in the room, footsteps in the hall, mine are auditory and moving-
it happens between awake and asleep. hypnagogic hallucination. Of course for years I thought I was defective it was such a relief to see a geat doc.