paranoid after becoming crime victim

Has anyone who is prone to anxiety ever had something happen to them like getting a purse snatched? It happened to me two nights ago: my boyfriend and I were walking to our car on a dark, empty street - we were in a city that has had increasing reports of crime, it was late at night, and there was no one around except one man behind us. That situation always makes me anxious, but I brushed my feelings aside because nothing ever happens. As soon as my boyfriend went to the other side of the car, the man swerved over to me and ripped the purse off my shoulder, knocking me over and cutting/bruising me in the process. I lost a lot, pretty much everything, enough to be a possible victim of identity theft; but I was safe, if shaken.

The past two days, I keep thinking I see/feel things that have to do with the event; for example, a person touching my right shoulder from behind when I'm in a dark room (the shoulder the man touched), or walking into a room and seeing a man in a striped shirt (the man was wearing a striped shirt). The touch sensation turns out to be my clothes rubbing up against me, and the striped shirt turns out to be a fan. I think its partly because I've gotten very little sleep (I've seen/heard/felt things before when I'm sleep deprived, like a black cat laying on my bed - its just a sweater - or my cell phone ringing - completely hallucinating), but I feel like I've become paranoid, as the things I feel and see happening are impossible but I still feel myself jumping into a momentary panic anyways.

Besides, we all think it'll never happen to us, and to me it was impossible that the man would actually do anything to me with a 6 foot 200 pound boyfriend nearby... but it did happen, so in my mind, who knows now?

Has anyone ever had a semi-traumatic event like that throw them into paranoia? I know that a purse snatching is the best thing that could have happened; he didn't mug me, abduct me, rape me, kill me; but still, to have a man come up behind me and handle me so roughly, and to think of the awful expression he had on his face - it only makes it more real to me that people can really do awful things to you, especially a 5 foot, petite female who looks like she's 15. I know I was lucky this time, but I also know I'm the type to be victimized! Its frightening.. and all those thoughts plus my anxiety problems seem to have made me absolutely paranoid.

Understandable why you would be feeling this, do you have good support? People you can talk with?

A good night sleep can make a difference, you might want to make this a priority for now, use any tricks you have to help you sleep.

Hugs to you and best wishes.

You were violated. It was a hostile, violating attack, this theft!

You are a wreck do to lack of sleep and your nervous system.

Get some rest, real good rest, the kind where you distance yourself from these past few days.

Take vitamins. Drink teas and have soups. Then when you are rested, have a great hearty meal. (at an italian restaurant maybe).

When you get your paperwork replaced (lic., etc), and finish police reports and such, you will be in a better position to judge how this has affected you.

In a few weeks, you;ll either be able to let it go or it will have your attention as the paranoia will continue.

There should be a victims counseling available thru the police dept... if not ... through crisis services - you should not have to pay as you were a victim of a crime.

I realize you are jumping out of your skin right now - but rest, nourishment, and relaxation will save you from more of this.

So sorry this happened to you!

peace and comfort.
nightbird

I would be paranoid too! That would have absolutly thrown me off.

Are you sure it's really "paranoia"? It sounds like it might be more a kind of hyper-vigilance from what you wrote.