"You can't imagine it any other way"?

So when in in my paranoid mode (most days)eg, say I begun to believe I'm being followed. That the only outcome is a knife to my throat.
T says you cannot imagine they someone else is just walking your way?
Im like "No!"

I need to ask T about that more. Why I only imagine the worse, and have no capacity to think about it any other way.
Anyone else like this?

Surely some part of you must know that it's probably just someone walking your way - or you'd call the police, or defend yourself in some way?

I do relate, my anxiety is capable of inventing all kinds of terrifying and unlikely situations. I am capable of imagining other ways, though, it's just that I can't seem to fully accept those other ways - the anxiety is too powerful.

No, because part of it is that I cannot imagine help being there. That's another part of it.

I see. That makes sense.

I think your brain's insistence on focussing on the worst possible situations is probably a result of past trauma you've experienced - your brain is trying to protect you by keeping you alert to possible danger, but it's gone into overdrive. So now the 'possible danger' has become the 'very real and immediate' danger instead.

I obviously haven't experienced what you have, as I always have a contradictory 'don't be silly everything is fine' dialogue in my head (though that comes with its own terrible frustrations!) - but it certainly sounds terrifying. I'm sorry.