Fear At Night When Home Alone

[BuckarooBanzai]

Ah, Grasshopper....

When we help another, we also help ourselves.

Ben

 

[Ellabella44]

Hmm I dont ever remember sucking my thumb as a child. Wouldnt be surprised if the habbit was beaten out of me like chewing my nails.

Whatever gets you through the night. It sucks to not feel safe, wishing you both sweet dreams...(walks off to sleep with stuffed kitty and a puppy print childs blanket) safety first! ;)

 

[BuckarooBanzai]

Ellabella, I never sucked my thump as a chld, either. Not even as an infant. It was something I picked up when the PTSD and DID struck in adulthood.

I very rarely do it now. Once a year, maybe? But when I need it, I need it.

Ben

 

[BuckarooBanzai]

By the way, everyone: My very impressive Stanford University professor emeritus therapist tells me that many healthy adults sleep with stuffies. It's perfectly OK.

Ben

 

[BuckarooBanzai]

Noticed something VERY interesting!

I came to this site because I had suddenly developed this fear, as noted in my opening post, of feeling like there was a monster or strange man lurking in my apartment at night, waiting to hurt me. I was really frightened. Well, the day after starting THIS thread, I started ANOTHER thread about my brother, who is a registered sex offender. There were many wonderful responses to that thread, and we had a really good conversation rolling.

And then, about 24 hours after really working that other thread, I realized that THE FEAR I WROTE ABOUT HERE HAS ALL BUT TOTALLY DISAPPEARED!

So, maybe this fear of the monster was a screen for my fears about my brother?

Ben

 

[EveHarrington]

By the way, everyone: My very impressive Stanford University professor emeritus therapist tells...

My stuffies dominate my bed! Hello kitty, snoopy, and so on. I have to fight for space! Lol.

 

[EveHarrington]

Sucking is actually quite therapeutic! (It's calmed us since seconds after our births!)

I have a camelbak or five that I can use to suck water. Unfortunately they get gross as all get out and I need to buy more periodically. It's better than walking around with a baby bottle lol!

 

[BuckarooBanzai]

My stuffies dominate my bed! Hello kitty, snoopy, and so on. I have to fight for space!

Same here! A one point, I put a kiddie bedrail on the exposed side of my bed so they wouldn't fall off. I always feel guilty when that happens.

Because I was a multiple, my stuffies actually were tied to certain internal personalities, so when they wanted to get in my bed - well, I couldn't say no. Four little SuperHeroAnimals is a lot to deal with in a twin bed, though. Hence the railing. G-d forbid they should fall out and hurt their little SuperSelves.

Sucking is actually quite therapeutic!

Oh, yes. And, because of the bottle problems you mentioned, I learned to just suck my thumb when need be. There are ways to hide these things.

Fortunately, I rarely need to do it these days.

Oh, by the way, kiddie suckie cups do the trick, too, and are more satisfying, I find, than the ones you use.

Ben

 

[moshpitmunkey]

I go through this sometimes as well. One night I was so afraid of someone breaking into my apartment that I went to sleep and had a terrifying lucid nightmare about someone breaking in and harming me;woke up sweating and screaming and the only thing that calmed me was calling my sister at all hours of the night and eating candy and sweets to try and soothe myself and calm down. Probably not the best idea but I also sleep with lots of stuffed animals(including a gigantic panda). Sometimes I'll even put a chair under the knob of the front door. Its hard to shake the fear, but I'm glad to hear that your fear of this has subsided!

 

[BuckarooBanzai]

Candy and sweets, hum? I'm going to have to give THAT one a try.

Ben

 

[hodge]

One or more of our cats are like my stuffed animals. One especially will often snuggle up to me at night, which really helps. Otherwise, I hold my prayer blanket next to me and put a tiny drop of lavender oil on it before bedtime. It's very calming.

I went through years of having to search my whole house after coming home. I had a pretty good system where I felt assured that no one could sneak away or hide. I still sleep with a sharp garden tool next to my side of the bed, even though I'm married and hubby's always here.

As you know, Ben, from another thread, I did experience a threatening break-in once, but I think this is a generic kind of paranoia common for us, that it's probably hard for many of us to feel safe even in our own homes sometimes. I'm just glad you don't experience it very often. We also have nightlights around the house. They really help, too.

 

[SometimesWriter]

Oh oh, i also have a big BIG knife where i can reach it in about every possible position poss...

YES! That has been the best way for me to find a way to function in any home I've lived in - it sounds so weird and my BF thinks I'm a complete nutjob sometimes but I keep a hidden knife in every room, even the bathroom. I used to keep a small hatchet under my pillow until that just became too uncomfortable for partners who shared the bed. Now I keep a knife in my nightstand and a small flashlight.

There's something about the knowledge that I will have a way to protect myself no matter where I'm at in the house, it really helps to keep some of the anxiety at bay. And I can't recommend a pet enough - I have a few dogs and they are literal-lifesavers. If I weren't in the position to afford dogs, I would have whatever I could afford - fish, hamsters, guinea pigs, cats - SOMEONE to be there in the house with me at all times.