I Just Received A Horrible Text From A Stranger And Had To Call The Cops

[Renestel]

Hey guys-
Looking for more support and future help vs. "what should I do now" answers, but feel free to throw out what you want...I needed to rant this out.
At 5 pm today, I had the day off, my husband just left last night for a three week business trip and unfortunately all the "fun" stuff happens when he leaves- things break, the garage door falls off the track, and I even had a stranger peeing tom one night in my front yard last year. I get on "higher alert" when he's gone because things have happened and my PTSD symptoms heighten. So I get a text from a number that I do not know, and this was our convo---

Stranger: Hello- is anyone there??

Me: (I ignore)

Stranger: I just hid a body, what do I do now?
S: I really need your help......

Me: call 911

Stranger: Makayla you don't have a job

Me:you have the wrong number

Stranger: Okay then who is this? Where do you work?

Me: I don't know you, leave me alone I'm not giving you any of my information

S: Bye :)
S: it was a dare

I didn't know how to take this. My gut wanted to say, this is a horrible, AWFUL joke, but because I've been a victim of horrible things in the past, I literally had to call the cops because if that small percentage of a person texting someone random out of psychosis was real, that some family is missing a child/person and that I could have given info to help them not have a cold case and horrible death and no justice, I had to do it. The cop came and told me he received a call from a number at least with the same first three digits last night, they said they were his best friend a long time ago, and then got all stirred up saying how dare you not remember me.
Things are just so different and messed up these days. Does anyone have any hardcore advice on how to keep my sense of peace, or at least have a strong balance of protecting myself vs. being paranoid, angry and have all my walls up now when things like this happen? I have been doing so well this week, but I notice when things like this happen where I feel in danger, I go all the way back to square one. Don't leave the house. Over-eat, over-drink, I hide and drown my concerns. Thanks for any advice!

 

[Casey_03]

I always try to balance out my paranoia by watching comedy that really makes me laugh, Louis CK, usually. It helps me take the edge off, though I realize it might not work for everyone. But it does sort of get me out of my super vigilant, paranoid, heightened senses zone. Do you have any pets? That can help too. You will never be able to block out the external stimuli that makes you paranoid, so you just have to find little tricks to ease your own mind. I think grounding techniques can help sometimes, but also just calling a friend or someone who makes you laugh. Or even writing about the situation. I was getting creepy emails for a while, probably because my contact information is available online because I'm expected to be quite public as a journalist. So I was getting all sorts of sleazy men sending me stuff and inviting me out, which was gross but not actually scary. Until I started getting emails from someone saying they were sad I hadn't gone to the office that day (I actually hadn't) and they knew where I lived, etc. I was terrified and started thinking about getting a weapon, but then I found myself writing a short story about the whole thing and basically trying to turn it all into a joke. It helped, though obviously I did take extra precautions in addition to my creative writing-coping. I hope some of this is at least slightly helpful?

 

[Renestel]

THANKS, Casey! yes very helpful. I spent hours watching TV and petting my dogs after the experience, so good call on that. I also found myself on here after calling my mom and husband and them being like EH, scary but it will be okay. They just don't get triggers and what it does to us. I was making SUCH huge strides this week and I feel almost robbed of my progress. But that is mental. That is something I can only let them steal from me. Just trying to seek wisdom on how to not dip so far when things like this happen. I will try to write more! thx! or drawing/singing.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I think that you did the right thing in calling the police and reporting this one.

As for how you feel now understandable because that was a scary situation to be in.

Do a lot of self care, pampering, and self nurture to get yourself back to where you were feeling before.

Although this situation is troubling, I understand how you feel. Hugs.