whiteraven
MyPTSD Pro
I had plans for the day--Quaker classes, then couple of hours with my mom (only a couple, because I don't like spending all day out)--we were going to go out and find me a small vacuum cleaner and a new pillow. Quaker classes were good (despite having to get up early on a Saturday), and my friends who invited me to them and were also there asked me to join them after for lunch. That was also nice.
On my way to my mom's--a little later than I had intended--my neighbor texted me, "what's going on with the alarm system?" We live in building with six condos, and the only alarms are the smoke detectors. I panicked. I knew that there was likely just a battery change needed, but I panicked. I turned on the cameras and checked them from my phone--I could hear the occasional beeping, but it was hard to tell where it was coming from. I talked to two neighbors--who were, like, *shrug* "yeah, the alarms are beeping," and decided to come home to change the batteries. It's about a 30 min drive. Mom came with, and we changed them, went to a store here for the vacuum, and I took her home. I was gone ten hours.
There has been an issue with the smoke detectors since a massive fire in our neighborhood when I was in high school that killed nearly 200 people. It's not my only issue related to that, but it is the one that creates the most ongoing anxiety. Sometimes I can't sleep at night because I am terrified they are going to go off, even just because they need batteries. I have to sleep with a radio on--people talking over any other noise, even though that's just stupid and doesn't make sense.
So initially I thought this was directly related to the smoke detectors and fire. I am a bit hypervigilant wherever I am about exits, fire doors, sprinklers, sirens, etc. But this seems to be more of a "bringing attention to myself" or "making noise that other people will hear" or...I don't know, something.
Anybody have anything similar or any insight?
On my way to my mom's--a little later than I had intended--my neighbor texted me, "what's going on with the alarm system?" We live in building with six condos, and the only alarms are the smoke detectors. I panicked. I knew that there was likely just a battery change needed, but I panicked. I turned on the cameras and checked them from my phone--I could hear the occasional beeping, but it was hard to tell where it was coming from. I talked to two neighbors--who were, like, *shrug* "yeah, the alarms are beeping," and decided to come home to change the batteries. It's about a 30 min drive. Mom came with, and we changed them, went to a store here for the vacuum, and I took her home. I was gone ten hours.
There has been an issue with the smoke detectors since a massive fire in our neighborhood when I was in high school that killed nearly 200 people. It's not my only issue related to that, but it is the one that creates the most ongoing anxiety. Sometimes I can't sleep at night because I am terrified they are going to go off, even just because they need batteries. I have to sleep with a radio on--people talking over any other noise, even though that's just stupid and doesn't make sense.
So initially I thought this was directly related to the smoke detectors and fire. I am a bit hypervigilant wherever I am about exits, fire doors, sprinklers, sirens, etc. But this seems to be more of a "bringing attention to myself" or "making noise that other people will hear" or...I don't know, something.
Anybody have anything similar or any insight?
