Those with obsessions of their house being broken into: what do you do to cope?
I've had obsessions regarding my house being broken into during the night since I was about 5 years old and while my compulsions have gotten better (used to check locks multiple times), my obsessions have not. I can't sleep and most nights I don't get to sleep until the sun has risen because that is a time I deem to be "safe". This safe time used to be at 4am and it's progressively gotten later. I stay up all night listening for any strange noises and have constant intrusive thoughts all night. I have to sleep with many things on to drown out any possible sounds from outside because I will obsess over them. Currently I sleep with a loud air purifier, my television, and my phone playing white noise or music (if it gets very bad I put in headphones). I know I am not getting good sleep and it is catching up with me during the day as I feel so tired. I can't take sleeping medication as I also have a strong obsession/fear that if I take them I won't wake up. My question for others experiencing these kinds of obsessions are:
What do you do? What are your tips for getting your mind off of these thoughts?
Posted Jan 9, 2021, 7:21 AM UTC