Katherine, London
I feel that everyone is talking about me behind my back, noone really likes me but are pretending to. I feel that everyone is looking at me and thinking bad thoughts, and that people hate me in general. I fear that people that say they care for me are saying it as a joke for others that I am not in on. I think everyone is lying to me and they don't ever tell me how they really feel about me. I used to as a child fear that there was going to be a fire in our house every night. I'd worry about going near rivers incase someone fell in and drowned. I'd worry about going too fast in cars incase we crashed. I'd sometimes feel in public places that I was (if sitting) sitting on layers of dirt and germs and it makes me feel sick. I fear someone is hiding in the dark when I can't see. I feel I am never invited to social events with my friends because they really hate me and have to put up with me because they are too nice/afraid to hurt my feelings. Social situations generally terrify me :/
Jen, England
i'm glad i've found this website, i finally feel like i can let out my feelings. whenever i walk down the street i feel like everyone is watching me from inside their houses. when i'm waiting for the bus i think that people are watching me as they drive past in their cars and when i'm on the bus i get the feeling that people are watching me and laughing at me because of my appearance. when i'm waiting for my friends i feel like everyone is walking past and laughing at me bacause i'm on my own. i don't even feel safe in my own home and i'm really suspicious of my neighbours. the only time i feel safe is when i'm with my friends and immediate family but i don't think i can trust anyone. i'm sick of these paranoid thoughts, they're ruining my life.
Pete, London
I feel reading these has helped, been having paranoid thoughts for a couple of years although everything in my life is as good as I can wish for. Really about watching horror films or anything in a film which I can picture it being me, then I will constantly think that its going to happen for weeks. cant get the thought out my head that someones planning it for me and think whats the point of going on, best to end it quick. Have a very vivid imagination and can watch a film then think how I could make it worse, and get feelings that someone knows this and will try it on me. Sounds mad writing this and explaning it to someone, can strongly visualise horrible things and think it could actually happen. get really negative when I have the thought that no one can say it wont ever happen.
Ahmed, India
Whenever I walk through the marketplace, I'm always afraid that people are judging me for whatever--my moustache, my prominent nose, my slightly lazy left eye. It may just be insecurity, but I actually am afraid that someone will just out of the shadows, with a knife, and attempt to gouge my eye out, shave my moustache (I have a disfiguring mole on my upper lip--so the moustache is another product of insecurity), or slice off my nose.
Mary, UK
Thanks to everyone who posted, it's all helpful stuff that I will be trying form now on. I'm very paranoid about stuff to do with work, I'm a manager in a big office department and I'm convinced everyone is out to get me and that everyone is talking about me behind my back all the time and waiting for me to fail. Every time I make a mistake, I feel like everyone is gleeful that I have done so, as if this only serves to prove my incompetence. I also dwell on situations that have happened months ago and imagine that my friends are always talking about me. And the worse point is when I try to go to sleep at night, all the things that are on my mind just whirr wound my head incessantly and I find it really difficult to clear my head. I feel insane!!!