What techniques can I employ to help deal with crippling anxiety and bug-phobic behaviors until I can afford regular therapy appointments? Ugly details inside - apologies for the length.
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posted by woolly
on Apr 10, 2013 -
16 answers
I leave for a much much much needed vacation tomorrow that I've been looking forward to for the past two months. As more and more people around me (family, friends, coworkers) have been getting sick during this nasty flu season, I have been super paranoid about getting the flu myself just in time to spoil my vacation. I started feeling really achy and fatigued last night, but maybe it has more to do with other things?
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posted by windbox
on Jan 31, 2013 -
14 answers
I'm having a hard time dealing with feelings of profound loneliness and paranoia about the states of friendships which in turn affect my dreams and my moods (being a vivid dreamer) and I don't like the affect it has on my happiness. Is there any good literature or advice that you can give to help me conquer these feelings and appreciate what I have in my friends or branch out to finding others? Any communication advice to being clear with friends and alleviating my paranoia without insulting them or sounding weird?
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posted by Recca
on Jan 22, 2013 -
6 answers
How does a paranoid psychotic episode end? Assuming that someone is on medication that starts working, does it tend to be a sudden thing where they wake up one day and they no longer believe in any of the huge conspiracy their mind had created? Or do they gradually stop believing the least plausible delusions one by one? Or do they stop feeling the terror associated with it first, and maybe even continue to believe that all that stuff DID happen to them, but that it isn't an ongoing threat any more? Or do they maybe just become more open to logical arguments against their beliefs?
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posted by lollusc
on Dec 31, 2012 -
11 answers
Trying to be rational here. Is it possible that I might be targeted by a group of people?
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posted by antgly
on Dec 24, 2012 -
38 answers
Since I've hit my mid-late 20s, a pattern has developed: A woman and I express mutual interest; I ask for her number or she gives it to me on her own; a first date is arranged; at the last minute, she cancels it. I know this isn't unheard of, but it's happening so often and so consistently that it's making me paranoid and demoralized, and I'm not sure how to proceed.
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 28, 2012 -
23 answers
PrivacyParanoiaFilter: My employer offers a discount on my health insurance if my spouse and I take a Health Risk Assessment (HRA). I get the idea, but are there any downsides privacy-wise that they're not telling you?
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posted by JoeZydeco
on Oct 25, 2012 -
21 answers
My sister's husband has probably had a psychotic break in Southern California and has gone missing. Please advise.
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posted by cereselle
on Oct 22, 2012 -
25 answers
My father is getting up in years, and on a recent trip I noticed he's been acting differently. I don't have many elderly contacts so I'm unsure how much of this is normal old man behavior and how much is possible pathology.
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 6, 2012 -
9 answers
Bed Bug Filter: my partner and I went on a road trip with friends who thought they had treated their bed bug problem. After the road trip, our friends found a bed bug on a pillow that had been in the car with us. We took preventative measures before we returned to our apartment (long details inside), but what else should we do? How freaked should we be?
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posted by Beardman
on Sep 10, 2012 -
6 answers
I am terrified that I'm repeatedly sabotaging my relationships with my trust issues. Please help me get a grip or perspective. I don't know what to do. I turned 28 a month ago, and the prospect of hitting the reset button this time--I had joked before about getting old, but this was the first time I truly felt the weight of it.
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posted by blue rare
on Aug 4, 2012 -
30 answers
Help me track down this
Cube-esque, straight-to-video nuclear bomb shelter paranoia film (with a shocking twist!).
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posted by Rhaomi
on Jul 19, 2012 -
8 answers
My father in law is bipolar and self-medicating with alcohol. He is the sole carer for my house-bound mother in law. They live 5 hours’ drive away and they resist efforts to help them. How do I best cope with him? How do I practically help them both? Long and painful story below the cut.
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posted by little-egglplant
on Jul 16, 2012 -
9 answers
...they couldn't if they tried?
Do employers read text messages on employer paid cell phones?
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 25, 2012 -
13 answers
I'm paranoid about bedbugs, probably from reading too much Ask.Mefi. Help fill in the gaps for my one weak spot in a vacation plan.
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posted by Addlepated
on Jun 11, 2012 -
15 answers
How do I deal with my (very insecure and overly sensitive) friend's tendency to take things said in passing as deep, personal criticisms? I used to be able to take it in stride but his recent prescription steroid treatments have ramped this trait up to stratospheric levels.
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posted by anonymous
on May 4, 2012 -
8 answers
I feel like I'm losing my mind from grief due to a broken heart. The people I have tried to trust since my break-up have let me down (except for my one true friend and my therapist but they can only help so much and they are kind of like Saints). I'm scared of my paranoia (big business is corrupt and it rules our country without scruples -- today I decided Verilli must have been drugged by the GOP to have so royally flubbed the Health Care oral arguments which may not be insane but if it's true it makes me want to die). What can I do for myself in NYC to not lose my mind and keep growing as a person?
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 30, 2012 -
23 answers
I get data review and entry work done extremely fast with no discernible lack of quality. But, I also have a persistent feeling I'm doing things wrong or missing important details. How to fix this?
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posted by reenum
on Mar 6, 2012 -
10 answers
My dad's wife, a clinical psychologist, says he is paranoid and mistreating her. Um. Now what do I do?
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 29, 2012 -
22 answers
I have a dear old friend who lives on the other side of the country. He has a history of moderate paranoia/schizophrenia, and he was incarcerated for about a year as the result of an episode of illness. He's disconnected his phone, and I'm trying to figure out how to get in contact with him.
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posted by mikeand1
on Jan 17, 2012 -
18 answers
I have a consultation with a plastic surgeon in NYC to talk about tattoo removal next week. I made the appointment based on unanimously glowing reviews posted online. Now, reading through the reviews again, I've been struck by certain details that make me wonder if these comments are mostly an astroturfing campaign. I've been waiting awhile for my appointment, so I don't want to cancel if I'm just being paranoid. Help me out, Mefi Sleuths.
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posted by specialfriend
on Nov 16, 2011 -
13 answers
How careful do I need to be in disposing of the credit card offers that come in the mail?
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posted by segfault
on Jun 28, 2011 -
10 answers
What's the matter with these soda cans? I have two cans of diet pop that are bulging on the bottom (pics inside). Is this botulism or does it pose any danger?
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posted by katyggls
on Jun 20, 2011 -
12 answers
I'm setting up a personal blog/ site and need some advice on not exposing my blog's URL through outgoing links.
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posted by WalterMitty
on Mar 23, 2011 -
15 answers
ParanoiaFilter: Should I be worried that Facebook is scraping my links,
in my own private messages?
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posted by querty
on Dec 20, 2010 -
16 answers
BedbugParanoiaFilter: I found a mosquito-looking bite on my torso. Can you get mosquito bites in the winter or should I be concerned about bedbugs?
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 27, 2010 -
13 answers
Why does my wife zing me all the time? How should I react? Is there a way to stop it? Am I being paranoid?
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posted by bovious
on Nov 3, 2010 -
102 answers
How do I stop worrying that history will repeat itself in regards to my relationship?
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posted by daysocks
on Aug 21, 2010 -
16 answers
A few months ago, a group of people I'd been hanging out with regularly dumped me without saying anything--they just stopped including me in plans and stopped responding to me. I realized that something was up and didn't push. I've been making new friends since then, but I'm often worried that these new people (or any friends) might also secretly dislike me or be considering friend-dumping me too. What should I do?
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posted by clever anonymous username
on Jul 25, 2010 -
27 answers
I suspect someone in my network connected to my computer today twice while my firewall was not working. Does this mean what I think it does, and what should I do from here?
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posted by ultrabuff
on Jul 20, 2010 -
13 answers
Why am I so scared that people are trying to trick me/use me? Is this something you really need to be on guard against all the time or is it irrational thinking?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 6, 2010 -
23 answers
My best friend appears to be sliding into psychosis. Who and how should I approach in order to help him out? I know IANAD and YANAD - but I need less info on diagnosis and more info/personal experiences/stories about reaching out to someone who has a undiagnosed mental illness in order to help them.
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posted by operaposthuma
on Mar 10, 2010 -
29 answers
So I just watched a movie that has scared me and now I don't want to go to sleep because I think the aliens are going to abduct me. What do you do to get over the initial "OMG TERROR" reaction and irrational fearsfollowing seeing a scary movie?
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posted by gwenlister
on Feb 18, 2010 -
42 answers
I am beginning to worry irrationally and frequently about the possibility of my teeth falling out when they are obviously fine, Is this something I should talked to a therapist about?
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posted by emperor.seamus
on Dec 17, 2009 -
20 answers
How should I respond to a delusional email from my mother who is suffering from paranoia?
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 12, 2009 -
23 answers
My computer requires professional attention, but there's stuff I'd rather keep private sitting on my hard drive right now. How concerned should I be about what a technician might see/go looking for while working on my machine?
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posted by EatTheWeak
on Dec 1, 2009 -
22 answers
