Think I am being stalked by various people, is this real or paranoia?

Unusual Beliefs
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Hello this is my first post here, nice to meet you. I apologize in advance if this is long or confusing. I am diagnosed w/ panic disorder and OCD , and have been suspected of being schizophrenic recently (just suspected, the doctor said we had to wait to see). I had a episode of psychosis last year and think it had something to do w/ morphine which was injected on me, and during this i caused a ruckus at home because a voice told me my family members were plotting to murder me. I was hospitalized and medicated and was back to normal. This year however things have been happening around me for a while I have been worried it might have come backā€¦These ā€œdelusionsā€ concern different groups of people who are against me and may or not be related (still trying to figure out)ā€¦ However there are various signs pointing thats not the caseā€¦ And the ā€œdelusionsā€ are actually possibleā€¦ so I donā€™t know what to think anymore. More details on this:

  • ROBBERS: I saw an ā€œxā€ shaped mark carved in front of my tree and believed it was a sign my house was being watched and selected as a target for robbers. I googled it and itā€™s true. Anyways, when I called my parents to show them the mark dissapeared. It had been scratched and had obvious scratches over it. I think someone saw me looking at it and scratched while I was inside. At first i thought i imagined things but weird things happened after this: I felt spied on and followed constantly, mostly when out. I have also noticed 2 guys who pass by everyday (they alternate) and they stop, stare at the house then go away. They will even cross the street just so they can come close and stare. I do not know these people, which is weird as I live in a somewhat isolated neighborhood and know everyone here. (Police wonā€™t even bother to investigate this, so i am planning to install cameras and get it on video. ). This worries me a lot to the point I cant sleep well anymoreā€¦ Recently have been thinking my old neighbors or my classmates (others who are after me) could be involved in this somehow but then again thereā€™s no sign yet.

  • FORMER NEIGHBORS: My former neighbors hated my guts. They threw parties in the middle of the night, blasting music w/ obscene content, bringing underaged prostitutes and doing so much drugs you could smell the drugs from my house. I called the cops on them and they had to pay compensation. next day they poisoned my dogs, and i heard them bragging about it. The police did nothing this time as I had no proof (the police is useless/lazy here). They then started to say disturbing things about me constantly, such as that they wanted me dead. They moved out some months ago but I believe they are still out there, waiting for a chance to kill me and the dogs, and sometimes i have the impression of hearing footsteps and noises coming from their house (which is not occupated supposedly) and believe they are there in hiding which disturbs me.

  • CLASSMATES: At 1st it was just a small group but now almost the whole class is on it. These people play nice but they constantly whisper things about me to eachother and they giggle at me. I cant always make out much of what they say as itā€™s too low but I hear my name/nicknames (including ones only my family knows, which led me to believe they stalk me) being used and have heard them call me a freak and say i donā€™t belong there. They also know the meds I take or have taken before, and just yesterday a girl came and asked ā€œdid you take your clonazepam todayā€ which may be due to stalking as well.

Well thatā€™s it. There are more things but itā€™d take forever to list. What I want to ask is: does this sound like schizophrenia or are my worries justified?? can this be schizophrenia even though I only heard voices once and there are signs this is not my imagination? How can I tell how much is true and whats not?? could it be anxiety/ocd causing these worries? I want to hear your opinions, pleaseā€¦
I have not told my family about all of this in dept as i know they will take me to the doctor and I dont want more medication or to get locked up but now am considering it somewhat, as I feel miserable. Thanks for reading, i like this forum, seems like a nice placeā€¦

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Most likely itā€™s just paranoid delusions. Most people are way too busy to stalk you. And usually that only happens when someone creepy old man is in love with a young woman but she doesnt love him back.

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My neighbors hate me tooā€¦join the freaking club.

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Sorry about your dogs :frowning:

Did they survive?

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Maybeā€¦ but they do have reasons to stalk me that I can think of. Robbers obviously for stealing me, and neighbors because I turned them in to the policeā€¦ as for classmates, well maybe just to torment me. They dont like me

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I hate to say this, but it sounds mostly like delusional thinking. If you thought your dogs were poisoned, did you take them to the vet to check this out? If I was worried my kitty was attacked that would be my first stop, even though I know vet bills are expensive, but she is my baby and it would give me evidence to hand over to the authoritiesā€¦making copies of vet bills and whatnot so you have the original in case youā€™d take someone to court.

When I was went to a local university I sort of talked with a handful of people in my small class, but when I was overly stressed I would worry they were against meā€¦like talking about me behind my back. Weā€™d sit in the cafeteria all the time together, even went out one afternoon to Denyā€™s then we were working on a group project in my public speaking class and I thought they were going against me.

I thought they where scheduling secret meetings when I didnā€™t have the ability to get to them and found they had half the project done without my help. I was paranoid they were going to dis-include me so I spoke directly to my teacher and the next day they invited over during a lunch period and of course half the project was done alreadyā€¦if I hadnā€™t gone to the teacher would they have excluded me? I donā€™t know but Iā€™m glad I took the steps I did so I got some partial credit for the assignment. I never did trust any of them after that assignment though.

As for robbers all I can think is install some sort of security and see if your most valuable items are insuredā€¦if you can afford the insurance anywayā€¦security cameraā€™s though might be expensive might put your mind at ease, so itā€™s just how much youā€™re willing to pay for personal security, and how threatened you truly feel. You may want to talk to your doctor about medication adjustments. I was on the same dosage for so long my body got used to it, and it basically became ineffective until I raised the amount and added a couple other drugs to the list. If youā€™re on legal drugs you may want to talk with your doctor about an adjustment you donā€™t think itā€™s helping your paranoid feelings.

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Out of all those, the robbers sounds most feasible but unlikely still. Have you ever considered going up and speaking to the guy that you think is a robber? Perhaps he has a legitimate reason for looking near your house.

Also, how long have the robbers been watching you?

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yes, they got quite bad but survived thankfully. its sickening how cruel these people can beā€¦ sadly itā€™s a trend in my neighborhood, there have been lots of similar cases, makes me think if itā€™s the same people.

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How long have you been diagnosed with sz Heid?

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Yes, the vet came here to examine them. She didnā€™t test them or anything even though i asked for her to but she said it was likely poisoning, either intentional (someone gave it) or unintentional (ate something left around). But both came down with an illness at the same time, and there was no apparent cause for this. I did not change their food, and i never leave things that might be toxic around. So itā€™s intentional poisoning most likely. i wish i had insisted more for her to make tests, because I have no proof now.

I am seriously considering a camera. my house is pretty secure already, we have alarm systems everywhere, big dogs, a tall eletric fenceā€¦ but i am still very paranoid with all these things happening. Also my house has been invaded before though we didnā€™t have dogs and the eletric fence before. They stole the car parked in front of the house too

i am currently not on medication. They thought i did not need it as only had one isolated episode of psychosis and got back quickly, though they told us to keep an eye on it and rush there in case it came back, because then i would need to be on continuous treatment. I still have not gone there but maybe I should?

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You should definitely talk to your pdoc about this stuff heid.

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No I havent. I am afraid of them. But I did try to drive them away several times (letting the dogs out to bark at them, making noises, et cetera) to let them know they are not welcome. They go away but next day are back. Maybe I will leave a note for them to read, or call the police. I will try to record them.
The robbers started watching me ever since I noticed the ā€œxā€ marking on the tree. Since then it has been nearly constantly. I am on the backyard and I feel them (I think its them at least) staring at me from the rooftop for example. When I turn I can vaguely see a shadow for a second but never see them. when I am out walking the dogs itā€™s similar, I feel them but donā€™t see themā€¦ if that makes any sense

I am not diagnosed schizophrenic, but they suspect i may be developing it because there are schizophrenics in my family. Either that or bipolar maybe (there are bipolars too). But I donā€™t have other symptoms which

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its paranoia, i suggest you talk to a pdoc about getting some help with this,

i use to have paranoia real bad but i am a lot better now on a good med.

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It sounds like what you say could be true but then on the other hand it is common for most of us to start out believing we are being watched by the CIA who had lots of people working for them just to spy on us. I did a few (what we call) reality checks (at that time) by removing a mirror or two and taking vent covers off the wall just to be sure there were no listening devices or small cameras watching and or listening to me. I also thought back and found that I would incorporate almost every detail of my daily life into supporting that delusion or not so to give it more strength of being.

The medication Iā€™m on now helps to defuse the delusions so that I can better understand and help myself to relate more to the norm without loosing my very weak self identity. I mostly stay alone so as not to experience any conflicts of interests with any others, but I am starting to see that ā€œIā€ am sick and that I was not all wrong but not all right either so I was in need of help but am too proud to ask for any other than what I get now from the out patient center

I always felt the difference between me and my peers while growing up. If your delusion kind of takes a back seat when you are around others who do not have any idea what you are thinking (mostly in the stores we shop at) then you will have a clue to whether or not it is true or whether it is natureā€™s way of giving us the attention we are starved from getting for so many years that our minds see it as an emergency situation in trying to re-acquire us back into a more healthy social environment.

If this describes your situation then you must be careful not to react to the delusion in a way that involves others. I made the mistake once or twice of involving others but am very fortunate to have understood at the time that I was in part very sick (before medications) and was really aware that what I was doing was just in response to a manufactured reality that I had great need to believe in, because there was no other reality that could fix this kind of emergency situation in my life. Get help if you can not handle it on your own. I suffered needlessly for several years after first becoming symptomatic before I checked myself into the local mental health facility.

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Itā€™s also possible that these guys across the street are actually visual hallucinations. I highly suggest you talk to your pdoc soon, since this could be an indication that a serious psychotic episode is about to start.

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Welcome Heid.

It sounds like paranoia to me. Iā€™d talk to the pdoc.

Maybe if you can have someone with you to help you make reality check on your beliefs. Maybe the other person sees the same things, maybe not.

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Not enough to go on here.

It does happen at times.

Sometimes itā€™s not paranoia.

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You will be okay if you understand, a lot of people are part-time psychotic & just do not act okayā€¦

The terms to look up are ā€˜gang stalkingā€™ (can actually be stalked by gangs of kids in some cities, do not EVER answer and will probably be okay), ā€˜cause stalkingā€™ (some churches make this a preaching mission to bother specific strangers in community, even to point of leaving an innocent person without much money unemployable which happens a lot for single women in conservative churches) and ā€˜thought broadcastingā€™ (stranger stalks you to tell you something private to cause more anxiety for a schizo newby). You can google all these terms & read up on how some people will act. These folks will forever be crazy btw, all of this stops for other people who do not participate in following orders from voices, do not talk to self aloud and avoid wrong people in the community. Letā€™s call these ā€˜social problemsā€™. Discuss this too long & mental care calls it ā€˜persecution delusionā€™ā€¦If all these folks do is verbal harassment of you because these ā€˜are not self directedā€™, you are blessed because some mess up coworkers, ruin relationships, screw up customers at work, vandalize, theft, batteryā€¦Now you know what is wrong with some car repair guys. This is scariest person to me really, second only to mental care.

First thing to know, if you ever get upset with mental care staffers, you will be locked up for months in mental hospital at your own expense. Most lose job, some lose their housing and are VERY close to being committed if you get put up in the county mental clinicā€™s apartmentsā€¦There will be no coaching from mental care on ā€˜social problemsā€™. This is policy and a short coming of current mental care practices, but expect it.

If you had a fight with a wealthy person or met someone who was bragging about illegal stuff just before onset of symptoms, just quit talking to this person and everyone you met through them. You likely will be stalked, these kind do this, just ask to be left aloneā€¦Never discuss your experiences with this kind of group or your mental treatment, sometimes your symptoms will improve in 2-3 yearsā€¦

Sometimes, you can find yourself surrounded by a lot of part-time psychotics, these do not make good friends and they are terrible coworkers. A lot of the under 35 crowd are almost nuts when voices demand it and their parents financially support these so they have NOTHING riding on a job, some are just business destroyers when hired and send the owner into bankruptcyā€¦Pick your friends carefully. Facebook is great way to go back to your old group of friendlies and just keep your mouth shut. It will keep you sane to be around some good ones. Some like the day program at county mental care but locally it is just diversion for the petty criminals so they donā€™t get a misdemeanor on record and a lot of learning disabled people the county signed up for mental meds to keep the money flowing inā€¦I think you emulate who you spend time with so these cat fights over at day program donā€™t thrill a person like me with education at 20+ years of work experienceā€¦

Schizo people have the least stress by keeping their belongings to a minimum. Stuff starts to own you when the paranoia starts. Itā€™s easier to move too when you donā€™t own a lot. You will feel a lot more secure if you do not store money in your house & you always keep RX glasses on you. Food is okay usuallyā€¦

Sometimes, ā€˜the brain of other people around you is stimulated for unknown reasonsā€™ is how things are explained with strangers. Some of the part-time psychotics will not live next to another schizo without harassing you, know this happens. Never speak aloud to yourself and this can be a little easier for everyone & try to be friendly with most, ā€¦

Iā€™m not sure of your age. It is REALLY hard to get out of ā€˜mental diagnosisā€™ label if you had a hospital before age 18. But, pull yourself together, work on learning to concentrate, read magazines/then books, get a part-time job (ask case worker for specifics on how to handle this if you are getting disability payments so it wonā€™t get you in trouble) and try to socialize with the okay people you already know. Some of the college professors will mistreat someone HORRIBLY and it is RULE at some colleges to do so. Expect to get a note from your old psych doctor to give to disability support services at the college so you can avoid professor harassment ā€“ you can take tests in another room, do homework in another room, get alternative assignments if you end up having to work with someone difficult on a group project and go to dean if professor stops following the syllabus assignments. I would NEVER sign up for student loans ANYWHERE until you took 2-3 classes paying cash to see how you will be treated because you will have to pay these loans back immediately if you drop. You might wait on a Pell Grant at age 24 or just take college classes 2 at a time until old enough for pell grantā€¦Online degrees are really best after psychosis because the college environment just pushes buttons wrong for someā€¦

Hope this helps. Just be patient and things get better if you donā€™t get upsetā€¦

Oh yeah, some communities will tell their people to go into a specific church to get schizo relief from GAWD! All you need to know is some people get stuck in these churches & have to file restraining order to get away, others are run through a 3 ring healing circus, wallet checked & dumped back onto the street to be harassed by even more people even in their employmentā€¦In my opinion, it is just better if these do not know who you are if you live in the city. City churches Gawd is not requiredā€¦church attendance in smaller towns is stickier. Go where you know some of the people so they will give a Sā€“T about you in smaller town.

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DO NOT TALK TO PEOPLE WHO SAY SOMETHING OFF TO YOU IMMEDIATELYā€¦ This is just how some people say they hear it. Person MAY be okay to deal with later if necessaryā€¦I hate these as they are usually the neighborā€¦If you EVER get upset about the insults someone can sling at you, you end up locked up in the mental hospitalā€¦Treat these like barking dog, ignore it. When you move, LOTS of people will say hello like this to you and it quits in couple of months. NO PROBLEM. If you need to deal with something mutual later, act like a normal and hope for the best with theseā€¦The males who really do something outrageously embarrassing to a stranger need to be avoided, they may screw you up.

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Totally agree, never go up and talk to a person you suspect wants to harm you in any way, you will become overwhelmed, and they will become unpredictable.