Dr. Turndorf,Hello, I enjoy your advise site. My question is not about relationship but hopefully you’ll have an answer for me.My situation is that ever since my house has been robbed, I have not been able to feel safe alone in the house. Every time, there’s a noise I strain my ear to see if it continues or go find out if anyone is there. Sometimes, a loud noise would startle me and my heart would start beating.It has been 2 years since the robbery. I think I have gotten a little better, but I am still uncomfortable staying home alone or sleep alone at night. I have heard people say that the fear will go away, but how do I make it go away faster or get over it. It’s debilitating my life.Thank you.
What an excellent question.So many people will relate to your situation. It is not uncommon for human beings to develop fears and phobias following a traumatic event. This is because the mind works by association, and it only takes one terrible event in order for the mind to link feelings of fear with it.For example, if a person is in a train crash, it only takes one crash for a person to associate trains with danger. So, in your case, you really need to be deprogrammed. One way is for you to work on consciously changing your associations.For example, whenever you hear a noise, you can associate the noise with a pleasant thought or memory. For example, the noice could be associated with the 4th of July celebrations. You could imagine a warm breeze and a noisy carnival. Choose an association that is pleasant for you.You can also go to see a hypnotist. The hypnotist can also help you to let go of the fear and reprogram your mind.Please let me know how you do. You can get through this, and it need not take more than a couple of weeks to achieve the result you desire.
