Chronic nightmares and jumpiness with anxiety/paranoia?

As a kid I suffered chronic episodic (meaning I would get a cluster of them and then they would stop for a while) nightmares...I still occaisionally do. They usually center around pain, humiliation, terror %26amp; fear, abandonment, captivity, torture, helplessness, loss of control...


I also am extremely jumpy and startle easily. If for example I put toast in the toaster and I'm looking right at it and I know it's going to pop I still jump.


People touching me or reaching out to touch me causes me to flinch and turn my head or try to cover my face. I cry when people yell. If people come up behind me and touch my ribs I will scream and drop whatever I am holding and collapse.


In the house (especially when it's dark) I'm constantly on edge. I feel like I can only relax when I'm alone in a room with the door shut (in the daytime and if I'm not alone though---at night there is no real safety). I'm constantly looking over my shoulder when no one is home or everyone is asleep and if I hear a noise my heart pounds and I start thinking and visualizing something terrible happening to me. I can't even walk into my own room if the lights are out. I keep visualizing things (happened even as a small child).


I have to draw all the curtains etc. as soon as the sun goes down and am afraid to close my eyes even while doing routine things like washing my face or hair at all hours of the day.


Anything in a song etc. that has the same themes as my nightmares causes me to sob (even if I was perfectly okay before) which is preceded by shivers all over and my hair standing on end.


I feel like I'm losing it but can't stop the behaviour.


I don't watch horror films (in fact I will leave the house all together or sit in the opposite end of the house reading a book with the music turned up loud if someone is).


I've never been through anything that I think would qualify me for ptsd or complex ptsd but still I have all these symptoms.


Help.Chronic nightmares and jumpiness with anxiety/paranoia?
i would ask adoctor because it sounds like a phobia of being alone and being attacked so ask a docChronic nightmares and jumpiness with anxiety/paranoia?
I can understand what your going through but for a proper diagnosis see your doctor. Don't read to much into Yahoo theory's.
I think you have an anxiety problem and can get help for this with a doctor or psychologist
You need to see a doctor and talk about therapy/drug treatments.
These sound hormonal in basis... but you need evaluating, for which they will probably just give you mental medicatons, and not test your hormones at all


here are some resources that you can use to heal