Dear Brooke
I am terrified to sleep alone in the house. This is not new, I have been this way since I was a kid. There is no real reason I can think of, but I have always felt this way. When my husband goes away for work occasionally, I go with him if I can, but this is not a viable or sustainable solution long term and he is going away for 3 day next week. I am beside myself and have asked him to find ways for me to be safe whilst he’s gone, like put a bolt on our bedroom door to separate our room from the rest of the house (but then I may have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night anyway) or I will need to get some sleeping pills to ‘knock’ myself out for the night. I know that this is both ridiculous and irrational and I know many women who crave and love the little bit of space and freedom that having a spouse away for a few days can provide. I am now nearly 50 years old so I need to learn a way to control this fear so that it doesn’t control me. As soon as the sun starts to sink I feel very afraid and walk around the house locking and re checking all the doors and windows. We live in a very quiet and safe neighborhood so I know the chances of anyone breaking in whilst I am asleep are extremely low. I would appreciate any suggestions you have in trying to deal with this fear. Thank you.