Do i have some sort of anxiety disorder? I can't sleep and am paranoid.?

I live either in my dorm at school or at my parents home and whenever i lay down to go to sleep, I automatically start worrying that someone will appear in my doorway and get get images from horror movies out of my mind. If i hear the slightest noise, I become to afraid to move. I can't sleep without the noise of a fan and often have to turn on lights to try to get to sleep. It takes hours for me to get to sleep because i feel I have to lie awake watching my door. I would close the door, but i am too afraid to be alone in a room without a free way out even in the day light sometimes. I'm 19 and feel i'm too old to be "afraid of the dark" but i think this may be a little bit more than that. I don't feel this way if I'm staying at a friends house, only when I'm in my own house or my dorm. I'm thinking of going to the doctor soon, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I don't think that the problem is being afraid of the dark, because if i am in someone else's home and in a room alone, i can go to sleep fine. It's just at my house or my dorm. I didn't have any traumatic experiences as a child and have a wonderful relationship with my parents. So I'm really unsure of the source of this problem.

Thank you all for your answers. I atleast know that I'm not the only one that has had this problem. I told my mom and she just said I was being ridiculous and our house was safe. I know it is and in the morning, I WILL feel ridiculous, but when I'm trying to go to sleep everything i worry about seems so serious.

Sometimes I do the same thing. I really do understand what you are saying. You are extremely paranoid and maybe you need some help. It is serious though. If it takes hours to get to sleep and you need the sound of a fan..it could be interrupting your life.
I would say to turn on the TV and watch something that makes you happy and keep a night light on. Definitely don't take any medication that alters your brain..
I used to have auditory hallucinations and still do but they are very rare. I think you should ask a dr. about the drug seroquel. it is an anti-psychotic and puts you to sleep and you stay asleep.

I hope this helps!! and good luck.

sounds like you have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

Signs point to yes

Sounds like you have a form of paranoia. Did you have a traumatic experience when you were little that you described? I would go see a dr. and talk to him and see if he can't help you. Good luck.

if you are in college you should seek the help of the counselor.

People don't display these kinds of hypervigilant behaviors without some sort of reason.
It's too weird that you can sleep at someone else's house but not your own, or your own dorm.
Can you figure out why you feel safe when you know that your friends would protect you, but don't feel like you can protect yourself?
Talking to a doctor for some help is a good idea. It can't be a good thing to be in college and not sleeping. You're body can only take so much stress.

Sounds like you have some sort of phobia or something. I definitely recommend you talk to a professional about this.

I think you might have an anxiety disorder. I do, and I have a huge problem going to sleep. I constantly worry about everything at night. I got prescribed xanax...it saved my life! If it's only at night though, it might just be that you are afraid of the dark. If you have any sort of sweating, heart palpatations..heart racing, etc...its most likely anxiety.

Yes...

What you are describing is...

"The Very Definition" of an anxiety disorder...

go to the dr for real.. thats kind of a big problem

Kind of sounds like anxiety but more like you are just afraid of the dark. Just think of it this way. All the worry you have went through and nothing has happened. So just go to bed and rest assured on what has occurred in the past.

Your safe.

i used to do this too i couldnt sleep at all
you should try getting a security system for your house so you can feel more secure and also lock all of the doors leading outside if you are going to worry about that. it helped me a lot so just relax and go to sleep.

aww
thats sound so hard for you
you should try meditation
or hypnosis
it helped me so much
cos i used to have similar problems
definitely not as bad as urs tho

You and me both!
I'm the damn exact way. I'm eighteen and my mom bought me a nightlight because I just couldn't sleep at night, even the nighlight doesn't work because I start creating ghastly shadows with my mind and as much as I try to control it, I know it's hard.
If I turn off the lights I feel as though someone or something is staring at me...so what I do is: listen to music-i like rock- and it helps me calm down-odd i know- but it does help and pull up my bedsheets...lol, too hope to outgrow that someday...

Worrying is a bad habit, you need to overcome it like any other bad habit. Try to modify the factors under your control, that is the only thing you can do. From http://mshn.org/worry.html

You definitely should go to see a doctor right away. Make an appointment at your local center for mental health, if they can't get you in quickly, talk to your regular doctor in the meantime, but don't put off the center for mental health because of the delay. Sounds like you may have some repressed memories or something that were partly awakened by horror movies. But I'm no expert. You definitely need to see a counselor and a psychiatrist. Don't forget the counselor, either individual or group, take what you can get. Sometimes it takes a long time depending on how busy an area you live in, and what resources are available to you. Good luck friend.

I kind of know what your going through . . . I'm 20 and I have a problem with the dark too and when ever I lie down to go to bed I get all worried, also. I just recently went to the doctors and he prescribed me a perception for anxiety and so far its starting to help. So I think that the best thing for you to do is to go see a doctor as soon as possible. Hope this helped you!