How TV and film effect my paranoia

I am a paranoid person.  Especially when it comes to things that have a slim to none chance of actually happening.

I think it all started when I was little (As most psychological problems do).  I was left alone between the time I got off the bus to the time my grandmother got off of work, a total of two hours.  Instead of spending that time doing chores or homework, I thought my time was best spent in front of the TV.  My favorite program was Unsolved Mysteries.

It's like the writers and producers would gather around a table each week and say "how can we bring Myfawny closer to the edge of insanity?" Alone in my house I would tune in for unsolved murders, missing children, ghosts, alien abductions probes and hypnotherapy, spontaneous combustion and Bigfoot.

Before the show was even halfway over, I had locked all of the doors and windows, closed the curtains so there was no possible way someone could peep in, turned every light in the house on and had a phone and frying pan by my side just in case.



By the time my poor grandmother had arrived home, I was ready for any attack!

It didn't help that my mom's favorite film genre is Horror.  How she was surprised when I told her I was afraid of the dark, I'll never know.  My fear grew even worse whenever I went camping.  My senses would be so heightened by my terror, that I would stay awake all night, listening to every sound in the woods.  I was sure that every whistle of the wind or crack of a twig was a sign of my impending doom.  Freddy, Jason and maybe even a black bear were all outside my tent, waiting for me to fall asleep.  Even the crickets became ominous. To this day, unless I am in a campground, I am a horrible camper.

Since the syndication of the popular TV show, The Walking Dead, my fear of aliens and guys wearing hockey mask has been replaced with the Zombie Apocalypse.

Just to look at this gives me the heebie jeebies. It's probably because I'm alone at home.



David and I made the mistake of watching the first season together when we'd get home at night after work. And no surprise, I'd end up staying awake half the night looking out our loft window scanning the perimeter while my husband tried to get some sleep.

 My husband flew home to see his brother graduate high school in Florida.  A day later, this story came out. Of course.

Miami Zombie eats victim's face off.

 Several other cannibalistic stories came out around the same time.  Two other "attacks" were located in Florida.  In my mind, the zombie apocalypse had started and David was right in the thick of it.  For the entire week he was gone, my internet searches were "Zombie Apocalypse" "Symptoms of bath salts" "Is anyone keeping track of the zombie reports" and so on.  I'm sure there were much more embarrassing google searches, but these are pretty accurate.  I had such difficulty sleeping by myself, that I would have to put "The Office" on at night just so I wouldn't creep myself out.

I'm sure Dwight would agree with my sentiments.

Of course, we are all still here.  My husband made it back from Florida just fine, with all of his limbs included. The Zombies are still at bay.  I now have my zombie evacuation plan on "standby". But every now and then when the news post something like zombie bees, my mind begins to drift to......

The Walking Dead Season 2 is not available yet on netflix so I can act like a normal person.  I am currently watching are The Legend of Korra, Top Gear, My Little Ponies and Battlestar Galactica.  I'm sure I'll be able to find some way to freak myself out.