Persistent fear of being viewed as a creep or criminal.

I was wondering has anyone in here had fears of being viewed as a criminal? I have anxieties about being near women's purses because I'm afraid something may go missing and it could be blamed on me. I am not a thief and genuinely have zero desire to steal, but for some reason I'm afraid people will blame me for stealing that may occur but chances are never will. Same with other things. Sometimes I'll go shopping or to a video store by myself. Whenever I do this I have a fear of looking at kids or teenage girls because I'm afraid someone will think I'm a pedofile. This problem doesn't exist when I am with friends. I have no such thoughts because I'm with friends and being with friends doesn't look as creepy in my mind. Sometimes I want to go exercise at a local exercise trail. Any normal person would put on their running shoes and just do it. What do I do? I'm afraid someone might be killed nearby and me running in a trail by myself is suspicous (once again... IN MY MIND). Sometimes I just want to go for a walk or a drive with no real goal. This also causes me anxiety because I'm afraid something bad will happen and I may become a suspect. And if I'm a suspect for a crime I'm afraid they'll ask what I did around the time. Telling them I was "just driving" or "just walking" would be suspicious... in my mind. Often when I'm in a parking lot and a woman is walking near me I'll walk as far away as possible so she doesn't think I'm going to snatch her purse or do something else.
I'm wondering what has caused this. When I was younger I was bombarded with tv programming where I heard all kinds of bad stories about people in society. I watched unsolved mysteries, Rescue 911, and a lot of local news and primetime news specials about killers, rapists, and all kinds of stuff. I was totally frightened by the stuff I saw on these programs. Now that I'm in my twenties I'm not afraid of them happening to me. But for some reason I'm preoccupied with being viewed as one of these bad people. Does anyone else have these nonsensical thoughts? Is there a specific phobia for this?

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I think when I go shopping I look pretty shifty, I keep looking at the exits to make sure i can get out quick if i get anxious. I have been followed a few times by store detectives...nowadays i just give them the run around..lol.

I feel the same way. The other night someone left a bag in the backseat of the taxi and I never knew it was there. I had another fare in the back of the car when the operator asked if I had found something left behind. When I dropped the other people off I looked in the back and it was on the floor but I returned it to where the people were but I was stressing out just incase the last passengers had looked in there and stole something. I didn't want to get the blame for something I didn't do so I just mentioned that it was sitting on the floor. Luckily no one complained but I felt really guilty just in case something went missing out of there.

Hi Flax, I feel exactly the same when ever I go out too, I find that when I'm walking at a close distance behind, lets say a female, I have to cross over before she gets the concept that I might be following her. I also hate when I go shopping because I feel like the security guards are keeping their eyes on me. I believe its got alot to do with SA though.

YES!

For me it's like the feeling everyone gets at customs except all the bloody time....and without the holiday.

:!: Maybe we should start a crime fighting outfit to prove our innocence.
We could call ourselves the SA-Team

LMFAO@SA TEAM

:?:

OMG, remind me to sign in FFS...lol

I can't understand you kids today!

What's LMFAO and FFS mean? I feel silly and left out.

ohh sorry Yoss...computer chat room slang, who needs it huh!
LMFAO = Laughing my f*cking arse off
FFS = For F*cks Sake
LOL = Laughing out loud

Hope that helps

Thanks Misty, I've never been in a chat room. Too scary for me!

well remind me to take ya into a chat room for our first cyber date..lmao

That'd be cool and easier than chasing you down on so many forums!!!

yea, I'm the same. I hate it when security guards prowl around me because I'm scared they'll interpret the anxiety on my face as guilt or suspicion.

But, I guess we have to just remember that the truth is on our side, and try to take confidence from that.

Whenever I go to mejiers or something I always feel the security guards watching the cameras have them all pointed at me because I look like I'm about to steal something lol. I never have any intention on stealing anything though. I also feel the same about walking behind women ... that they think I'm going to try to rape them or steal their purse but there is never any intentions. And there was a couple times where I had to talk to the police and I felt like they thought I was trying hard to hide something major like I was pushing drugs even though I don't use or sell drugs.

I've never looked dangerous enough to be a serious criminal (5ft 1inch weedy schoolgirl :lol: ) but I used to have a hang-up about adults thinking I was a yob, or even slightly anti-social. Not because I was scared of what the police would do, it was just the knowledge that I was disapproved of that I knew I would find unbearable, as even a suspicious glance would give me a great sense of guilt, which in turn made me angry because in my head I knew I didn't deserve it, but I could do nothing to save my eroded self-esteem. Some people in Britain will see a youth in the street and instantly feel fear or act as if you shouldn't be there, it's in our culture now. As if their generation never went outside!

um, what's a yob?