I feel paranoia in stores?

67% Normal
8 Comments

Whenever I am in some type of shop or store, especially a small one such as a local gift shop or something similar, I always feel as if the shopkeeper is watching me the entire time. I am not a thief, nor have I ever been one, but I cannot shake the feeling that they are watching me, waiting for me to steal. I start to sweat when I go into a store if the shopkeeper looks at me for too long.

Sometimes I even buy things I do not want just to show that I'm not a shoplifter. Interestingly, I do not feel nearly as much anxiety if I'm shopping with another person. But if I'm in a small store alone, I feel anxiety and pressure the entire time I'm in there. I know that these small shop owners do watch for shoplifters, but am I overestimating how much they are watching? And how can I reduce my paranoia while in stores?

Voting Results
67% Normal
Based on 21 votes (14 yes)
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Comments ( 8 )
  • jr__
    8 years ago

    Maybe they are watching you, they hope you buy .....and it's working :D

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  • BadPuns
    8 years ago

    There's this store my love always wants to go, it's selling his favorite clothing brands. The women's department is downstairs, the men's department upstairs. Every time we go up, there's a lady coming after us, walking around 'busy doing things' such as 'folding sweaters' and 'checking price tags'. When we leave she goes down almost immediately. Last time there, I actually said: come on, let's go, we both know you're not gonna buy something so can we please leave, I can't stand this place? We did, I was almost downstairs, looked behind me and the woman came after us BUT there was this man coming up and the second she saw him coming she grabbed some shirt from a hanger and started looking at it as if there was a chance something might suddenly be wrong with it.. I started laughing, I couldn't help myself.

    In the small shops you're talking about I always feel bad for the owner when there's nothing I want to buy so I say something like: bye bye, you have a very nice store! Love that cups, they're very cute! Sometimes I just don't care but when the owner seems really nice..

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  • toofgod
    8 years ago

    I feel the same way sometimes . Also we may be detecting your anxiety which he picks up on and makes him WATCH (o) you even more closely haha lol

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  • ReginaFalange
    8 years ago

    I sometimes feel that or sometimes think the opposite, like, "man, products are really small and they can't really see what every shopper is doing. How stressful to be shopkeepers here!"

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  • Dr.Weird
    8 years ago

    You are not alone. I feel like the bloody mannequins in the stores might attack me. You know what I mean, crazy.

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  • Aries
    8 years ago

    I always feel like the alarms will go off when I walk out , even when I haven't stolen anything .

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  • ______________
    8 years ago

    If you don't steal, what is there to worry about?

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  • NathanScot
    8 years ago

    Completely normal mate,anxiety and paranoia are subjective...no one rly gets what ur going through only you do.
    Dont know if it helps but all store owners end up looking at the shoppers at some point not only you.So relax in the knowledge of safety in numbers.

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