Is it normal that when someone knocks on my apartment door, i freeze?

71% Normal
23 Comments

I live on my own, I don't socialize much. I like my own space.

I rarely get a knock on my door unannounced (security block - usually people can't get in the gate without being buzzed in) but it's happened twice in the last few months and my reaction is weird.

I've found that I freeze in fear, and will pretend that I'm not home, barely daring to breathe, incase I'm somehow caught out. It's like I'm terrified to answer the door or something. I'll stay like that until they leave, and then my heart will be racing for up to an hour after. It just happened the second time now, which is why I'm posting.

Does anyone else get like this? IIN?

Voting Results
71% Normal
Based on 89 votes (63 yes)
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Comments ( 23 )
  • Avant-Garde
    11 years ago

    I still live with my family and I react in a similar way. I'll freeze, panic, curse and start running to hide somewhere. I'll stay hidden until I'm sure the person has left. I've hidden in the pantry, behind objects/ the wall, the basement, or upstairs. I guess it's a normal reaction To be scared of something you weren't expecting.

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  • dickaddict08
    10 years ago

    Ever seen the movie, the strangers :( its fucked up :/ lol

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  • Monkeybutts
    10 years ago

    Yessssss! LOL. When I first started living with my mom (I was 18) when it happend I freaked out and ran to wake her up and when she told me to answer it I would not leave out the room to go downstairs to answer the door. I thought it was so odd that I freaked out that much. Now I live with a lot of ppl and someone is always knocking at the door. Sometimes it scares me and sometimes it don't but I still don't answer it. I let the other people answer it LOL.

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  • la_uva_mojada
    10 years ago

    R u in USA? If so, which state?

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    • charli.m
      10 years ago

      No, I'm in Australia. Why do you ask?

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      • la_uva_mojada
        10 years ago

        Bcuz I was trying to visualize your situation

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  • niming
    11 years ago

    That happens to me aswell its weird

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  • [Old Memory]
    11 years ago

    get a peephole in your door and also you are right to be alarmed cause you didnt buzz them in

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  • [Old Memory]
    11 years ago

    I've heard about ghosts knocking on doors. I wouldn't worry , probably just a spirit passing by.

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  • RinTin
    11 years ago

    Haha i get the same way when im home alone especially if it happens at an odd hour. When I hear a knock on my door the first thing I do is jump..I actually get startled easily but anyways, then my heart races and my dog barks andit races even faster because now the person knows i might be home. I check the peephole and if its someone I know or expect i calm down but if it's a stranger my heart races for a little while after theyve left.

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    • Jweezee
      11 years ago

      Didn't we discuss this? It's me! Why won't you answer the door? ;)

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      • RinTin
        11 years ago

        OMG!>.< You know a few months ago there was a knock on my door in the middle of the night and I looked out the peephole and there was some young guy standing there. He had a hat on but I swear he had blonde hair. He was ugly though so it couldn't have been you. ;)

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        • Jweezee
          11 years ago

          Dawwww Ü

          You're right anyway i dropped by around noon ;)

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  • TomLikesPizza
    11 years ago

    I live in a nasty area and have social anxiety, so I react similarly.

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  • BurnaBaby27
    11 years ago

    Ahh. I meant they're* gone, not their gone.

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  • BurnaBaby27
    11 years ago

    Hmm, I understand where you're coming from. I get startled by unexpected visitors. For me, it's kind of a courtesy thing. I wouldn't dare show up at anyone's home unannounced, who knows what they could be doing. I wouldn't expect them to just drop everything they're doing to tend to me when I didn't even tell them I would be over. So I hate when it's done to me. I don't want them to be gratified by me welcoming them in when they didn't ask to come. So I tiptoe to look out and see who it is, and I'm as quiet as can be until their gone. Rarely do I invite them in, I think it's rude. I need to know in advance when we will be having visitors.

    My heart races as well, not because I'm really scared..more so because of the surprise.

    I hope I helped in some way.

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  • Shackleford96
    11 years ago

    You sound like you were traumatized before. Did you have a significantly bad experience with stranger(s) or something?

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      I've had anxiety and depression issues in the past, but when I wasn't living on my own, this was never a problem.

      Also, I don't freak out if someone buzzes the intercom at the gate. Just the door knock.

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      • Riddler
        9 years ago

        You mean your a cat? My cat does this. I bet you have a beautiful fur coat. Usually when I get an unexpected knock I fall off the couch.

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      • Shackleford96
        11 years ago

        So, it is just the fact that it is so unexpected that makes you anxious. I'm not sure what you could do about that to help break yourself of that feeling, but I do think it is somewhat normal under the circumstances of you living in a gated community where people usually always "buzz the intercom" first. Your reaction is certainly a little bit extreme though.

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        • Anonymous Post Author
          11 years ago

          Yeah, I guess I'm not really asking IIN in a way that's asking IIN to react like that (I'm aware it's not), more just wanting to know if other people get like this, too.

          Thank you for your response, though.

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          • Shackleford96
            11 years ago

            No problem.

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  • robbieforgotpw
    11 years ago

    Let me in or I'll huff and i'll puff and I'll bloooowww your house down!

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