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This message has been edited. Last edited by: Cranberry,

A random accident? Possibly. Examine the demographics of your area. Are shootings common? If not, it's like lightening--not likely to ever strike in the same place twice.

Lichen

You have every right to feel anxious. That's quite an experience. Give yourself permission to feel this way. You'll recover if an attack arises but giving yourself permission to have the attack will certainly help to keep it down to a "low roar" - something you can handle. In fact, giving yourself permission to have anxiety very often stops it from occurring entirely.

Remember your soothing self talk. Stop scaring yourself with "what if" phrases and focus on what you can do about the situation. Focus on how to make yourself and your family be safe. Write your ideas down on paper.

Being safe from the inside comes from ourselves. Being safe on the "outside" is the risk we take in living. ie: Walking across the street, driving on the freeway, riding a motorcycle, climbing a tree, swimming, etc. All these things can be dangerous but you learn the right precautions and follow certain rules and you are generally safe. Nevertheless, they are all risks.

It's very rare for a bullet to do what it did. See this incident from another perspective. It's highly unlikely it will happen again. After you calm down you will probably see this more clearly.

Or go ahead and put your house up for sale.

Trust yourself whatever your decision and don't forget to soothe yourself.

Hey Cranberry,

yikes! I had a friend who lived in the town I grew up in and one night she was lying in her bed and she a whistling sound and a bang. She looked up at her headboard and a bullet had hit her headboard. It was basically just a drive by shooting. But as you can imagine she was terrrified. I think she did end up moving because she was so afraid.
Before you put your house up try to relax and think as clearly as possible as you can about this because as lichen and boon said it may never happen again.
I can understand your fear though.
Hang in there.

PBII

I completely understand your fear. Good gravy.

This reminds me of an incident that happened when my husband and I were first married.

We lived in a small town (still do) and we lived in an apartment right off the ground floor of an old homestead in the center of town.

He had bought a gun, which was fine, he had always had a gun and "knew" how to handle them.
Yeah, well, he was showing me the safety and the thing went off.

A bullet went right threw the front door screen and out into the world.

I bout' lost my mind.... And my husband rethought his gun knowledge...

I didn't sleep wondering when I was gonna hear that someone had been shot. It was horrible.

Maybe, just maybe, the bullet in your house was the same kind of thing. Maybe it was some "goofball" who made a really bad mistake.

It will probably never happen again, but I completely understand your fear.

Try to see how random this is. Not one of us really has any control of what happens outside our homes no matter where we live. Only God has control over our coming in and going out. Alot harder to swallow I know.

Give yourself time to be freaked out. Fear loosens it's grip over time.

Peace be yours...

Did you have an enemy? Maybe someone was partying and it was an accident. Did you stop to think whoever fired the gun very well did not know where the bullit went nor that it even went outside? It was probably just a coinincedence as far as drinking or someone arguing or playing.

Moving doesn't appear to be the result unless you have enemies living there or aq really bad neighborhood. Didn't you say you got a police report?

I would be terrified and scared to move but then I think I would be that way if I moved also.

I just got this program and I can't wait to get started.

Cranberry,
New Years eve, at 12:00 my husband went out on the porch to listen to all the fireworks, honking horns,etc. He told me he could hear people shooting guns off, which is stupid cause what goes up has to come down somewhere.
Im sure whatever it was, it whoever did it, didnt have a clue it went in your house.
Its very scarey im sure, but im sure it wasnt done on purpose, but it certainly can make anxiety worse. Im sure the police will check the area, and try to not let it scare you so bad, you want to move. Try not to "what if".
Take care Nelly