Irrational paranoid fears?!

Irrational paranoid fears?

My whole life really, I've had these weird irrational fears of things that aren't there and don't really even exist. It's pretty much always in the dark. For example, lately when I turn off the lights downstairs, only the hall light upstairs is on, and I have to run up the stairs and into the bathroom, checking behind the shower curtain to make sure nothing is there. I know that nothing is in the shower or downstairs waiting to get me, but I'm scared anyway.

And when we go to my aunt's house in Maine, they live on a lake and have a floating dock that's in dark water. Since I can't see anything in the water [because nothing's there], they have to practically force me out there. When I swim there and back [on a boogie board], I'm scared to death the whole time, though I know no snake or alligator is there. But I always thing that there's something right behind me.

Does anyone know a way to get rid of these fears other than therapy or something? Please serious answers only.

OKay first off I thought I was the only one with this problem. I also check behind the shower curtain, when it is closed. My husband works second shift being gone from 3:30pm-2:30am So when I leave a room I have to have another light on. The hall light stays on all the time. I keep the curtains shut because I fear that someone is looking in. I don't have that lake fear, maybe that is because you watched lake placid. But it is normal to have fears, everyone fears something. It's just that me and you fear what we can't see. Things like being followed or things in places that are dark. I was put on meds once and they made it worse, so don't let people talk you into meds. I could go on with this all day, so if you wanna talk contact me via e-mail at mcltweety@yahoo.com - This is my husbands account and he saw this question and told me it was for me to answer, Since I am like that.