Leaving the house
Hi everyone,
So, my neighbor is a builder and has been working on his house for what seems like years. He is always in his front yard working. For the past few months, him and his workers are working in the front yard. He seems to be building a garage and driveway along with a fence and pathway or something. My problem is that whenever I or my family members leave our house, him and his workers always stop and stare hard at us until we get into our car or walk to the bus stop down the road. My neighbor is an unfriendly man and we are not on good terms. He previously had built his house so that all his water would somehow leak into our yard. When we complained, he was rude and hostile and always tries to do something to annoy us. As he is a builder, he will do things like put a rainwater pipe in a strategic position which splashes water onto our house - or he puts his equipment on our yard and leaves rubbish in our yard.
Anyways, he stares in a very hostile manner at us and seems to have told his workers that we are dangerous/crazy people because his workers (who we dont know and are new people all the time) look at us in fear/shock and suspicion. I feel scared to leave the house now because of this and when I am home, just knowing that he is next year is giving me terrible anxiety. I feel so weak and cowardly because I am always scared and anxious as soon as I hear the neighbour working (he is always working on something). His work shed place is right next to my bedroom and he starts work early in the morning. It wakes me up at around 6 and then I feel terrible anxiety as soon as I hear him working. This anxiety doesn't leave until late in the day when I can't hear him working anymore. I am also fearful that my dad will go and argue with him. I know that my mother is also intimidated by our neighbor and that makes me feel terrible too.
I seem to have intense anxiety all the time now - my stomach hurts, I feel like I need to hunch over, I feel really wobbly - like I can't support myself. I wish I was strong and not afraid but I am really quite scared and anxious. The thing is, the worst that can happen is that they will stare, but my body is responding as if I am in extreme danger. I feel like I can't discern what I SHOULD be feeling.