Stalking is an insidious crime because it can make a victim feel completely "crazy." A stalker's goal is to twist her/his sense of reality with complete stealth. You can begin to help yourself by filling out the tracking form; it serves as a good reality check, and makes the people who work, study, and live with you aware as well. There are also people and agencies in the area with a great deal of knowledge and understanding of stalking behavior and its impact on victims. Check out the Resources for local support services.

Taking Care of Yourself

Develop a support system through friends, family, and colleagues, and/or join a support group. Emotional support is critical during this time and afterward, because you may experience a variety of symptoms of extreme stress, including rage, terror, suspicion, an inability to trust anyone, depression, changes in sleeping or eating patterns, exhaustion, and/or frequent crying spells. This is a result of the tension caused by relentless victimization. Talking to someone other than a friend or family member (who may want to help but can also get burned out) who is trained to work with victims/survivors may help alleviate the impact of this trauma on your life. Check out the Community Resources page for local support services.