Burglary is a double edged sword, not only do you lose precious possessions but the emotional and mental side effects of burglary can go on long after your physical items have been replaced.
A study published in the journal of Psychology, Crime & Law found “the psychological impact of burglary is considerable and may last for an extended period of time“. This included emotional distress symptoms such as feeling “anxious, hostile, depressed, tired and confused“.
Mental side effects of burglary
1 – Stress
This is not just the practical issues of negotiating with insurers to replace your stolen goods. It’s also the sinking feeling when you suddenly realise something else has gone that you hadn’t noticed straight away.
We spoke with a burglary victim who, weeks after the event, burst into tears at work when she automatically reached into her bag for a hair-clip. What was worth nothing to a burglar stealing a handbag, had been an important gift from a family member. The loss of that connection was yet another blow.
2 – Hostility
The same lady told us her husband become angry at silly little things. Eventually, he realised he was angry at himself for not preventing the burglary. He also suffered from guilt that he hadn’t woken at the time. The feeling that, as the “man of the house”, he should have protected his family from this devastating event was eating away at him. This and the frustration that the robbers were unlikely to be caught, was changing his whole personality. This had a huge negative impact on his relationship with his wife and family.
Let’s be clear. Burglars that break in during the night are deliberately stealthy! They want to get in, get your valuables and get out again without disturbing even the lightest of sleepers. Your best defence is a high quality home security systemthat deters them from trying!
3 – Fear
Another emotional response that remains after a burglary is fear. Most of us know the noises our houses make at night. After a burglary, every creak or click from the boiler suddenly poses a threat. Your body is on constant high alert and sleep is disturbed. This leads to other problems such as fatigue, anxiety and depression.
It’s even worse for children. Mental side effects of burglary including bed-wetting, nightmares, not sleeping in their own beds and increased clinginess have all been reported. It’s hard to convince a child that they are safe and sound at home when they’ve seen evidence that they weren’t. They also witness the effects on their family.
Most burglaries last an average of 8 minutes but have a lifetime effect on you and your loved ones. A professionally installed home security system is the best way to keep your home and family safe. Don’t be an easy target! The couple above told us “When we heard that burglars were likely to return again that just added to the pain. The first decent night’s sleep we had afterwards was when we had our security system installed. The beep of the alarm going on makes us feel safe again when we never thought we would”.
Don’t let the burglars win!
Can you honestly say you are doing everything you can to reduce the risk of a burglary?
Get in touch to find out about beefing up your home security.
