
Ask HN: What to Do with Stalking Neighbours? - gdsdfe
Hi,<p>I&#x27;m writing here out of desperation, hoping someone is&#x2F;was in similar position or just have an idea on how to deal with this.
The sonic isolation in the apartment building that I&#x27;m in is pretty bad and so about a week ago I noticed that my upstairs neighbours were following me around the apartment and trying to decipher every sound I make with a pretty remarkable accuracy, I can hear them talk but I think they have much more accuracy. I tried to ignore them but they are persistent, I tried to talk to them but they completely denied even hearing anything.
To give you an idea, they can tell when I&#x27;m in my bed and whether or not I&#x27;m sleeping (based on my breathing) they can tell what I&#x27;m watching on TV etc.
I&#x27;m not sure what to do here, with the covid I&#x27;m forced to work from home so I&#x27;m pretty much living this nightmare day and night 24&#x2F;7 I&#x27;m already not sleeping well, this stress is unbearable ... I&#x27;m thinking of involving law enforcement but how do I prove any of this is real?<p>Thanks for any help!
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DanBC
Paranoia is common, especially during times of high stress.

People are very quick to leap from paranoia to schizophrenia. Paranoia can be
a symptom of schizophrenia, but it can also be caused by other mental illness,
or it can exist on its own without a mental illness. This website is pretty
good: [https://livingwithschizophreniauk.org/information-
sheets/und...](https://livingwithschizophreniauk.org/information-
sheets/understanding-paranoia/)

You could try recording what they say, and then comparing your impression of
what you hear them say in your apartment with your impression of what you hear
them say on the recording.

It's important to get help early.

~~~
gdsdfe
Haha I'm not paranoid guys, I know what I'm hearing!!

~~~
DanBC
Whatever you decide to do you'll want to try to get a recording. If you want
to get law enforcement involved you'll need a recording. If you want to get
whatever your local neighbour dispute resolution process is involved you'll
need recordings.

FWIW, most people have a poor understanding of auditory hallucinations. Ask
someone to stand behind your back and talk to you. That's what hallucinations
often sound like: a completely normal, real, voice that you hear like any
other voice.

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ChrisGranger
You can prove this is real to law enforcement by recording your neighbors
talking and playing back the recording. If you can hear them clearly enough to
know that they're speaking _about you personally_ (and not about their own
personal business, or something they saw on TV, or about the weather, or the
local sports team) it should be trivial to prove.

If you _can 't_ hear them well enough to determine that they're speaking about
you, and it's just the muffled sound of indecipherable voices, then you're
_assuming_ they're speaking about you when they almost certainly aren't.

Have you brought this up with friends or family? What do they think?

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LatteLazy
Sorry, I am confused, if they deny doing this how do you know they can tell
when you're in bed etc?

Your best bet might be a white noise machine or similar artificial background
noise (quite music). I used that when I was irritated I could hear my
neighbours moving around/talking etc. The good thing about this is it works
both ways so you can't make out the sounds they make any more than they can
hear you...

It also might be worth checking out reddit.com/r/legaladvice they're pretty
experienced and can tell you your rights, how to get them, what to quote etc.

~~~
gdsdfe
I can hear them talk and walk ... imagine being in a sitcom and the narrator
is saying everything that the character on screen is doing that's what it
feels like.

~~~
LatteLazy
Thanks, that makes more sense. They sound a bit crazy. I'd go with the
Music\background noise approach and check with /r/legaladvice to see if they
can recommend anything else...

It might be worth recording some of their commentary. If you can do that, you
would (I think) have a good case for harassment or similar.

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newsbinator
> To give you an idea, they can tell when I'm in my bed and whether or not I'm
> sleeping (based on my breathing) they can tell what I'm watching on TV etc

To be honest I'm confused. What makes you think they're listening to you
breathe?

They've denied hearing you, and it sounds like you're guessing they're
following your movements because when you move in your apartment, you hear
them move in their apartment upstairs at the same time, repeatedly.

What makes you think they're stalking you? Why would they be interested in
your movements?

~~~
ChrisGranger
In all honesty, this sounds more like schizophrenia in the OP than the
neighbors listening to him breathe to determine whether or not he's sleeping.

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hourislate
Turn a radio on quietly to play music in the back ground or leave a television
on quietly as back ground noise. Get a fan and let it run 24/7 and the white
back ground noise should help.

Troll them and pretend to be on the phone planning murders and drug shipments.

If all else fails, look for a new place.

A buddy use to tell me that his next door neighbor (condo) would complain
every time he pissed in the toilet. She said she could hear everything.

Make sure you aren't over reacting?

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charlescarver
What evidence do you have for them listening/being able to decipher your every
move?

