Recovering from attack

I was swarmed and attacked by a group of teens/young men almost a year ago and since then I have avoided walking in areas where groups of young people tend to congregate. This has restricted my ability to move freely through the city and I have spent much more time at home over this past year as a result. I was slightly injured in the attack but it was a deeply frightening event.

Now I feel anxiety whenever I walk through any public areas and I think that what seemed like prudent common sense for personal safety has morphed into something more nefarious. An attack over a year ago in which I was not badly injured has since left me a virtual prisoner in my own home.

I think I have fed my fears over these last months of isolation and now when I try to venture beyond my safety zones things seem very frightening. The price I am paying for personal safety is obviously too high. How can I regain my confidence? Intellectually I know that with a little common sense I am at low risk to experience any kind of assault, but my bodily reactions at the site of any ‘threat’ argue differently.