When Does Home Security Turn into Paranoia
Webster dictionary defines paranoia as a tendency on the part of an individual toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others. Although these days you feel like you cannot have enough security in your home, there is a limit to how far we will go in securing our home before we have reached the point where we would by identified as being diagnosed with paranoia. The question then becomes, what is that limit and how do I measure if I am past the limit or far from it? Feeling a sense of personal security is no doubt a very personal matter and will differ from individual to individual, yet we can find a reasonable balance which would satisfy the average person in achieving that sense of security we all seek to have. On the other side of the coin however is the fact that most people in America today actually have a false sense of security and that also can be very dangerous because the reality is that we do live in a world today where 1 out of every 5 people in America will experience some type of burglary or break in at some point in their lives. So the question we will be asking in this article is, are you experiencing paranoia when it comes to securing your home or are you like most Americans who are on the other side of the fence and are actually living their lives with a false sense of security?
To answer that question we will look at what are some reasonable steps you can take in securing your home without going overboard and living like you were on Americas most wanted list. The first and most important thing to do in an attempt to secure your home is of course installing an ADT monitored home security system. This is not even my opinion; this is a fact verifiable by any law enforcement agency. Having a monitored alarm will make you ten times less likely of becoming a burglary victim. To go the next step in reasonably securing your home would be to install a surveillance camera system in your home which would integrate with your ADT monitored alarm system so that in the event of an actual break in you could log into the internet from anywhere you have access and instantly see what is going on in your home. Honeywell is in the process of releasing an alarm / cctv integration package which would instantly send to your cell phone and email notification of an alarm activation and instant images to your cell phone or computer. You would also have through the internet the ability to make your computer a virtual keypad just like if you were right at home. The next thing you may want to add to your security portfolio is light control through X-10 technology or possible even Lutron light control. This light control technology allows you to choose which lights turn on at what time and even choose the desired dimming levels. The integration of lighting control to your ADT system allows for some or all light to automatically turn on throughout the house in the event of alarm activation. As you approach your home you can at the touch of a button on your remote keyfob have the foyer or other light turn on as you enter the home.
Aside from the above mentioned methods of protecting your home you can do practical things like installing better locks or cutting back some of your landscaping to expose more of your home to neighbors. Having a guard dog is ofcourse a great idea and a rewarding one as well. The list could go on forever but in the end each of us has to reach a level of security which gives us and our family member’s peace of mind. So find your comfort level and remember to make sure not to reach the paranoid level or the worst yet the false sense of security level.
