Reddit Post
Post Date: 2026-01-10
Original Post: Reddit (r/askTO subreddit)
Total Votes: 0 votes (post has been removed from the subreddit)
All replies were made on 2026-01-10
Reddit vote totals were observed on 2026-01-21
Trapped in my apartment
I have a difficult problem. Around two years ago, I did something that annoyed the employees that work in the building that I live in, and to punish me, they decided to stop communicating with me as much as possible. They no longer answer legitimate emails about the building. I have had packages go missing and they ignore emails I send asking where the packages went.
I have tried many methods to resolve the situation with them, and tried to convince them to treat me normally again, however nothing has worked. I think they are simply planning to be hostile as a way to try to convince me to move somewhere else. I am not sure what to do. I am afraid to leave my apartment alone with them.
I would call the police, however I personally have had extremely, extremely negative experiences interacting with the police. I had a previous experience trying to report a potential crime to the police, however even though I was the one reporting the crime, they decided that the fact that I was upset when I was reporting the crime was a symptom of mental illness and forcibly brought me to CAMH.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
I said the experiences with the police were extremely, extremely negative, however this was only because the reason I was interacting with them was because they were taking me somewhere that I did not want to go. They would chat with me normally when they were taking me and I did not think they were especially harsh or anything like that.
The reason why I emphasized that the experiences were negative in this Reddit post was because I was trying to give a reason to justify why I had not called the police myself to resolve the situation I described in my Reddit post. I was also feeling a bit frustrated that I kept getting taken from my apartment by the police so I wanted to tell people about it. However, so far the police have generally just seemed like they were trying to do their jobs whenever I have interacted with them.
Reddit User #1
This user suggested that I might be the one causing problems.
Reddit User #2
This user suggested that my behaviour matched my username.
Reddit User #3
This user suggested that I should move. They pointed out that I did not explain what I did to annoy the building employees. They told me that I was not a prisoner and that I was choosing to stay.
Me
It was political. After Gaza started getting bombed, I put a Palestinian flag on the outside of my apartment door and left the door open so people could talk to me. I also left some notes on the floor outside my apartment door describing what was happening in Gaza.
I can see why it was annoying but it was almost two years ago now and it was an extremely unusual situation. I have lived here for 10 years and have not done anything else similar.
This reply was heavily downvoted by other Reddit users and had the lowest vote total (-10) of any reply in the thread. I wonder if that is related to the fact that the reply mentions Palestine.
Reddit User #4
This user suggested that it was an understatement to use the word annoying.
Reddit User #3
This user described my notes as littering, and described leaving the door open as creepy. They pointed out that my notes were not decorations associated with a specific holiday.
Reddit User #4
This user told me that I should contact a mental health professional rather than the police.
This reply had the highest Reddit vote total (33) of any reply in the thread.
Reddit User #5
This user pointed out that if packages are missing that is theft. They suggested that I could try to get the building management company involved.
Reddit User #6
This user pointed out that many buildings have issues with package theft. They suggested I speak to others in the building and find out if anyone else has had any packages stolen.
Me
What makes you say that?
Reddit User #4
This user suggested that I was experiencing paranoia.
Reddit User #7
This user suggested that I had other posts in this thread that demonstrated that I was expericing paranoia as a result of mental health issues. They suggested that I should speak to someone.
Reddit User #8
This user suggested that the story makes sense if you consider it from the perspective of the building employees and the police.
Reddit User #9
This user suggested that if a lot of the people I was encountering seemed like assholes, it might be becuase I am one.
Reddit User #10
This user asked what CAMH had said when I was evaluated by them.
Me
I wrote this page on my website to explain the story behind the CAMH visit:
https://shane.oconnell.cc/journal/2025-12-14-strange-2021.html
Reddit User #11
This user told me that as an Internet stranger observing these events, that they believed that my account of the events suggested that I was experiencing paranoia that could require medical assistance.
They told me that the people in my life seem like they are concerned about me. They told me that it was not plausible that there could be a conspiracy to induct me into an underground criminal circle. They told me that if someone was surveilling and trying to communicate with me, they were not likely to use YouTube video thumbnails.
They suggested that I seek assistance from someone that I trust.
It is interesting that this Reddit user specifically mentioned that they felt I required medical assistance as a result of experiencing paranoia. I wonder if the reference to medical assistance is a sign that this person knew in advance that my family was planning to fill out a Form 2 in order to have me taken to CAMH a few days later.
Reddit User #12
This user read the page on my website, and suggested that I should take care of myself holistically.
Me
Yeah I agree that a conspiracy to induct me into a criminal gang is unlikely.
The problem is that the experience was ambiguous. The series of events made it impossible to know whether the police were threatening me or if it was a misunderstanding. I do not think it is a sign of a mental illness that considering the possibility that they were intentionally threatening me made me anxious.
Reddit User #13
This user suggested that the account on my website was the result of paranoia. They suggested that I should speak with a mental health professional.
Me
You should scroll down on the page and look at the photos of the YouTube video thumbnails. In my opinion it was extremely believable that my computer might have been hacked.
Reddit User #14
This user suggested that I was experiencing schizophrenic delusions. They asked me to see someone for my health. They suggested that if I was doing any drugs that I should stop.
They told me that even though they were a stranger on the Internet that they actually did care. They told me that I needed to know and believe that what I was feeling was not real.
They suggested that I could message them if I wanted to talk about it.
Reddit User #15
This user suggested that if I was suffering from paranoia, that I should stop doing drugs if I were using them. They described a personal experience they had where they were experiencing paranoia. They felt that the situation improved for them when they stopped taking drugs. They suggested that I should take a break from drugs and see if the situation improves.
Me
Did you look at the photos of the YouTube video thumbnails?
Reddit User #16
This user suggested that I needed professional help and was hiding it. They suggested that this was the reason that I did not describe the YouTube video thumbnails to the doctors at CAMH. They felt that it was not likely that my dad in Newfoundland would be in a criminal gang with the police in Toronto and that it was not something that I should have believed.
Me
Hmm well thank you for reading the details on the page.
If you had experienced the series of events yourself I think you would agree that it was terrifying. You have to look at the YouTube video thumbnails and imagine them on the screen of a large television, while you are in the apartment by yourself, and there is no explanation for why they are appearing.
Reddit User #4
This user read my Facebook page and the page on my website about my first visit to CAMH, and felt it was clear that I had serious mental health issues. They asked others to encourage me to get help.
Reddit User #11
This user suggested that people should be kind. They felt that if a person was experiencing a break from reality that it was not necessary to make it worse.
Reddit User #17
This user told me they were sorry I was going through this experience and told me that they were also pro-Palestine and also had a sign in their window.
They told me that they felt that the descriptions on my website sounded like I was experiencing paranoia. They described some mental health issues experienced by people they knew, and said that they felt my description reminded them of those experiences.
I noticed that this Reddit user referenced the sign that I have in my window. I have a sign in my window with my website address. I have not mentioned this fact before anywhere online or on my website, so the fact that this Reddit user is aware of my sign makes me think they or someone they know might physically be able to see my sign.
Reddit User #18
This user suggested that I have packages delievered to a pickup location so that they would not go missing.
They asked how I was trapped in my apartment.
They suggested that if I did not like living where I lived that I could move.
Me
I like living here though. All I need to do is convince the employees that work here to communicate with me normally and everything should be fine.
I do not have a social circle of any kind, and I do not have anyone to assist me with problems in general. I am worried that the building employees might be aware of this, and might believe that they could lock me out of the building and people would not believe me if I told people that they had locked me out. This is an important part of why it seems risky to leave the apartment and return.
Reddit User #12
This user suggested that if packages were going missing that I should have them delivered to a pickup location, especially if they were high value. They suggested that I should hide my name on the packages. They said that if I lost any packages I should either accept that they were lost without trying to recover their value, or I should file a claim with the couriers or merchants.
They suggested that if I had a large corporate landlord, that I could consider contacting corporate management. However, they felt that if the problem was just packages, then I should let it go. They felt that if I was having issues with building maintenance, I should handle it myself if it was a minor issue. They suggested that if I had a serious issue that I could follow every email by visiting them in person.
Me
Most of the building is inside a security area where access is controlled by a keyfob. I actually have not left the security area in almost two years. It is possible for me to leave the security area and instantly be locked out, so I feel like it is important to be able to communicate with the employees over email or phone before I take the risk of going past the keyfob scanner.
Unfortunately, the office and all physical locations where I could interact with building employees in person are outside of the security area. I have tried asking random building employees that walk by my apartment door for help. They usually just acknowledge that I asked for help and then nothing happens.
Reddit User #7
This user asked me to claify that I had not left the building in two years.
Me
I have not left the building in almost two years.
I put the Palestinian flag outside my apartment door and left the door open in February 2024. The last time I left the building was around that time.
Reddit User #19
This user described the events that occured during my first visit to CAMH. They provided a link to the page on my website where I described what happened. They described that I believed that people might be trying to talk to me though YouTube, that I had bothered my neighbours about it who had either called the police themselves or had the building employees do it, who took me to CAMH where I did not describe the YouTube video thumbnails to the doctors.
They pointed out that at one point people had fire code concerns about my unit and linked to the page on my website where I described what happened.
They told me that there was no conspiracy and that people were afraid of me.
They suggested that I should get help.
They then included a link to my resume.
Reddit User #20
This user suggested that I was the problem, and asked what I did to annoy the building employees. They suggested that I was not telling the full story. They told me that I should get mental help and move.
Reddit User #21
This user asked what I did to annoy the building employees.
Me
I hung a Palestinian flag on the outside of my apartment door and left the door open, so that I could chat with people who walked by about the war. I also left some notes on the floor outside the apartment door.
Reddit User #18
This user suggested I read about my rights as a tenant and provided a link with information.
Reddit User #22
This user pointed out that it was not a crime for someone to not communicate with me or be nice to me. They felt that I could not call the police over these issues. They suggested that I could contact a property manager or corporate management. They asked if I did something to make people afraid of me.
Me
I think they are legally required to communicate with me because it is necssary for me to communicate with the employees as part of living here. The building is not fully automated and there are many things that require communication with the employees, for example receiving packages.
I have tried contacting the property manager, they also ignore my messages.
Around two years ago I put a Palestinian flag on the outside of my apartment door and left the door open to try to chat with people about the war. After people reacted extremely negatively I stopped doing it. I have not done anything to make anyone afraid of me, I am easy to get along with.
Reddit User #14
This user asked for some background information about me.
Reddit User #23
This user pointed out that if you go to the root domain of my website that there is a link to my resume.
Me
Yeah sure, I am 39 and I am an unemployed computer engineer. I am in good health.
Normally I get along pretty well with people when they actually communicate with me. This situation is unusual.
Reddit User #24
This user suggested that I should find another place to live if I did not think that management was being fair.
Reddit User #25
This user asked what I would call the police to report.
Me
Well, basic functionality related to the building, for example resolving issues with the key fob which provides access to the building, requires communication with the building employees. If they are not communicating, I feel that is effectively similar to evicting me or locking me out, which they are not legally allowed to do.
If the building were fully automated it would be different, however the building is not fully automated.