u/BackgroundOil1130

I’m posting this from an account that isn't connected to my friends or people I know personally because I want to keep this completely private.

Today at noon 12.20, I was targeted by someone online. The conversation initially appeared normal, but the person eventually obtained private material from me and began threatening to share it with other people unless I paid money.

I was initially extremely frightened and made the mistake of engaging with the person because I was panicking. They repeatedly demanded money and tried to pressure me into paying. The amount wasn't something I was willing or realistically able to pay.

I eventually stopped negotiating and blocked the person. I did not send any money.

I preserved screenshots of the relevant threats and demands. I also had enough information about the account/contact to provide identifying details to the authorities.

I have now submitted an official cybercrime complaint through India's National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. I provided the evidence and identifying information I had available and received an acknowledgement for the complaint.

I'm not posting any screenshots because some of the evidence contains private material, and I don't want to redistribute it. I'm also deliberately leaving out names, usernames, emails phone numbers, locations, dates, and other identifying information.

What I'm struggling with now isn't really the reporting process. It's the anxiety afterward.

My brain keeps going through the same questions:

What if the person actually shares it?

What if someone I know sees it?

What if someone recognizes me?

What if it reaches people I know personally?

What if the person creates another account?

What if I should have done something differently?

What if I get another threatening message?

I understand intellectually that I can't know exactly what the person will do. But emotionally, my brain keeps treating every possible scenario as though it has already happened.

I've also realized that repeatedly checking accounts, thinking about possible leaks, rereading the threats, and imagining every possible outcome only makes the anxiety worse.

At this point, I've decided on a few rules for myself:

I won't pay.

I won't negotiate.

I won't contact the person.

I won't distribute the private material.

I won't keep checking obsessively.

If another threat arrives, I'll preserve the evidence and report it rather than engaging.

I'm mainly interested in hearing from people who have experienced something similar:

How did you deal with the anxiety after you had already reported the situation and taken the practical steps you could take?

I'm especially interested in advice about getting your mind out of the constant “what if?” loop and returning to normal life.

Please don't ask me to post the material or identifying information. I'm deliberately keeping those details private.

I'm also not looking for people to investigate the person involved. I've already reported the incident through the appropriate channel.

I would really appreciate practical advice from people who have been through something similar and eventually managed to stop thinking about it constantly.