We’ve all been there. You’re relaxing in a warm bath, perhaps listening to a self-care podcast or just enjoying the silence, when the door swings open. In that split second, your brain goes into a "panic" (often the intended meaning behind "pan").

In a more awkward encounter shared on Reddit, a woman decided to play a "mind game" on her mother-in-law, who had a habit of barging into the bathroom without knocking. One day, instead of just sitting there, the woman struck a series of the moment her mother-in-law entered. The mother-in-law was so weirded out that she later told the husband she had caught the wife "practicing rituals" in the bathroom, leading to a very heated and awkward family confrontation. The Public Restroom "Commentary"

My brain, usually so capable of complex thought, reduced its entire processing power to two primal commands: COVER and DROWN . I yanked the shower curtain so hard the rings screamed across the rod. One hand clutched the plastic to my chest like a shield; the other frantically tried to redirect the showerhead away from my eyes, which were now wide with pure, undiluted panic.

A rubber doorstop, a sliding bolt from the hardware store, or even a sturdy wooden spoon wedged under the handle. These are the tools of a peaceful mind.

The moment that followed was awkward, to say the least. I didn't know what to say or do. I just sat there, frozen, trying to process what had just happened. My mother, still seemingly unaware of my discomfort, started chatting with me about her day, completely disregarding the elephant in the room.