A: Mary is a different person now. She seldom talks to people after the encounter with a burglar last month.

B: Her family and friends were obviously concerned about her security, but she refused help and retreated into a bunker mentality.

Note: This term refers to an attitude of extreme defensiveness and self-justification based on an often exaggerated sense of being under persistent attack from others. A bunker is an underground tunnel or chamber for hiding during wartime. Typically, bunkers are built during a prolonged period of war in which enemy attacks are formidable and frequent. When the feeling of being besieged gets out of control, people may believe enemies are everywhere, trying to get at them and hurt them. Those with a bunker mentality are excessively defensive and might be excessively aggressive at the slightest provocation.