Stress Center Peer Support

Hi I was just curious if alot of people on here have agoraphobia, and what steps they are taking to get over it. Any feedback would be great! Thanks!

I'm on week 5 now and the only thing I've been doing is this program. The agoraphobia and the panic attacks are few and far between now. It's been 3 days in a row now and no attacks and I don't have a problem going to the store. I'm not expecting a miracle. I know that it will come back, but I take it day to day knowing that I can beat this. Positive self talk and treating myself with respect is key.

I didn't think I did until a few days ago. I was under the false illusion that all agoraphobia was was not being able to go to the store. Well, I have fears of being away from my safe places or safe people and the further away I get from them the worse my anxiety is. I have a hard time travelling. I get so anxious I literally can hardly force myself to eat a single thing. I have fears of being alone - this hasn't always been as bad as it is now but for some reason it's recently gotten out of control. As far as the definition goes i'm a moderate agoraphobic. The more I learn the more lightbulb moments I have and the more I respect myself and learn that I have to protect myself and keep myself healthy. At the same time I'm doing this it's opened me up to other people as well. I feel less negative, less angry, more loving and accepting. I feel like I'm starting to let some of it go. Baby steps I suppose but I think i'm headed in the right direction.

I was a very extreme case of agoraphobia. So much so that I could not leave my room without having a panic attack. If I needed to go to the restroom I would take a cellphone with me in case anything were to happen to me, since I was that scared. Going through the program I can now go to my university 30 minutes drive away.

To help yourself with agoraphobia you simply have to go out little by little and let yourself feel the symptoms of fear and panic and know the only reason they are happening is because you are scared and thats ok. Go out little by little, and every day go further out and further out and you will see that nothing will happen. Use the tips from session 2 if you have the program to help you out if you have those available. It is a step by step process but since I have made it I am convinced that anyone can!

I am very Agoraphobic and have been basically housebound for several years. I rarely go anywhere anymore. I have been experiencing what someone in here called "obsessive breathing" for several years now. During a panic/anxiety attack I get very short of breathe and feel like I am in a very tightly closed up room that hasn't had any fresh air in it for a long time. I have to get a fan blowing towards me to feel the air movement or go outside. It's almost like a claustrophobic feeling. I have been this way off and on since I was in highschool. I am 49 years old now. It is true by slowly introducing oneself back into the world does help but for me this time I can't even begin to do that because of the breathing problem. I have started hyperventilating when I get super worked up and the panic skyrockets. Instead of going with it I fight it which makes it worse. I wished I could give you a positive response and sincerely hope you and anyone else that is going through this emotional prison we have put ourselves into will heal and be set free from the Agoraphobia, panic, and anxiety.

God bless,
Susan

Susan,
I can relate to your feeling of claustrophobia. For me it has not been housebound, but has been travel to a certain point away from my saftey which is home. At one point I could not go more then 10 minutes away, and now am "up to" about 1 hour radius without feeling panic. I am NO WHERE close to my goal, but I am getting better! It was baby steps for me that got me there. I really struggled with the breathing thing too, and still do when I push myself over that hour. For me, i actually did things to make the breathing WORSE by running or a form of excercise....got some adreneline out and then tried to calm down. That really works for me in most cases, although sounds backwards Everyone has to start somewhere, and maybe that means a walk around the block with a bottle of water (that helps me think I am controlling the breathing too). Keep doing it until you get a little better then two blocks, etc.
I am sure you can do it, you have had 30 years of practice to get here so it will take time.....I have had 8 years to get to where I am, so hopefully we both will. Dorthy got out of Kansas, so can you

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond!


Susan--I hope you get better as well, Like Soccer Steve said, it takes time, you have it for such a long time.

Again Thank you ALL for the Responses.

Good Luck Everyone!