Help with using CBT to overcome Agoraphobia
Hello all. Im not bound to my house, but, I live in a rural town and I get very nervous when I leave the city. It has been much longer than I care to say since I have been able to leave. Well now I am determined that I am going to beat this and start getting out again. Im using cognitive behavior therapy, exposing myself to prove that i will be ok. My question to you all is this. When you push yourself to overcome agoraphobia, how far do you go in terms of your symptoms? Do you just go a little bit until your feelings start to escalate, or do you just go until its full blown panic, and talk yourself down from it? This is by far and away the toughest part, because i know i have to expose myself to it to overcome it, but we all know just how scary those feelings actually are. Advice?
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Guest
you sound exactly like me, I am bound by a small area I live in a small rural area had this for several yrs I too need to start facing so sad to stay in this so long especially when you have the facts and know it is up to you that you are doing this to yourself and the only way out is thru the panic
you only go as far as you are comfortable or if you go till you panic than you need to stay in it awhile until you calm yourself down thats the only way to learn the skills and self talk that helps If you turn and run that reinforces the fear and that you don't want to do.thats how you face but in the right way knowing it is only anxiety and not going to kill you. I wish I could take my own advice I have been doing some facing but not enough
you only go as far as you are comfortable or if you go till you panic than you need to stay in it awhile until you calm yourself down thats the only way to learn the skills and self talk that helps If you turn and run that reinforces the fear and that you don't want to do.thats how you face but in the right way knowing it is only anxiety and not going to kill you. I wish I could take my own advice I have been doing some facing but not enough
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Guest
Hi moon314.
I was agoraphobic twice in my life to the extent of being housebound. I saw a therapist and we discussed CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy). CBT may be used in different ways, two of which are gradual exposure and flooding.
When you describe going into the situation that creates a full blown panic attack, that is flooding. It works for some people but for most people it does not. It didn't for me, I couldn't take it.
So we used the gradual exposure approach and that worked the best for me. I went as far as I could without having a panic attack. Let's say on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is complete calm and 10 is a raging panic, I got out of the situation when I was at about a 7. However, over time, I could go futher and do more things before I reached the 7.
You could try both methods and choose the one that suits you. For me, a gradual exposure worked the best.
I continue to have anxiety problems, but no more agoraphobia nor panic attacks. I wish you good luck!
I was agoraphobic twice in my life to the extent of being housebound. I saw a therapist and we discussed CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy). CBT may be used in different ways, two of which are gradual exposure and flooding.
When you describe going into the situation that creates a full blown panic attack, that is flooding. It works for some people but for most people it does not. It didn't for me, I couldn't take it.
So we used the gradual exposure approach and that worked the best for me. I went as far as I could without having a panic attack. Let's say on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is complete calm and 10 is a raging panic, I got out of the situation when I was at about a 7. However, over time, I could go futher and do more things before I reached the 7.
You could try both methods and choose the one that suits you. For me, a gradual exposure worked the best.
I continue to have anxiety problems, but no more agoraphobia nor panic attacks. I wish you good luck!
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Guest
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Guest
Thanks for the responses. The past couple weeks have been really good for me. I have felt much better, but I have also not been pushing myself to increase my boundaries. Its almost as if I talk myself out of doing something (in a calm way). I am not sure how to describe it. For instance, ill go to bed with plans to do something in the morning to push my boundaries, but when the morning comes, ill just keep hitting snooze on the alarm clock, or I will wake up and tell myself I will do it tomorrow. Its a viscous cycle of procrastination.
I had this issue growing up, in fact, I quit high school and had pretty much bound myself to the house. The thing is, I got over it, and I am not exactly sure how or when because I dont remember. About 4 years ago, after years of having no issues, i was best man in a friends wedding, and I totally freaked out at the wedding (managed to get through the wedding with noone noticing, just sweating and screaming inside). It was so traumatizing that over time it seemed to get worse. It didnt help that at the time I was working at a job that was an hour long commute on the interstate from home, so I had wayy too much time to think and it progressively got worse and then i quit. After I quit was when I started the sin of avoidance, which leads me to where I am now. I guess I am just scared of starting over the viscious cycle of when its at its worst, you know when you just want to lay in bed and keep going back to sleep because the world seems rough. The thought of losing progress is a tough one to take. Im not exactly sure where I was going with this, I just kind of got off sideways on a rant, but to be honest I somewhat feel better having done it.
I had this issue growing up, in fact, I quit high school and had pretty much bound myself to the house. The thing is, I got over it, and I am not exactly sure how or when because I dont remember. About 4 years ago, after years of having no issues, i was best man in a friends wedding, and I totally freaked out at the wedding (managed to get through the wedding with noone noticing, just sweating and screaming inside). It was so traumatizing that over time it seemed to get worse. It didnt help that at the time I was working at a job that was an hour long commute on the interstate from home, so I had wayy too much time to think and it progressively got worse and then i quit. After I quit was when I started the sin of avoidance, which leads me to where I am now. I guess I am just scared of starting over the viscious cycle of when its at its worst, you know when you just want to lay in bed and keep going back to sleep because the world seems rough. The thought of losing progress is a tough one to take. Im not exactly sure where I was going with this, I just kind of got off sideways on a rant, but to be honest I somewhat feel better having done it.
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Guest
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Guest
Moon -
I can't answer for Flyer, but I practice gradual exposure CBT (desensitization). My advice is as often as you can. The more you expose yourself to your fears, the less affect they have on you. Plus it speeds your recovery time. Also, if you wait too long between runs, you tend to lose momentum and progress is really slow.
I usually try multiple times per day. My big fear is getting too far from home alone. I work about 12 miles from home and only feel comfortable driving about half that distance. When I can't make it into work, I at least try driving there two or three times in a day.
It's important to let yourself calm down between runs (although you probably won't become completely relaxed) before making the next. And each run is different. In my case I might make it 3 miles the first time and 9 miles the second. I never know how I'm going to do. But over time, I get farther and farther. It used to be that only a few blocks was too far.
I also know that there will be setbacks and so I try not to beat myself up over them. If I do worse one run or even over several days, so be it. As long as I keep trying I know that I'll get there eventually.
Jamie
I can't answer for Flyer, but I practice gradual exposure CBT (desensitization). My advice is as often as you can. The more you expose yourself to your fears, the less affect they have on you. Plus it speeds your recovery time. Also, if you wait too long between runs, you tend to lose momentum and progress is really slow.
I usually try multiple times per day. My big fear is getting too far from home alone. I work about 12 miles from home and only feel comfortable driving about half that distance. When I can't make it into work, I at least try driving there two or three times in a day.
It's important to let yourself calm down between runs (although you probably won't become completely relaxed) before making the next. And each run is different. In my case I might make it 3 miles the first time and 9 miles the second. I never know how I'm going to do. But over time, I get farther and farther. It used to be that only a few blocks was too far.
I also know that there will be setbacks and so I try not to beat myself up over them. If I do worse one run or even over several days, so be it. As long as I keep trying I know that I'll get there eventually.
Jamie
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Guest
Don't discount the power of CBT's thought countering. It really helped me both before and after exposures and was what has helped me the most in my recovery and coping. I still use the TEA form exercise from the CBT book by Sam Obitz and they do a remarkable job of keeping my anxiety away and keeping me sane 
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Guest
First off, allow me to say that you all are a godsend! Your words help, and really do give me hope.
Arlenez, when you say thought countering, I assume you are speaking of reforming those negative thoughts with positive ones? IE: "Its only anxiety", rather than " Am I going crazy?"?
Searunner. What is your recovery time like? My issue is, I am without panic in my "safe zone", and it truly is hard to just go out and push the boundaries when you have to feel the feelings that you so hate to progress. Generally when I have done my recent (albeit weak) CBT, I pretty much drive a short distance, and once I hit a certain distance, its like my mind shuts down and I need to turn back, even though I havent felt any anxiety.
What kind of techniques do you use to calm yourself when you do start feeling the panic during your CBT?
Arlenez, when you say thought countering, I assume you are speaking of reforming those negative thoughts with positive ones? IE: "Its only anxiety", rather than " Am I going crazy?"?
Searunner. What is your recovery time like? My issue is, I am without panic in my "safe zone", and it truly is hard to just go out and push the boundaries when you have to feel the feelings that you so hate to progress. Generally when I have done my recent (albeit weak) CBT, I pretty much drive a short distance, and once I hit a certain distance, its like my mind shuts down and I need to turn back, even though I havent felt any anxiety.
What kind of techniques do you use to calm yourself when you do start feeling the panic during your CBT?
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Guest