I am totally Agoraphobic and have been for quite a few years. I can barely leave my home and have missed lots and lots of family events. Right now my family is all gathered to surprise one of my favorite nephews for his 40th birthday. I would have loved being there for him but here I am as usual all alone and having a huge pity party for myself. I hate living like this and knowing personally what its like to live within our very own prison with all the windows and doors to our soul locked up tight. I would love to find the key that could totally open me back up to be normal and to be able to go places and do things without a second thought or worry. I have been like this off and on most of my life but since the passing of my only sister and my mother-in-law in March of 2007, I have literally sunk back deeper into the phobia suffering with much higher anxiety/panic attacks which is keeping me pretty much homebound inside of my house. I hope through this site I can find some much needed answers to become free of this and to meet others who know exactly what I am going through.
Has anyone here ever beaten the Agoraphobia and became free to go places after being homebound for days/months/years? If so how and what did you do to accomplish this?
Thanks for reading and any replies that will be made to this thread.
God bless,
Susan
Can Agoraphobic's ever win their lives back?
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Guest
Hello ;
I was a very outgoing person untill finally isolating myself for about 2 months ago. It was never in my nature to be that way ,although I have suffered with anxiety for a couple of yrs ,I had never been afraid of much .
I am now on session 2 and I have started forcing myself to be around people . Last night for example I went to a Fair in town ,This thing is huge ,they close down a couple of blocks ,Bands playing ,vendors ,sidewalk performers ,and even worst people I know .
(i was fearfull walking there )
Once there I had a blast.
Susan ;Trust me;once I am there ,I go with the flow , control my self and best of all I am suprised that I can still have fun . The whole thing with isolating myself is in my mind ,and the anxiety I live with . I do have a job that I love and I am able to function doing it , so it really is not that bad when I force myself to go out with my wife ,have a couple of drinks at a restaurant .
Enjoy your life .Make the choice to take that step . Its like bailing out of an airplaine ,your mind is telling you not to ,it terrifies you to think you may freefall to your death but once you take that leap ,out the door and let go its amazing .Yes there are the what ifs to deal with ,but thats part of our problem .I for one have made myself overcome this now for the past 2 weeks . I started forcing myself out the door the minute I started this program , It has become easier for me as time goes on.
Tomorrow morning I am going paragliding ,it is one of my passions and I have put it on hold for 2 months .I have to belive in what I am telling myself . If I have any doudts It won't work ,does that make sence to you ? Its like having faith in something ,anything : you have to belive that everything will be alright ,when I go skydiving (and I have over 300 jumps) I still feel that fear ,but I overcome it ,its the proverbial leap of faith . I have to belive my chute will open ,and it always does .Do I ever think someday it may not open ,or that something terrible will happen while free falling ? Yes but not at the moment I am about to do it ,I just want to feel alive and have a great jump . Some day I will have to use my reserve chute,but if I dwelled on that constanly I would never even get on the jump plane
I know skydiving or any other extreme
sport is not for every one but I am just trying to make a point .Belive in yourself Take that step frightning as it might be , you might surprise your self .
I was a very outgoing person untill finally isolating myself for about 2 months ago. It was never in my nature to be that way ,although I have suffered with anxiety for a couple of yrs ,I had never been afraid of much .
I am now on session 2 and I have started forcing myself to be around people . Last night for example I went to a Fair in town ,This thing is huge ,they close down a couple of blocks ,Bands playing ,vendors ,sidewalk performers ,and even worst people I know .
(i was fearfull walking there )
Once there I had a blast.
Susan ;Trust me;once I am there ,I go with the flow , control my self and best of all I am suprised that I can still have fun . The whole thing with isolating myself is in my mind ,and the anxiety I live with . I do have a job that I love and I am able to function doing it , so it really is not that bad when I force myself to go out with my wife ,have a couple of drinks at a restaurant .
Enjoy your life .Make the choice to take that step . Its like bailing out of an airplaine ,your mind is telling you not to ,it terrifies you to think you may freefall to your death but once you take that leap ,out the door and let go its amazing .Yes there are the what ifs to deal with ,but thats part of our problem .I for one have made myself overcome this now for the past 2 weeks . I started forcing myself out the door the minute I started this program , It has become easier for me as time goes on.
Tomorrow morning I am going paragliding ,it is one of my passions and I have put it on hold for 2 months .I have to belive in what I am telling myself . If I have any doudts It won't work ,does that make sence to you ? Its like having faith in something ,anything : you have to belive that everything will be alright ,when I go skydiving (and I have over 300 jumps) I still feel that fear ,but I overcome it ,its the proverbial leap of faith . I have to belive my chute will open ,and it always does .Do I ever think someday it may not open ,or that something terrible will happen while free falling ? Yes but not at the moment I am about to do it ,I just want to feel alive and have a great jump . Some day I will have to use my reserve chute,but if I dwelled on that constanly I would never even get on the jump plane
I know skydiving or any other extreme
sport is not for every one but I am just trying to make a point .Belive in yourself Take that step frightning as it might be , you might surprise your self .