View Full Version : AGORAPHOBIA - what do others think please
Ok, I would like others points of view on this if possible :)
I am classed as being agoraphobic, but tonight have been told because I do leave the house then im not agoraphobic :wacko:
I can leave the house to get in a car and be driven to say a friends house, with all the usual anxiety feelings, but only with someone I feel safe with, and the whole time I am out of the house I cannot fully relax because I am away from my comfort zone, i.e my house.
I cannot walk down the street, I cannot go into shops at the minute, and even a trip to the doctors surgery is a huge ordeal, the whole time I am jittery, light headed, blurred vision, you know all the fun symptoms we get :weep:
So because I can leave the house, say once every few weeks, does this mean I am a fraud and im not agoraphobic, the whole idea of being outside totally freaks me at the minute, but I do try and make an effort to get out.
Your thoughts would really be appreciated because I am now totally confused as to wether I am an agoraphobic or not after tonight :wacko:
Thanks
Love
Trac xxxxx
sounds exactly like my agoraphobia. i can only go out with someone i trust but its still very hard and i panic the whole time:weep:
sounds exactly how i am trac!
i can only go out in peoples cars if they are people i trust and even then i panic the whole time im away from my house.
even a 10min car journey to my mums house can freak me out and even while im at my mums house (where i grew up and lived for most of my life) i feel really ill and panicky til i know im going home.
strange how i only feel safe in a house iv lived less time in then my mums :wacko:
i get really panicky just thinking about going to the shop which is 5min walk away! if that! and normally bottle out of going cos i just cant do it:weep:
i have had people question my agoraphobia before and it made me feel so small and pathetic but it is a constant battle to go out and i barely go out at the mo :weep: and when i do go out its just full of me having panic attacks and wanting to come home as soon as possible:weep:
i dont want to be like this, i hate it and for anyone who questions me about it (generally my family do) or makes me feel like crap cos i cant do things they find easy then sod them!! they dont know what it feels like! and if they did then they wouldnt be so quick to judge!
you are not a fraud trac because if u were then we all would be frauds! :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs:
laura xxxxxxxx:flowers:
Joel and Laura,
Thankyou both for your input, if we make an effort to aid our recovery by leaving the house even if we are panic stricken the whole time, that doesn't make us recovered and stop us being classed as agoraphobic in my eyes, I always class myself as having a battle with agoraphobia because I am trying to fight it.
I thought agoraphobia was a fear of the outside, and im bloody sh*t scared of the outside world at the minute, so that makes me agoraphobic doesn't it ?????
Trac xxxx
Agorophobia always used to be defined as fear of open spaces. Nowadays it is more commonly defined as fear of being in a place where there is no easy escape from ie being in a crowd, standing in the supermarket queue etc.
I think anyone that panics when leaving the house IS agorophobic. I would class myself as being so even though I regularly go out I'm always anxious and avoid a lot of things :blush:
Kate
Thanks Kate :hugs:
Love
Trac xxxx
Hi..
When i recently done the Daily Mirror article talking about my agoraphobia, i heard that the people who go into the pub where i work were saying that it was all "Bulls**t" and that i was talking "crap". They said "How can she be agor-whatever it is if she works here?". All i could say in response to them is that they don't have any idea how difficult it is GETTING TO WORK. How my mother has to pick me up and take me, how i can't leave the house alone, AT ALL, how to walk round the town is bloody awful and just to get my son to school which is 2 minutes walk away is a MASSIVE ordeal!
No one knows how dibilatiing this illness is. NO ONE understands the effect of agoraphobia if they don't experience it themselves.
Sorry, off soap-box now.
x
Thanks Bluebell,
I totally agree with you that it is a very dibilitating illness, and I would love to be able to open the front door and just walk out without a care in the world, and not get worked up about it for a few hours before hand and then feel like total crap the whole time that I am out.
Thankyou
Love
Trac xxx
I do class myself as agroraphobic most definately, due to GAD and panic attacks - like Kate says the definition for me is more about being trapped in situations or places that are not easy to get out of.
While I can manage to get out if I have someone with me I don't seem to be able to do it alone. Like anything Trac I suppose there are degrees of severity arn't there. Over the last 8 years I have had various levels of it - the trouble is even on the lightest level it does affect your life doesn't it and you begin to avoid situations that you fear.
I am a work in progress really lol!!! :yesyes:
Love Piglet :flowers:
Thanks Piglet,
I think when you suffer with agoraphobia, we will always be 'a work in progress' I always tell people im battling with agoraphobia, sometimes I win, sometimes the agoraphobia wins.
What I am trying to find out by doing this is, to be classed as an agoraphobic do you have to be housebound 24/7, 365 days a year ? Some people have agoraphobic tendencies, where they feel uncomfortable out of their comfort zone, but it does not stop them from leading a 'normal' life, where as mine does stop me from doing the 'normal' things, like leaving the house alone, walking down the street, going into shops ........... or to put it in a nutshell, enjoy a life outside of my home enviroment.
I really appreciate all your thoughts on this
Love
Trac xxx
Agoraphobia can be puzzling for others to understand. I would class myself as a very severe agoraphobic as I feel very panicky just walking to the end of my drive and back, and yet I managed to go on a holiday to the South of France last June. Some people said to me after that ''Oh you must be cured now, that you have been so far and way from home for a fortnight'' but it's a lot more complicated than that. The very next day after I came back from holiday I had a panic attack a few yards from my house.
I agree with you Trac that agoraphobia could be defined as 'Fear of leaving the safe place' or maybe 'Fear of something happening we can't cope with'. I think over time it also morphs into 'Fear of having a panic attack in front of someone'.
Unless you were 98 years old and didn't mind never leaving the house again, I think all of us agoraphobics battle the illness and have some 'successes' in which we manage to do things we usually can't. But the fact that we are in a state of terror when we are doing them means we are far from cured. I would regard a cure as being like most of the people I know, who don't think twice about popping to the shops.
When I went on holiday it was a massive challenge in which the car became my safe place. It didn't feel as safe as my home but I coped...just. Hotel rooms and ferry cabins became temporary safe places too but I went through the most awful panic getting from one safe haven to another. I tried to make it to the beach but had to turn back with the sand dunes in sight.
Agoraphobia prevents us from functioning normally. We can't live a normal life as every time we leave the house we are in a state of great fear and trepidation.
I am about to leave the house now, in the car with my 'trusted person' to get the Sunday papers. I go every Sunday. Every time it's an effort to make myself do it,I go through real fear waiting in the car outside the shop; but I have an even greater fear of getting worse and never being outside again. Normal people don't suffer like this over such a mundane task. Just because we try doesn't mean we aren't ill.
Thanks Rain,
everything you said in your post I can totally relate too, and I definately would agree that when I can walk out the front door with out a second though or a care in the world , and go shopping, to town or where ever it is, will be the day I class my self as recovered.
Love
Trac xxxx
Hi Trac, :hugs:
The word agoraphobia originates from the Greek for 'fear of the marketplace' and was misunderstood for a long time as being a fear of open places. Of course agoraphobia can be a fear of open places but it is also much more complex. My opinion, and I stress that it is only an opinion, is that agoraphobia is a fear of a place or situation where the person feels escape is difficult or impossible. Such instances could include restaurants, shops and public transport but an agoraphobic doesn't have to be frightened of all these situations (although they might be). Every human is unique and it is therefore impossible to fit us into perfect boxes for agoraphobia, social phobia, health anxiety etc with a standard set of tick box questions.
I had a period when I felt just like you Trac in that I wanted to know exactly what is wrong with me. Is it agoraphobia? Social phobia? Anixety? It didn't help that the medical professionals gave different opinions which just added to my confusion. Perhaps I have elements of agoraphobia, social phobia and other aspects of anxiety. In the end I decided it doesn't matter what is wrong, the important thing is to overcome the things I find difficult. There are things I can do in my life with ease and others which I struggle with. The way I look at it is if I do something with no anxiety then great. If I do something but feel anxious then that's good also because I overcame the problem. If I didn't manage to do something then it was a bad day but doesn't mean the same thing will happen next time. Whatever the outcome it's still all experience and is another step down the road to getting where I want to be.
You know where I am if you need to talk matey. :hugs:
Take care,
Mike x :)
i found this if it helps...
WHAT IS AGORAPHOBIA
The term agoraphobia has been widely misunderstood. Its literal definition suggests a fear of "open spaces". However, this is an incomplete and misleading view. Agoraphobics are not necessarily afraid of open spaces. Rather, they are afraid of having panicky feelings, wherever. these fearful feelings may occur. For many, they happen at home, in houses of worship, or in crowded supermarkets, places that are certainly not "open".
In fact, agoraphobia is a condition which develops when a person begins to avoid spaces or situations associated with anxiety. Typical "phobic situations" might include driving, shopping, crowded places, traveling, standing in line, being alone, meetings and social gatherings.
Agoraphobia arises; from an internal anxiety condition that has become so intense that the suffering individual fears going anywhere or doing anything where these feelings of panic have repeatedly occurred before. Once the panic attacks have started, these episodes become the ongoing stress, even when other more obvious pressures have diminished. This sets up a "feedback condition" which generally leads to increased numbers of panic attacks and, for some people, an increase in the situations or events which can produce panicky feelings. Others experience fearful feelings continuously, more a feeling of overall. discomfort, rather than panic.
A person may fear having anxiety attacks, "losing control", or embarrassing him/herself in such situations. Many people remain in a painful state of anxious anticipation because of these fears. Some become restricted or "housebound" while others function "normally" but with great difficulty, often attempting to hide their discomfort.
Agoraphobia, then, is both a severe anxiety condition and a phobia, as well as a pattern of avoidant behavior.
Thanks Mike and Joel :hugs: :hugs:
Love
Trac xxxx
honeybee3939
28-10-07, 16:50
Hi Trace
Before i knew anything about Agorophobia, i used to think myself that it meant you couldnt leave the house:ohmy: ,but have learnt since suffering Agorophobia it as more meaning to it as stated in the replies to this thread. I have also spoken to people before over the years that have not known alot about anxiety/panic disorders and a few of them have thought that too.
Love
:hugs:
Andrea
xxxxx
bottleblond
28-10-07, 17:54
Trac,
I'm so with you on this one. What some people don't realise if that Agoraphobia is like every other illness and varies in severity.
I have been so bad that i couldn't leave the house at all, but at the moment i can do about the same as you, all in all we still have a fear of going OUTDOORS, so in my opinion we are STILL agoraphobic, we still have the fear of doing it therefor we still have the phobia.
Lots of Love
Lisa
xxx
I may be completely wrong here, but I think,, unless you can go out the house when you want, where you want by whatever means of transport you want, with whom you want ,then you are suffering some degree of agoraphobia.
I have just had two weeks abroad in 8 weeks with very little side effects, yet cannot leave my house in daylight without my car, and would NEVER go into town, without a trusted friend or family member.I work full time, in my perfect job, but know issues are still there.
Personally I think you are agrophobic, big hugs,xxx
I agree with all the descriptions - agoraphobic can mean anything from a fear of stepping outside one's front door to a fear of being trapped in placces where there is no escape, e.g. public transport, crowded public places, to someone like myself who am able to function on the outside but am fearful when have to travel away from home and cannot return to my safe haven the same day!! Plays havoc with my European research trips I can tell you!I do travel away from home from time to time when I have to but usually the anticipation of doing so makes me feel ill for days beforehand. For the most part I usually get through the trips and have a sense of achievement when I do so. However, it has disrupted what I used to consider a 'normal' life no end.
Hi Trac:hugs:
Hmmmmmm not too sure where I stand on this one!!!
At my worst I stayed indoors for 18 months but Im mostly ok now!!!
However now Im disabled its not really possible for me to go too far alone!!
I wouldent say Im agraphobic but I do have agraphobic tendancies
Recently due to a bout of the lurgy I stayed in for 2 weeks and my first trip out after that was scary
I find the more I go out the less I mind it!!!
I no longer let it stop me making plans and doing things cos after 31 yrs of it I now realise it wont hurt me
If I do go out I find the feeling soon passes now.....the biggy is getting out the door and down the path!!!!
Luv Kaz x x x
i can relate to most of the posts here. i actually manage to go to work but my partner works at the same place so takes me and is around most of the time. i still feel sheer panic if he isnt there for any reason and have even had days off myself if he isnt going! i can't stay in the house alone at all not even for a few minutes, if my partner is out in the garden i am constantly checking he is still there which i find even more distressing as if i'm off work ill no matter how ill i am i cant stay at home in bed and at best have to go to my mums house. people don't understand how stressful just day to day life is for agoraphobics! ju
Thanks everyone, Im really glad i started this thread now as its really interesting to read others thoughs on the subject :)
Andrea, thanks mate I was the same as you before I suffered and thought it meant totally housebound.
Lisa, I agree there with what you said we do still have the phobia, so yeah it does still make us agoraphobic, good point mate :)
Alexis, thanks mate and again I agree with all that you have said ............ and we soooo need to catch up mate :hugs:
Dorabella, thanks for your thoughts xx
Kazz, ahh the getting out the door and down the path, once I can do that without flippin feeling like crap then I know im on me way lol xxx
Julie, thanks xx wouldn't it just be nice to leave the house even for one day without all those awful feelings, to just feel free and not have all those awful feelings that we suffer with.
Thanks again everyone its making really interesting readin
Lots of love
Trac xxxx
Hi Trac ,
sounds like you are agrophobic to me , if the outside world makes you feel poorly and you dread the next outing then that is agrophobia.
But I understand what you are asking, its so confusing being like this and no one can understand unless they have it.
Thank god we have this site :hugs: .
:) from what ive been told and what ive read, agoraphobia is distinct fromany other phobia,because of the lengths the sufferer will go to toavoid feeling this constant anxiety/panic. if you get the 12 week recovery programme from 'nopanic' you will see that you have to confront every single situation that makes you panic, and you have to STAY there untilthe panic subsides, this is the only way to desensitise yourself to the effect that panichas over you at the moment. i have never been housebound but i still class myself as 100% agoraphobic becauseof how dependant i am, which is a crucial feature of agoraphobia.
every agoraphobia sufferer on this site KNOWS what is the matter with them, you all know that at one time you lived differently to how you are now, but you just have to get on with living so sometimes you ignore the fact that, you feel intense anxiety in 'normal' situations,shrug it off and just make the most out of what youve got??? this is how i feel about agoraphobia. the thing is that we are not alone, nopanic reckons there are up to 4(or is it 5?) million people with agoraphobia, ranging from housbound to the people who to the outside world seem to live anormal life,butfor whom there is no spontonaity,i think support of people who understand is crucial to recovery, there isnothing like feeling understood, we all need that ithink?:hugs:
eeyorelover
29-10-07, 13:38
I wasn't sure whether I should post a reply cuz I still have my battles with agoraphobia but I am able now to get out and about more than I used to.
I was completely housebound for almost 4 years and couldn't even go to the mailbox without feeling all the nasty can't breathe, dizzy feeling, panic symptoms!!
Because I am now able to go out does that mean I am not agoraphobic anymore?
No I don't believe so.
If the definition of agoraphobia is fear of certain settings that may present unexpected challenges or demands then heck I'm more agoraphobic than when I was in my 'safe place' at home!!! I don't use avoidance as much as I used to but still it's a battle some days to function.
I think that it would be easier for me to say - I'm over it cuz I can go and do what I need to but just because I MAKE it there and back doesn't mean that I don't still have the anxiety symptoms associated with agoraphobia!!
I'll bet the person who told you that Trac has never stuggled with agoraphobia!!!
It's so easy for people to label others when they haven't had to walk a mile in their shoes!!!
I just wish those people would realize that it isn't walking the mile that we have the most trouble with!!
It's WHAT WILL HAPPEN while we're getting there that is the scarest part of it for us!!!
:winks:
xxx
Sandy
Mirry, thanks for your thoughts xx
Emmas, I agree that the way to recover is to make yourself panic until you cant panic anymore, but when the panic really does scare you for some it isnt that easy xx
Sandy, of course you should have replied matey, your input is valued:) I think we will always have agoraphobic tendencies even when we are recovered. I love the way you said 'Its what will happen once we get there thats the scariest part of all' that is sooooo true, not only is it hard to leave the house its also hard to stay at our destination once we arrive at it.
Bloody Agoraphobia :mad:
Love
Trac xxxx
purplehaze
29-10-07, 19:23
I think to define agoraphobia as someone who never leaves the house is not to have a true understanding of what agoraphobia is. I cna leave the house but I have my comfort zones I.E. places and distences that I feel comfortable in and going. Yet I dont think that someone is just agoraphobic because I also believe there is some other areas of their emotional health that is (for want of a better word) out of tune... I am stuck with both...I cant go out but I hate being in alone...yea can be kind of difficult but for me its all about small steps towards better health.
hope this made sense
I went through a stage where I considered myself to be agoraphobic but not directly because of fear of panic but because of intrusive thoughts and feeling trapped in shops.
If a black car passed me as I was about to cross the road, I'd associate the car with "bad things" happening so I'd wait until a different car came by. If I walked through entrances or over cracks in the road and had an intrusive thought, I'd retrace my steps.
By the time I got to a shop I was in such an anxious state I just wanted to get home. In the end I gave up and stayed home or when I Really had to get out I'd drive.
The way I learnt to control these things were to confront those fears by walking across the road, not retracing steps etc and then I realised the thoughts were just thoughts.
I did also have panic attacks at work because I felt trapped but it was all because of too much for me to cope with both at home and at work.
I'm not convinced that the Only way to overcome panic is by experiencing all that a panic can do because we experience the panics because we've convinced ourselves that we'll have them before we get out the door. In that aspect, it's the way we think that creates them. These days I go out without even thinking of "what if" I have a panic because I taught myself to not be afraid of them and in doing so, I don't focus on panics before I go out and so they don't happen.
All I'm saying is there are many different causes and different ways to tackle panics but no one need always suffer from them.
Quiet-Lift
02-11-07, 00:12
Hi Bill...
I do agree about the intrusive thoughts. I've recently found myself hesitating before venturing beyond my front door because my mind is flashing images and scripts of possible disasters like..."I'll lose control of myself" or "I'll make a fool of myself" or "I'll get disoriented and walk into traffic"...and a dozen other potential disasters along those lines....
I still haven't managed to overcome these feelings of vulnerability which is frustrating but I do agree that it's best not to think about the possibility of panic too much and see how far you can go.
All the best
Hi Allan,
Yes, I can understand how you feel. It took time before I went out without fearing experiencing intrusive thoughts and no, they've never actually completely gone. They still crop up but these days I ignore them and just carry on.
These days my thoughts before I go out are on what I need to get, where I've got to go etc. I find writing a list of what I need to get and focussing on my route etc helps to stop the thoughts. It's when I'm out and I haven't got enough to think about that my mind starts thinking intrusive thoughts but like I say, these days I just accept them as a bored mind so ignore them!
Before you go out, try training your mind on what you're going out for and the route etc. Keep your mind occupied on what you want to do and when you get intrusive thoughts try not to focus on them. With practise I'm sure you'll find things will get easier in time. I do understand how you feel though so I know it's easy to say but much harder to do!
Take care.
louwilliams
02-11-07, 01:26
hi hun,
Well I cant go out alone, I have to be with someone I trust and feel safe with but if all else fails and i desperately have to go to the shop (1min walk) i will take one of my children with me but i am constantly aware of whos watching me and how quick i can get back. also, car journeys kill me-i can get in the car (as a passenget) get out of the drive and then unlock my seatbelt and get out even before we get onto a road. sometimes its controllable if the journey isnt planned (i.e come on lets go to tesco) but if i know i've got to go an hour in advance then i get manic and refuse to leave. i constantly no show at the doctors or other appointments as i feel at the time of booking i will be ok but when it comes to the time i bottle it. i'm having cbt and am on my 4th visit now in 4 weeks but feel i am not getting anywhere as i feel i am being forced to do things in one go instead of being gradually introduced slowly and at a pace i feel comfortable with
lou xxx
I think that agoraphobia covers a wide range of situations. Just because you are not completely housebound doesn't mean you are not agoraphobic. If going out anywhere causes you anxiety then thats it. I told my my doctor i could go out but not on my own and he diagnosed me with agoraphobia.
I have been like this for six months and haven,t been able to go to work in that time. I have just started to go out on my own again which feels like a massive achievment but i do worry that if someone from work were to see me they would think there was nothing wrong with me. People don't realise the huge effort it takes and the anxiety it causes us because it's not visible to them. Don't feel like a fraud we know how we feel and thats all that matters.
Traceyxxx
I indentify with this thread very strongly - it's most interesting to continue reading it!!
I have to sit outside a shop today for a bit cos youngest piglet has an interview and I am not particularly looking forward to it -a few of you may get texts around 4.30 ish lol!!!
I am so sick of it though that I expect I will be doing my 'so sodding what' self talk - sometimes I think its actual boredom that gets me out of the house eventually!!!
If I do the whole practice thing of going up to the top of my road on my own, it all feels so silly and contrived and immediatley reminds me of why I am doing it in the first place - and that then puts panic back on the thought agenda.
I seem to do much better when there is a real reason to go out as it shifts the focus off in a different direction and I stop trying to prove a point. Life shouldn't be us trying to prove anything at all when we could simply just try and enjoy the journey!! After all what do they say 'its not the destination that matters it's the journey'.
Keep going dudes!!
Piglet :flowers:
I see what your saying Piglet :yesyes: .
Thanks for all the comments on this thread, and like Piglet said it really is making interesting reading, seeing others thoughts and also being able to read to what extent others suffer with the agoraphobia.
Lou, I am the same as you will make a doctors appointment only to cancel it on the actual day im meant to go, it definatley is the build up that stops me from going out.
Tracey. well done for being able to go out alone now, that is a fantastic achievement :yesyes:
Piglet, good luck to youngest piglet today for her interview. I totally know what you mean when you said about sometimes its boredom that gets you out the house, I just wish I could do it everyday, before my agoraphobia hit, I was always out and about, I hated being indoors isnt it wierd how something can just totally change our lives, something that is all in our heads, its true what they say the mind is a very powerful thing.
Thanks again for all your thought and carry on posting :yesyes:
Love
Trac xxx
Quiet-Lift
02-11-07, 23:27
Hi Bill
Many thanks for your comments. I might just give some of your advice a try. It seems sensible and useful to write out a list and to focus on it.
The biggest problem I have is crowds. I live in a busy London borough and the local high street is always full of shoppers and other pedestrians. Just avoiding others can use up a large part of my energy.
I think gradual exposure is the answer and a willingness to ignore intrusive thoughts. It all takes time of course.
Your understanding is most appreciated.
All the best
As a health anxiety sufferer I can only imagine what people with agoraphobia go through on a daily basis. I have no problems about going out but I do really panic when I do go out and people tell me about an illness somebody has and straight away I'm asking what their symptoms are. It just goes to show we are all the same but have different triggers in our lives that set us off. We all deserve a big hug and a pat on the back for our courage everyday :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: xxxxx
Hi Trac,
I would say that to suffer from agoraphobia you do not have to be housebound 24/7. A great many people can go a short distance alone, or a bit further with a safe person.
Maybe you are confused because your agoraphobic tendencies come and go in phases. I was pretty restricted for quite a while earlier in the year and the Bosham meet would not have been possible had I travelled on my own. But recently I have been going up to London a fair bit (an hour away) without much of a reaction. I have been to Cambridge and York more recently and these have been far more difficult.
However, my therapist says I have never had agoraphobia, even when I could not get further than 2 miles into town. He says it is pure anxiety and guess he would say the same of you.
I bet you could ask another professional and they would come up with a different answer.
Don't try and focus too much on the tag that is given. Tell friends you have anxiety and agoraphobia and that should cover it! You could also say it fluctuates too.
Just keep focussing on getting better - you know you can crack it!
:hugs:
Labelling a phobia is labelling a symptom created by underlying fears or a trauma which are all anxiety related so whatever it is that we’re afraid of, I’d just call it “severe anxiety” as it covers all of them.:shrug:
If a person feels the need to come on this site then I think they are agoraphobic or have tendencies. It is completely debilitating and when your own family question how genuine you are, well that's just a huge kick when your down. My "lovely" aunt gave me such a pearl of wisdom: "you just have to get on with things. We all have problems but we all get on with our lives." I cannot tell you how much I wanted to punch her right there and then. I can go to work but I don't work where I want to, I work where I have to. I can go certain places but only if they are not busy with people or traffic and not too far from home. And I always need to know that I can escape. People can be so stupid, of course we are not all going to suffer the exact same way :emot-rolleyes:
Quiet-Lift
06-11-07, 01:50
Eva, I think it's remarkable that you can go to work. A big positive on your side, despite the restrictions.
I do agree about some of the thoughtless comments that relatives can make.
Some pearls of wisdom are more like well-bitten bullets. They have no useful value as advice and bring no comfort or reassurance.
I get on with my life, as you do. The problem is that we would like more personal freedom and a sense of having the right to be wherever we want to be.
All the best
Thanks again everyone for all the replies, its good to see everyone elses opinions on the subject.
I dont think anyone who has never suffered with being agoraphobic can actually understand how hard it does affect us and our everyday lives.
Keep posting everyone its making great reading and will probably help others to understand it
Love
Trac xxxx
I can relate to agoraphobia. I thought it was just claustrophobia but having read up on it my symptoms relate to agoraphobia.
I'm really struggling at the moment. Like some others here I work but only because my hubby takes me to work and collects me - I cannot use public transport. I love my job and have great colleagues but I work on the 2nd floor. I can't use lifts and after the first floor I panic, it's even worse if anyone is on the stairs. I thought about it this morning and realise it's because from higher up I cannot see the exit so feel trapped. I don't feel too bad at my desk now but walking down to the ladies (about 75 steps) makes me anxious sometimes.
This week I've had panic attacks in the early mornings and felt unable to get out. This morning was even worse. Managed to get in the car and hubby started driving off but I just felt so panicky he turned round and here I am at home - I'd taken a diazepam before I left but I guess that hadn't kicked in by then. I worked from home yesterday so that was okay but have called in sick today.
I can go out as long as I'm with my hubby or with someone else I know well (my family live 2 hours drive from here and I've no close friends). We went shopping yesterday and I was okay as long as he was there - I popped to the ladies by myself and felt a moment of panic but thankfully it passed. I have trouble walking down to the corner shop (178 steps) but can manage to walk to the end of the next house (terraced houses).
I've never been scared enough not to go to work - and it's terrifying me now how I've been these last few days. The only change to work next week is new software and I'm having training at my desk next Thursday (rather than away from the office) but that shouldn't be worrying me, or is it?
The GP gave me a phone number last week of our local psychological treatment centre and I phoned this morning. I'm waiting for a call back but am not sure how long that will take. It's for talking therapy (CBT).
I so desperately want to go to work as I enjoy what I do but it's physically getting there and getting up those stairs.
Hi Valerie,
Don't let this take you over, thats the mistake I made, I got tired of fighting all the symptoms and wow how quickly it took me over and I have ended up stuck indoors now, (hopefully not for much longer though).
I think it does come to test us in all ways, and if we stick it out and fight it then it will give up and leave us alone, all the time it knows it can control us then it will.
Let us know how you get on
Love
Trac xxx
Valerie I totally understand about the stairs cos I don't like lifts either but nor do I like getting out of breath going up the stairs. However I find if I take the stairs nice and slow and think how I manage whizzing up and down my stairs at home a million times a day (and this is just the same) then that helps.
It's not really about seeing the entrance for me (although again I do relate to that) it's more the getting out of breath thing for me - I do get better the more I do it though.
I'm agoraphobic and have been managing to challange it somewhat this year with allsorts of things I couldn't manage last year and even today I have a had another step forward by going to lunch at friends house and having a lovely time (I didn't go without anxiety but I was prepared to work with it).
I tell you what seems to be aiding me in my confidence to 'have a go' and that's my Paul Mckenna book and CD 'Change your life in 7 days'!!!
Love Piglet :flowers:
Hi everyone,
I consider myself to be agoraphobic and my counsellor a few years ago also said I was agoraphobic. I do not see my home as a safety zone as I also get panic attacks when I am at home, but I get myself worked up into a complete state if I know I have to be somewhere at a certain time, like the Doctors or an appointment somewhere. I can leave the house by myself but I can't use public transport and I can't go shopping by myself. I am really panicky in queues, waiting rooms and on public transport. I'm pretty sure it's more about feeling trapped than a fear of open spaces. I also have problems doing my AVON round because I feel trapped when people invite me into their houses and start talking to me. Maybe I have an element of social phobia? I have also had panic attacks when someone has visited me in my own home, and I get really nervous about anyone visiting me.
To be honest, I don't think it matters what name we give our fears. It is ANXIETY, and it's the impact it has on our lives that matters.
Love and hugs from shoegal xxx
honeybee3939
07-11-07, 18:51
Hi Valerie
The thing that helped me most after suffering Agorophobia for many years was to tell myself that nothing awful would happen( although i know its hard at times) when i was suffering with Agorophobia i used to take the easy option and retreat to my safe place, it took me many years to learn to let the feelings pass, that way i learnt that nothing bad would happen e.g i wouldnt faint or have a heart attack:ohmy: I often get those feelings now, but i just tell the feelings to sod off and they usaully do:yesyes: .
It does get easier my friend i promsie you that, just dont give into that awful demon, i wasted far too many years of my life letting that demon control me:ohmy: .
Love
:hugs:
Andrea
xxxxx
I am so happy that I have found this thread. Everything that you have all said is just like what i'm going through. I can only leave the house with someone. My boyfriend has to take me places. When I do go somewhere it's usually a relatives house. I can't go anywhere else or I get paniky. The town centre is a definate no. I can't go grocery shopping either.
I used to be such an outgoing person, hardly spent anytime at home & now I'm the complete opposite. I hate feeling like this & I wish it would go away.
I think every single one of your are brave for dealing with things like this. I don't know anyone else who suffer's apart from internet friends so it's hard for people I know to understand.
I wish one day I could be the way I used to be.
MissChampers
21-11-07, 11:15
I haven't got full blown agrophobia where I'm housebound but things like standing in queues, going the the hairdressers/dentist and docs causes me great anxiety. I can walk into town on my own, walk the dog and drive locally but if i'm in any situation where I feel trapped like sitting in a restaurant just having a coffee with a friend I can feel the panicky feelings coming on. I had to give up work too because sitting in an office full of people put me in anxious mode all day and I couldn't concentrate on my job. I know I should maybe go to the doctors and tell him all of this but even the thought of sitting down in front of him brings me out in a sweat! Some days I can go shopping on my own to the supermarket but I feel awful and I dread seeing anyone I know in case they come over chatting because then I have to try and act normal which will make me panic even more. :weep:
This Thread Is Me To A T.....all What You Have Said Is What Im Going Through.
Sometimes I Do Wonder If A Lot Of It Is Because I Have Got Out Of The Habit Of Doing Things, Because When Im Forced Into Places I Dont Really Panic.
My Doctor Has Told Me To Go To The Scariest Places And I Have And It Does Help, But Some Days As We All Know Its About 'the Frame Of Mind', The More Aggressive I Get With The Anxiety The Better, Does Anyone Else Feel The Same.
Like Others Have Written I Too Was So Confident Before All This, Can We Ever Get Back Too That Stage, Id Love To Know If Anyone Has Any Tips.
If any of you want to join in our agoraphobia diary thread then please feel free to do so, we post daily about out achievements and give one another encouragement, the link is below
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=24387
Love
Trac xxxx
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