wow this is my type of anxiety!

[AnxietyAmbz]

Its stupid that recently i have been reading books and seeking advice as i develop anxiety leaving so far from the house. It started as a fear of going to doctors after bad experiences and got worse to going anywhere....but nobody has summed it into this type if anxiety. Im hoping now i know this and im in the right place i can hopefully overcome this.
Any positive stories or advice or similar stories welcome. Xx

[Cuchculan]

Everything has to start somewhere. You began with a fear of going to the doctors. Can we assume that you didn't like the thought that anything might be wrong with you? As in the doctors we always associate with illness. Or was it just that the doctor's office was always crowded and you didn't like the waiting around? Somewhere in there it would appear that your anxiety began. It is a big jump from not wanting to go to the doctors to not wanting to leave your house. That is why I am wondering if you felt anxious waiting to see the doctor. Around other people. The fact that there were others also waiting to see the doctor. It could have been a social anxiety sort of thing to begin with. Just a few questions you can answer. So the next reader can give you a better answer. What are you like around other people in general? Do you mind having company. Or is it a case of you can't wait to get rid of them quick enough? Just so we can build a picture of what forced you to not want to leave the house. It seems like it began as one type of anxiety, but over time, it changed to a worse type of anxiety. Just from reading your few words. But there is always help out there. No matter how bad things may seem, there is always a road back. To catch it early and get help early would be great for you. This is coming from a person who spent a decade indoors. Trust me you don't want to go down that road. Not sure if you have access to a therapist at all? To help you sort out your fears and the reasons for them. Most of the time everything is linked. Like a chain reaction. You have a mood come on. A thought hits your mind about why you are in that mood. You react to that thought. How you react brings about your symptoms. So to alter the thought or the reaction would mean the rest would fall into place for you. All about learning. It can all take time. Just have to believe in yourself. I am sure the more we learn about your condition the more answers you will get.

[Enduronman]

hate anxiety..it bothers me.

[alankay]

Common with anxiety. You/we have a comfort zone of sorts and anxiety can make you worry about and get anxious about leaving it. You have to though, right?? Indeed, anxiety shall we say........sucks. Alankay

[Lord Jazzinho]

Common with anxiety. You/we have a comfort zone of sorts and anxiety can make you worry about and get anxious about leaving it. You have to though, right?? Indeed, anxiety shall we say........sucks. Alankay

If I were you I would think of it like this (and I was you and did lol) The problem is anxiety the symptom is being housebound and this combination is a problem you have. Labels are entirely unhelpful from all points of view apart from getting financial relief

[Lord Jazzinho]

Sorry alankay that was a response to AnxietyAmbz post at the top:) I pcked the wrong quote lol

[ab123]

hate anxiety..it bothers me.

Did i just find you on the forum?!

[pharmacharak]

Hello,
I guess this is not just about you my friend many of people are having trouble to visit doctors. And yes it also one kind of anxiety you can say...

[Kixxi]

Hello,
I guess this is not just about you my friend many of people are having trouble to visit doctors. And yes it also one kind of anxiety you can say...

I agree. I feared going to the doctor for one main reason, they did not take me seriously. The amount of times I heard: "It is all in your head", "Nothing is wrong with you", "You are wasting my time", I cannot tell you the amount of times but I can assure you I cannot count it on one hand. But rest assured, some doctors are brilliant and know how to help you and deal with anxiety. Sometimes it takes a few bad doctors until you find a good understanding one that has experience with anxiety disorders.

[Anacin]

yup yur in the right place this is the type of anxiety we have. i mean me too.

[anpene]

I recently wrote a great book by Dr. David Burns called Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, and even though it's primarly on depression I found it to be tremendously helpful for someone suffering from anxiety too. I'd encourage you to get acquainted with it ;)

[Kixxi]

Its stupid that recently i have been reading books and seeking advice as i develop anxiety leaving so far from the house. It started as a fear of going to doctors after bad experiences and got worse to going anywhere....but nobody has summed it into this type if anxiety. Im hoping now i know this and im in the right place i can hopefully overcome this.
Any positive stories or advice or similar stories welcome. Xx

I discovered something recently that made my agoraphobia make much more sense. Someone described it to me as a coping mechanism, a way for you to deal with your underlying fear. By not leaving the home, you are protecting yourself against that which makes you scared. My agoraphobia started getting better as I started to understand it. I still have it now, but going for CBT soon. And even though I still have agoraphobia. I can leave the house again and go into some stores by myself. I even have a trip planned to a thunder concert in February. This can be cured, it just need some brain reprogramming ;)

[overcomeanxietytoday]

Anxiety can make you housebound. Even walking down the street can be a nightmare.

You need to know what triggered your anxiety.

Mine I think was my intense shyness which progressed to mild GAD and then social anxiety where even stepping outside my home was a nightmare.

I have started treatment and once I stop typing, I am going for a walk down a long street as part of my exposure therapy.

There's an article here about how someone cured his anxiety using amino acids and magnesium. Another used Vitamin D

[LacaPapa90]

In my opinion, to battle with agoraphobia, you have to start with the little things. For me it was taking a walk nearby everyday for at least 30 minutes. You can choose the time when you think you'll meet less people, put in your earphones (however it seperates you from the "real world" in a way), and just walk. After a few weeks I felt much better when, for example I went to the cinema or a bar at night. So in my experience it opens new possibilities and I even felt some kind of (not anxiety-related) excitement to go out with friends. Unfortunately you can easily stop this routine, I haven't done it since Christmas unfortunately, but I'm going to restart it today.

overcomeanxietytoday: Magnesium really helps in a way, not that I don't feel anxiety, but maybe it's less intensive.

[cannajoy]

Agoraphobia is a very severe disorder. It needs to be treated in a reliable medical way.

[Abel101]

Try to fill your mind with positive thoughts.