Home Anxiety

[rizz83]

Hi All,

Im not sure if this is the correct forum but I'm actually here to post on behalf of my wife who is suffering from anxiety since 2012.

My wife would always have anxiety and panic attack whenever she is at home and now she doesn't feel that home is the safest place for her. She prefer to be out from home till early morning or go travelling as she won't have any anxiety and panic attack while doing so.

So what can I do to make her feel safe at home? Is there anyone here that had encounter the same issue and manage to overcome it? And what can I do to help her when she is having anxiety or panic attack at home?

It would be really helpful if someone here can share their experience or advise me.

Thanks in advance

[fixmybrokenmind]

Hey Rizz have you asked her why she does not feel comfortable at home? Any traumatic experiences in the past?

When I have bad anxiety all I want to do is just go home

[BrilliantSide]

Yeah, I think that fixmybrokenmind has some good advice. I would explore WHY she feels uncomfortable at home. A great way to do this is through a counselor, but she could also do it herself through self introspection and journalling.

Is she uncomfortable in every room of the house? or just some rooms?

Is she uncomfortable when she is alone in the house or with people?

Narrowing down exactly WHAT brings her anxiety would be a good way to find out how to begin to manage it.

[Teafrenzy]

She needs exposure therapy.

Have her pick a room in your house she feels most comfortable in. Than have her stay by herself there every day for 15-20 minutes. Then as she gets more comfortable, expand to 25-30 minutes, then go 40-45. Stay at 40-45 for as long as she likes. I read that 45 minutes is optimal when doing exposure therapy. After a few months of doing it, her subconscious will probably calm down and her anxiety symptoms will fade.

[BrilliantSide]

Teafrenzy had a pretty good idea. I would also add that perhaps she could practice a mindfulness meditation while being in whichever room she chooses. Just being aware of her thoughts and emotions without judging them. I bet that could be an enlightening experience.

[rizz83]

Hi All,

Thanks for your reply and advise.

I guess its the whole house that triggered her anxiety not only any particular room. Even the though of coming back home will trigger her anxiety. I'm not sure if it is because of her responsibility as a wife and a mother when back home that trigger her anxiety and she is blaming me for it. Blaming me for not being there with her when she need me and that I didn't show her enough attention while I believe that I have being doing so all this while although not all the times due to work commitment.

But it could also be due to her childhood as she doesn't have a proper home to stay in as her parents divorce when she was much younger and she may had seen them quarreling at that moment which stress her up whenever she was at home. She doesn't have any love given by her parents and had to stayed with her grandma who pass away few yrs later in her arm at home which she still could remember till now as if it just happened yesterday. She started working at a very young age and sometime even sleep at her workplace or parks.

But the anxiety doesn't come till she is 30 yrs old.