Would love to hear some agoraphobia success!

[hopeNfaith88]

Ive alwys had anxiety, but only within the last couple months did it somehow escalate to debilitating levels. Ive become incredibly agoraphobic.

What makes me feel hopeless and scared is that EVERY agoraphobic's story i have read online says they suffered for YEARS before overcoming it. That makes me so depressed. I dont want my life to be put on hold for that long. Going two months like this is hard but seeing people who suffered 20+ years blows my mind because thats how old i am and id kill myself after that long!!

Id like to hear some positive stories of people who overcame this after a few months. Hopefullythey exist...

[brittany09]

I just went through literally the exact same thing you are going through and am doing better so I have advice to give you. I've had GAD for about 2 years...since I was 19. It is usually manageable,but 3 months ago it was just out of nowhere(seemingly)I had a terrible panic attack and was afraid to leave the house for a while. Everything looked different outside. Too bright,too scary. I thought I was going insane until I looked how I was feeling up and realized there is a name for it. I really didn't know about agoraphobia,despite having anxiety. I mostly stayed in my house for a couple months. Had my boyfriend go out and get things I needed. I was anxious even being at home,but going out seemed SO impossible. I also had depression symptoms which was new to me. There were days I wanted to be alone,then there were others I couldn't stand being alone. So I started out getting a little better by getting dropped off at my parent's house and staying there while my boyfriend worked. I wasn't able to drive. I spent time doing housework for them,and doing things outside. Laying in the sun was relaxing. After that I decided to start going in small stores and gas stations. Then I started driving more and going for walks by my apartment. None of this stuff was comfortable for me to do at first. It got more comfortable each time. I was getting bored sitting at home and was starting to actually want to do things. So last weekend I drove to the next town over with my boyfriend(10 mins away)to shop and get ice cream. I wasn't comfortable but made it through. Then I went to Wal-Mart to pick up things for the apartment. Now I'm able to go in any store. Still not fully comfortable,sometimes I'm walking so fast trying to get my stuff done that I'm almost running and having to fight the urge to push people out of my way lol. I suggest you bring a trusted relative or friend with for at least the first few times you go out. Somebody that understands what anxiety is,and how to help you if you start to not feel good. I also made an appointment to go to the doctor and made it through that. I didn't want to go in,but my doctor wouldn't prescribe me more than 10 Ativans over the phone since she hadn't seen me for anxiety in almost 2 years,when I first started getting it. I was handling it without medicine up until this point but decided I really want to have medication on hand. I haven't even had to take it yet,just even having it puts my mind at ease. I was pretty jittery at first,in the waiting room and in the doctor's room. My doc suggested I get a blood test done to see if my thyroid is bad and I was thinking NO! Lol I want out of here!! But I said yes and did fine. Pushing yourself always helps. It's really not as bad once your doing actually these things. It's the anticipation that kills. I had to force myself to go out the first few times and it got easier after that. Don't wait until you feel "comfortable" enough to do it. Even if your feeling shitty just leave the house and do something. Start small. Sit outside,do yard work,go for short walks. Then try driving. Then try going in small stores,like dollar stores. Keep a benzo on you. What's the worst that could happen? You have to walk out of somewhere,and go straight home? When you accomplish little things you will feel more confident,and be able to move on to "bigger" things. Keeping yourself busy helps SO much. If your doing enough things,you don't really even have the time to be anxious. PM me if you have any questions. Hope I helped

[joeybaby]

Hi id like to share my anxiaty issues with u if u have the time.

[xLorrainex]

It took me about two years to overcome it, but I was very young at the time and had a hard time understanding what the feeling was and why I had it. When I began to improve it was though thinking positively, and convincing myself I was worrying and panicking over nothing and it was pretty hard, but as soon as I took the first steps, I continually made progress. Like Brittany said, if you keep yourself busy and don't allow your thoughts to wander to your worries, if also helps a lot. If you very much are scared to leave home, take small but sure steps- maybe if you have a shop down the road, convince yourself that the shop is within your comfort boundary, or push the boundary slightly. Once you start widening your boundary of feeling comfortable you're definitely on the road to overcoming agoraphobia. But it will get better.

[DrSusanHickman]

Hi Brittany09. I loved reading your post and it is such a perfect example of "systematic desensitization." That's a mouthful of a label just to say that you exposed yourself bit by bit to the very thing that you feared. We have an amazing brain that is great at taking shortcuts to free up processing power (think of how we quickly categorize things so as not to have to think about them...with one glance, we know if that animal was a rabbit, cat or skunk), but this can work against us, too. For example, whatever we go out of our way to avoid, the brain will tag as dangerous. So, one way to change this assigned category is to engage in the feared activity a little bit at a time. And, yes! It will be so uncomfortable at first, but with repetition it gets easier. The anticipation is, as you say, often the worst problem, so directing your thoughts is super important. Great post.

[DrSusanHickman]

Hi xLorrainex. It is very encouraging to read posts like this...it helps me to know that my work with patients is on the right track. I am referring many of them to this forum. I also direct a clinic for people with eating disorders and we have clients coming to the clinic who have to fight agoraphobia to get there. Our program is 12 weeks, and the success of these women during this time in overcoming the agoraphobia is amazing. They generally contribute their success to simply having to leave the house at least twice a week to attend our program and to be in the groups. The other group members serve as an accountability factor, as they know that other group members will miss them if they don't attend, so I have to think this is helpful, too. Thanks for sharing your success and your courage. There really is hope!

[Damavandi]

Hello:

This is a 100% success story. You will be cured very quickly.

For forty years I had panic attacks + what you call agoraphobia.
Accidentaly, I found out that I am deficient on Vitamin D3.
By going to an endocrinologist, started correcting the deficiency.
The first injection of 300,000 IU, after 3 days, started to work. by the fourth injection,
I was completely cured. You do not have to do anything special, just observe your
improvement on daily basis. Your brain will start working normally--something that you
probably have forgotten by now !

I am 100% sure that you are low on vitamin D3. Please arrange for having a vitamin d3 (25-OH)
blood test done at a very good lab. Please make sure that the test is 25-OH. The other tests are not just good.
Please keep me posted.

Best wishes,
Ali

[Damavandi]

Hi:

This is something that all the doctors say" Check your thyroids by blood test".
Very few of them tell you to check your vitamin d3 level. My dear, you are low on vitamin d3.
If you correct the deficiency, the cure will be instant. It took me forty years to find out about this fact.

Best wishes
Ali

[Damavandi]

Hi:

My advice to you is to arrange for Vitamin d3 blood test.
If it is low, by correcting the deficiency, you will be cured.

Best wishes, Ali

[Justin S.]

I haven't had agoraphobia issues constantly but do suffer from time to time when things get bad. There is hope that it won't last forever. Just step back and look at all the things toucan get out and do before you start to feel anxious. Some days will always be worse than others. Your not alone though. Over come the feeling and tell yourself tht you are done!