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  1. #11
    Any advice for a young girl who suffers from severe agoraphobia & severe panic/anxiety disorder? I'm 17 & it has been a year.

  2. #12
    I would just like to say that you should not be scared! As easy as it is to say it but doing it can be easy too. (depending on the type of treatment, if any) I've had panic and anxiety for about 7 years now and have been diagnosed clinically for 2 years. I would say that about 3 the last years I had agoraphobia as well as the anxiety. I was diagnosed with panic disorder and agoraphobia (mid 2011). I have been on medication (SSRIs) and had done CBT for a year and half since I was diagnosed and about a month or two into the meds the panic as well as the agoraphobia finally started subsiding to the point where they are now non-existent. I mean, I still have those thoughts that I'm going to get "that feeling" because I'm alone in public or because I'm doing something for the first time - but that is where the cbt comes in and I have learned from it how to control my thoughts and to remember that we as people with panic and anxiety disorders tend to over-think, think catastrophically and just over all let our brain take control of our body.
    I could sit here and talk a lot more about this, but I figured that these posts sometimes get very long. So if you or anyone else would like to talk to me about anything or ask questions - feel free to message me. I hope you find some sort of answer that will help you with this debilitating, god-awful feeling

  3. #13
    I suffered from mild anxiety my whole life... mostly as a teenager. I'm 27 now, 3 years ago went on holiday to the USA for 3 months, had a great time, had a job as a street fundraiser, no anxiety in sight! After being home 3 months I was hit with the worst case of anxiety ever, I actually left the house about 3 times in the space of a year, a WHOLE YEAR! Worst year of my life, I saw no end to it. I started off slowly, forcing myself to go to the supermarket once a week, with my partner, never on my own, and built on it from there. I'm still not "normal" , I don't leave the house that often, I avoid it, can easily go 2 weeks before i realise I haven't went outside, but I am living my life. I have a work at home job now, not great for getting back to real life, but I did manage to go to an external interview and a day of training for it, panic free. Though I know I'm not ready to have a proper in office job, too much social pressure, but I'll get there! But I can now do so many things I thought were gone forever, going to the in laws for dinner, birthday parties, I even organised a hen do, I done bridesmaid at a wedding this year...... a great amount of stress comes with everything I do, but it's not always doom and gloom, it's just a long path, and the easiest thing to do is accept that right now, that's who you are, and be fine with it, then the rest will come! Baby steps for everthing, always baby steps! And never think you are going backwards and you wont!

  4. #14
    Banned
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    May 2012
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    164
    Quote Originally Posted by younganxdisorder_
    Any advice for a young girl who suffers from severe agoraphobia & severe panic/anxiety disorder? I'm 17 & it has been a year.
    Yes - u can't let it consume you. Take steps everyday to fight it. Take a walk, or go to a store close by. Eventually it gets easier and you can get a grip on it. I am doing so much better, I still have bad days sometimes but I know they won't kill me and I push through it. My best advice is to get help! See a therapist, get a small script of a benzo for emergencies. I always carry a Xanax pill in my pocket but never need it. It's just in case. Now I can go to school, drive 4 hours to visit my parents. I've even gone back to work. Life is almost normal again after a very scary 6 months. Just the memory of what I went through can flare it up but I refuse to let myself get that bad again (extremely agoraphobic)
    Last edited by hopeNfaith88; 10-15-2012 at 11:54 PM.

  5. #15
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    May 2012
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    164
    Quote Originally Posted by anxiousaimee
    I suffered from mild anxiety my whole life... mostly as a teenager. I'm 27 now, 3 years ago went on holiday to the USA for 3 months, had a great time, had a job as a street fundraiser, no anxiety in sight! After being home 3 months I was hit with the worst case of anxiety ever, I actually left the house about 3 times in the space of a year, a WHOLE YEAR! Worst year of my life, I saw no end to it. I started off slowly, forcing myself to go to the supermarket once a week, with my partner, never on my own, and built on it from there. I'm still not "normal" , I don't leave the house that often, I avoid it, can easily go 2 weeks before i realise I haven't went outside, but I am living my life. I have a work at home job now, not great for getting back to real life, but I did manage to go to an external interview and a day of training for it, panic free. Though I know I'm not ready to have a proper in office job, too much social pressure, but I'll get there! But I can now do so many things I thought were gone forever, going to the in laws for dinner, birthday parties, I even organised a hen do, I done bridesmaid at a wedding this year...... a great amount of stress comes with everything I do, but it's not always doom and gloom, it's just a long path, and the easiest thing to do is accept that right now, that's who you are, and be fine with it, then the rest will come! Baby steps for everthing, always baby steps! And never think you are going backwards and you wont!
    I'm glad you are doing better. You aren't done, u will continue to improve! I went back to work at my customer service job. I was terrified but it went well.

  6. #16
    Junior Member
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    Jan 2012
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    1
    I am not fully cured but I am getting there! I've had panic disorder for 6 years and agoraphobia came about last year although I think I really was agoraphobic for much longer, I just didn't let myself realise. I was fine going out with my husband, but terrified about going anywhere alone which meant I couldn't work.
    After a few walks to a local park with my husband, I knew it like the back if my hand and one day I simply decided that I was sick of agoraphobia and I walked there on my own. I say on a bench when I was there. I made sure not to text him because I figured that would defeat the purpose of the exercise a bit. I brought some rosehips berries back to prove to myself that I'd done it, and I took photos I didn't have one panic attack while I was out there! And I went out again 2 days after. Again, no panic attack.

    I spent a while not going out because I wasn't really pushing myself enough and I was in a fragile mindset, but I got back up again after rest and went out again. When I came across people, my irrational fear was that they would attack me, so I turned in the opposite direction when I saw an old man in the distance, lol! But then on my way back I had to pass another old man in a long coat with black gloves on and a hand in his pocket, and for some reason that really terrified me, but I walked past within a metre of him and he didn't attack me! Yay! Lol. It just goes to show that fear really does override the rational part of your mind, and sometimes it's good to think, "Am I being silly here? What are the chances of anything bad happening?" And carrying on.

    I can now go to that park on my own without fear at all. And I am actually enthusiastic about making progress elsewhere now too instead of fearing it all! I figure once I get on the bus a few times on my own, I could get a job.

    So, I haven't completely overcome agoraphobia, but hopefully my story gives you some hope.

  7. #17
    I suffered a really bad panic attack last October. I was on my way to work when it hit, there was nobody around and naturally I freaked out. I managed to get a hold of someone to come pick me up. I took a couple of days off work. When I decided to go back I got as far as the front porch and I had another panic attack. I didn't leave the house then for over 2 months unless there was someone with me the whole time. Christmas week I said to myself enough is enough. I started going for short 5 minute walks around my street. Gradually extending the time I spent out every day. This week I finally built up the courage to walk downtown on my own. Spent over an hour walking around the town alone. It felt great, like I won a huge battle. I work in a local pub and I start back next weekend after nearly 4 months out. I'll only be doing a couple of hours in the afternoon, just to settle back in and hopefully I can get back to some normality soon. Thankfully everyone at work has been very understanding and helpful which has gone a long way to helping me too. I know I haven't suffered to the extent of some other people here but for me it's a huge victory. I was in a bad place for a couple of months and seen no way out and I'm not going to pretend it was easy because it takes a lot of work to get out of that frame of mind but it can be done. I hope that everyone who has and is experiencing this has a breakthrough.

  8. #18
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
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    110
    That's an inspiring story. I know I used to like to go shopping alone but since October when I got sick my anxiety flares up bec of work stress. I felt a little better in 2 mos but now I am having panic attack again.

    Do you get dizzy with your anxiety. That is my main prob going out bec I get dizzy when I panic and I freak out

  9. #19
    Member
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    Jan 2013
    Location
    Orlando fl
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    Its nice to hear these inspiring stories. I think i am borderline agoraphobic, it started last year when I began having horrible panic attacks over the fear of dropping dead. I guess my main fear about going out on my own is that something will happen and my family wont be there with me or maybe no one will be there to help. I still go out on my own sometimes when I really have to but it is always a battle...im only 26 years old and i feel like my life is ending before it ever started.

  10. #20
    Junior Member
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    Apr 2012
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    United States
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    Hey there. I have some encouraging news for you. I myself was agoraphobic. Sometimes the urge to not leave my house is there, but let me tell you I fight like hell to keep it at bay. When it first happened, it was really bad. I could hardly even leave the room I was in. I just laid on my couch and cried non stop and hardly ate. I felt so horrible. I felt paralyzed with fear to leave my house and I missed a few weeks of school because of it. (I was in high school at the time). I think the biggest motivator for me to push through it, was that I realized I was turning into someone who wasn't me. The Jessica I knew was fun, outgoing, loved exploring and doing new things, not THIS. I felt bad for myself for a few weeks but then I realized I wanted to be myself again. I wanted to be the fun loving person I knew and would be damned if I let this control me. I had to start by going back to school cuz it was my senior year and I did not want to miss graduating because of missing days. What I ended up doing was waking up like 2 hrs earlier than usual and pep talking myself. I told myself I can do this and that I am stronger than this. I took it one step at a time. My pre school ritual consisted of getting up and doing the usual getting changed and brushing teeth. That extra time I allotted to myself was forcing myself to stand outside on the front porch. Once I realized I was ok, I managed to sit in the car. After a few minutes I started to drive. When I got to school I sat for about 15 minutes in the parking lot. Then I got out and stood by the car and breathed in the fresh air. Fresh air helps!!!! Eventually i managed to sit through one period, than another, than another. With therapy and practice, I found myself going to school again and graduating. I was still afraid of going new places I haven't been, so I would have panic attacks if I went into a new town or city. Travelling is still SUPER hard because the unfamiliarity of places really makes me anxious for the safety of my house! However, I kind of force myself to suck it up, and if I have an attack, I have an attack. Over time I've learned to accept the attacks and just push through them. You have a warrior spirit within you! Bring it out!

 

 

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