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[Ambers]

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[JeffB]

Your operating room experience sounds absolutely horrifying! My Lord!

it certainly is understandable that you were quite shaken for a while after that. I'm not a psychiatrist I really don't know if you current fear of public places stems from that. My personal preference is to focus on treatments that look for solutions and not bother trying to figure out where the issue came from. Most the time we can never know and even a free can discover the cause that in itself does nothing to help.

To therapies that I suggest you look into are cognitive restructuring (I've also seen it called cognitive behavioral therapy) and the emotional freedom technique.

I hope you're feeling better soon. Lots of people have had the same type of fears you have and have gotten over them.

[samuel28]

Hi..
The worse thing an agoraphobic can do is to avoid places, and situations that make them uncomfortable/anxious or panicky. I know it's easier said then done, but you take small steps. Start off tiny, like for example... if it's the outdoors... you start by opening up the door, and standing there, using self talk, breathing techniques, whatever works for you until the anxiety eases and then close the door, if that doesn't work you do it for a shorter amount of time and close the door, the next day you try to go further etc.