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  #1  
Old Sep 02, 2017, 11:47 PM
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eclairparty98 eclairparty98 is offline
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Member Since: Aug 2017
Location: UK
Posts: 349
Hi all.

Since I was 14, I've been struggling with agoraphobia. When I was about 17, it wasn't so bad. I started going to school full time and began a friendship with someone I had a lot in common with up until last year when we finished our studies. So since then, about a year later, I've been alone and have only left the house for therapy, 2-3 visits to the vets with a relative or for a doctors appointment. There have been a few odd occasions where I've walked the dog, but it proved to be too much.

I'm having difficulty finding a reason to leave the house. Typically, for a lot of people, this might be going to work, grocery shopping, school or to meet up with friends. I haven't got any of these priorities at the moment - I'm currently looking for a job but so many require a drivers license (the jobs that won't make more miserable than I currently am).

What type of things do you guys do to get yourselves moving/out of the house?? I used to love hiking, I still do, but I feel so concerned about getting jumped by yobs. My mother and I have decided to start walking the dogs every day in the country side BUT this isn't exposing me to civilisation - it's like a different version of home, isolated with family members in an enclosed environment but surrounded by trees.

I really would appreciate any suggestions. I have only the support of my family and therapist. I'm working on this with my therapist but there's an inconvenient inconsistency between sessions. She's suggested going to the grocery store, which I've done, but in all honesty what difference will a 5 minute mundane grocery store visit make??

Am I making any mistakes??
Hugs from:
Fuzzybear, Sunflower123

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  #2  
Old Sep 03, 2017, 12:32 AM
Anonymous50013
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Hey there. How bad would you say your anxiety is when you are around civilisation? If it is pretty bad, I suspect your therapist's idea was to slowly increase your exposure to the stressful environment, until you become accustomed to it. If five minutes at the grocery store is mundane, that could be a good thing! This type of exposure therapy is also used for OCD treatment, because, scientifically speaking, most people when exposed over time to their triggers, become desensitized to them (I'm sure you're already aware of that part).

Anyhow, I dealt with mild agoraphobia some years ago, for a short time, so I don't feel fully qualified to comment on this. But I have seen some success with exposure treatment. I hope someone who has dealt more directly with agoraphobia will chime in here.

Hoping you get to the bottom of this.
Hugs from:
Sunflower123
Thanks for this!
eclairparty98
  #3  
Old Sep 03, 2017, 03:40 AM
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eclairparty98 eclairparty98 is offline
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Member Since: Aug 2017
Location: UK
Posts: 349
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bjørnen View Post
Hey there. How bad would you say your anxiety is when you are around civilisation? If it is pretty bad, I suspect your therapist's idea was to slowly increase your exposure to the stressful environment, until you become accustomed to it. If five minutes at the grocery store is mundane, that could be a good thing! This type of exposure therapy is also used for OCD treatment, because, scientifically speaking, most people when exposed over time to their triggers, become desensitized to them (I'm sure you're already aware of that part).

Anyhow, I dealt with mild agoraphobia some years ago, for a short time, so I don't feel fully qualified to comment on this. But I have seen some success with exposure treatment. I hope someone who has dealt more directly with agoraphobia will chime in here.

Hoping you get to the bottom of this.
My anxiety when out in public is quite bad, I tend to get extremely paranoid so feel I'd rather stay home where there aren't any physical triggers. My therapist thinks I just need to keep pushing myself to do regular day-to-day activities until, like you said, I become desensitised to going out and civilisation. I'm sure, with time, it'll all fade away and seem like nothing. It's just so incredibly miserable being confined inside every day -- because 'inside' is the only place I feel 100% safe -- with going out in public feeling even more uncomfortable and unsafe being the other option.

Thank you so much for your kind, warm, supportive words
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Anonymous50013, Sunflower123
  #4  
Old Sep 03, 2017, 05:56 AM
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Sunflower123 Sunflower123 is offline
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Member Since: Jan 2015
Location: USA
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I had agoraphobia for many years. I would go out only for my pdoc appointments but nothing else. You're getting out to appointments and walking your pets. That's great. Successfully going to the grocery store is a big deal. Give yourself a pat on the back. I don't feel that I can give good advice because I don't know how I resolved it. It started really small. I had medication that I needed ready to be picked up at the pharmacy and no one to pick it up for me so I went (less than a mile). It just started slowly getting better until it was resolved. I'm grateful for that.

Having said that, I am a homebody and would rather be home than anywhere else except maybe floating at the pool. There are a few things I do to get out of the house although I'm not consistent. I go to things like water aerobics, yoga, bible study, therapy, salon & spa, run errands, meet friends and movie day Tuesdays (when the movies are $5 and I watch 2-4 in a row). Maybe you could find something that interests you and slowly move towards doing that.

When I was first getting over agoraphobia, someone usually went with me to places and that helped a great deal. Good luck and best wishes in getting this resolved. I know it's hard. Sending big hugs.

Last edited by Sunflower123; Sep 03, 2017 at 06:56 AM.
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eclairparty98
  #5  
Old Sep 03, 2017, 10:05 AM
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eclairparty98 eclairparty98 is offline
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Member Since: Aug 2017
Location: UK
Posts: 349
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jennifer 1967 View Post
I had agoraphobia for many years. I would go out only for my pdoc appointments but nothing else. You're getting out to appointments and walking your pets. That's great. Successfully going to the grocery store is a big deal. Give yourself a pat on the back. I don't feel that I can give good advice because I don't know how I resolved it. It started really small. I had medication that I needed ready to be picked up at the pharmacy and no one to pick it up for me so I went (less than a mile). It just started slowly getting better until it was resolved. I'm grateful for that.

Having said that, I am a homebody and would rather be home than anywhere else except maybe floating at the pool. There are a few things I do to get out of the house although I'm not consistent. I go to things like water aerobics, yoga, bible study, therapy, salon & spa, run errands, meet friends and movie day Tuesdays (when the movies are $5 and I watch 2-4 in a row). Maybe you could find something that interests you and slowly move towards doing that.

When I was first getting over agoraphobia, someone usually went with me to places and that helped a great deal. Good luck and best wishes in getting this resolved. I know it's hard. Sending big hugs.
Jennifer, thank you, this means so much coming from someone who knows how it feels having been so confused for so long it's great to hear people who can relate and understand what it's like. It's horrible. I'll try tagging along on any errands my family members have to do as I'm still at home which will make this a little easier than if I were totally alone. I hope to start hiking again, that was so good for my mind and put me at so much ease.

Thank you, again, so much for the encouraging words of support
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Anonymous50013
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