So bored and fed up of agoraphobia

[Panic@thedisco]

Hi all, new to the site and joined because as the tittle suggests I am bored and frustrated by my agoraphobia and trying to explain to my mother it's not a fear of angora jumpers ;)

Had agoraphobia since I was 18 and I am now 33, sooooooooo sick of it, when is it going to take the hint and go away? Think how many things I could have done, places I could of seen, jobs I could have done, people I could of met???? Wish I could have gone out and lived in this world :(


Would like to chat with like minded people, thanks for listening to
Me rant :)

[nomorepanic]

Hi Panic@thedisco

We just wanted to welcome you aboard to NMP. We hope you enjoy your stay here and get all the support and advice you need.

Please take some time to read the website articles on the left as well for loads of advice and tips.

[kittikat]

Hello & :welcome:

Fellow panic/ag/anx sufferer here. You will meet lots of lovely and supportive members on this site, we are all here to help eachother through the bad times & the good :yesyes: Remember, your own experiences can help others too!! Take a look through the posts and hope you get as much from being here as I have.

Take care, Kitti :)

[Panic@thedisco]

This is the first time in my life I have ever spoken to someone with the same issues, my car is my security blanket too! Feels so good to know that it's not just me that is like this, my friends laugh and joke about it then ask me stupid things like, I am driving do you want a lift????

So going to get rid of agoraphobia, been trying for years, it's so exhausting, time consuming and weird and I wish I could have a life outside the box.

Thank you for being understanding

[Darrenb74]

Hello Panic. Two things i would say is. Firstly stop dwelling on the past, the what ifs etc. You can't change your past but you can change your future. Secondly you wont get agoraphobia and anxiety free without taking small steps to overcome your condition. Like what i mean is going only in the car is not dealing with the agoraphobia, you're just protecting yourself from exposure to the anxiety and panic. I know its easier said than done but to move on i think you need to expose yourself more to the things that make you anxious. It's like swimming, no body jumped in the pool and swam like a fish the first time. They kept exposing themselves to the water to become good swimmers. That's what you need to do, expose yourself gradually to your anxieties. Try these two things. Firstly imagine you are not agoraphobic, telling yourself all the time that you are agoraphobic will only bolster your believe that you can't go out without feeling panicky. Secondly tell yourself before you go out for a walk that ok lets have a panic attack before i go out, say to your sub-conscious bring it on and mean it. That will start telling yourself that you don't fear the fear anymore. If you have set backs so what? Don't dwell on them. Just say i done better today than i was doing yesterday/last week etc.

Good luck

Darren :)

[BobbyDog]

I agree with Darrenb74.

I have had social phobia on and off for 18 years, unfortunately I had a lot of family problems last year and it came back with avengence.

I force myself to go to the shops and face public/staff, I start shallow breathing, but make myself do it over and over again. It is the only way to get better, face your fears.
I have also suffered with agorophobia aswell in the past, brought on by not dealing with my social phobia.
I go into town and sit outside the coffee shop, have a panic attack talking to people, but I keep going back.

I know recovery is possible, I have been there, my anxiety was still in the background somewhere, but I lead a "normal life".

You have to force yourself one step at a time, it will be painfull, praise yourself for each small step and your life will get better.

[Panic@thedisco]

Thanks guys, I live in a small town and have never met people with the same issues I have. I have felt alone and scared for years and only when my councillor mentioned agoraphobia did I check it out online, there were times I felt I was going insane, no one else I knew could freak out in tesco for no reason. I understand working with the fear of fear but its been going on for so long and I always keep going and going that I am tired and bored of it, i wish it would go away

[Stormsky]

We are not born with these conditions, they are learnt, and we need to unlearn them.. unfortunately it wont just go away, you will need to work hard at getting your life back on track... working with your fears to overcome them, and to unlearn the anxiety youve associated with going out and living life.

[millymaz]

Hi I had agoraphobia from 2005 till 2013 but after a lot of hard work, determination and a course of cbt I had a great life from November 2013 to September 2014 I was never in my house I just wanted to go everywhere, see everything and enjoy my new found freedom and never felt my anxiety once but then in September 2014 my world came crashing down and it's back, I spent all of September and November in bed but then the thought struck me that if I did not get out of bed I would be stuck in my house for years so I am now out of my bed and facing and feeling the fear everyday and I even make myself stand in my front garden for 5 minutes every day it is so tough and I am scared witless at times but that year of freedom I had lets me know the fight will be worth it again

[MyNameIsTerry]

Well done millymaz and welcome to NMP :welcome:

Challenging anxiety disorders is extremely tough but you've got the right attitude and that can be half of the battle so I'm sure you will get the life back that you deserve.

[ladyhawke77]

i suffer with it also for the past 7 years i really want to overcome it but it feels like my door is a brick wall and i cant go through it

[diane07]

Agoraphobia can be overcome.

When you learn not to fear the 'Panic'

It takes time, practise and alot of energy and each small step will become a massive achievement on the road to recovery.

[Jamesflames]

Agoraphobia can be overcome.

When you learn not to fear the 'Panic'

It takes time, practise and alot of energy and each small step will become a massive achievement on the road to recovery.

Couldn't agree more with that. Get to know your panic. Watch it arrive but then watch it leave again. It can't hurt you and it is just a massive waste of time. In fact it is so inconsequential that it's probably not worth having the panic in the first place!

Unfortunately it isn't easy to think sensibly about it when the waves of panic are rushing through you or else we wouldn't all be here...

Good luck with it. :)

[tina oreilly1]

hi i have had agoraphobia for 22 years its apain in the arse lol

[Seth86]

Yeah i've had agoraphobia for like 15 years now and i can relate in feeling extremely fed up with it! It's hard to work with me because of have so many different mental health problems i mean i've got Agoraphobia, General Anxiety, Social Anxiety, General Panic Disorder, Depression, Insomnia, Moderation disorder, Anger problems, Stress and so on.

[Davit]

Agoraphobia is easy to fix if you understand It and what it really is, not what you think it is. It is all about having control. Not about fear of outdoors, that like claustrophobia is just how it manifests, it has nothing to do with that. It is about having control in a situation not controlling the situation, you can't control your surroundings, but you can control how you see them. That is the key. Look at the post on words for more on this. Or PM me and I'll tell you how to do it. Posts here just get buried.