Greg17
26-10-13, 09:03
Hi Everyone,
I have come across this forum a couple of times in the past, but have really spent a lot of time with it for the first time today.
What an inspirational, brave and encouraging place this is. It's first impression on me is that I am not alone, I'm sure we can all attest to the isolation that panic, anxiety, agoraphobia and others can bring.
I am also struck by the support for each other here. So wonderful. You should all be very proud of this community!
About me:
I suffered with agoraphobia from 15-20, I was pretty much housebound. I'm still not altogether sure of the causes, but what pushed me over the edge was bullying and threat of physical violence. That was enough to set off my overactive mind into catastrophising, mind reading and black or white thinking.
With some support and some exposure, I got myself back into 'normal' life. I got a job, an education, a gf, travelled. Things that I thought impossible just a few years before that. That period lasted for around 7 years, then I had a very rough 2008-2009.
First, I was randomly assaulted in a pub. Out of nowhere an attacker first punched a friend, and then he punched me. I left town the next day and returned to the safety of my hometown. The next year, I got stuck on a broken down train for around 2 hours in the snow. That felt like an ordeal and I had many many panic attacks in that time.
Since those incidents, my world has closed in again, and my agoraphobia has returned to an extent. I can still go out, and I hold down a job. However there is much I avoid. I rarely go on public transport. I have panic attacks on trains.
I am currently undergoing EMDR treatment and reading a lot of self-help materials. I truly feel like I am beginning to make real progress. Progress though is gradual, and sometimes there are setbacks, but realising how many times in my life I have picked myself up and started again gives me hope.
And I think that's one big thing I want to emphasise. We are all experiencing challenges and setbacks, but our continued will to seek treatment, understand our conditions, and coming to places like this speak to higher levels of resilience that you would perhaps find in everyday people! :shades:
I have come across this forum a couple of times in the past, but have really spent a lot of time with it for the first time today.
What an inspirational, brave and encouraging place this is. It's first impression on me is that I am not alone, I'm sure we can all attest to the isolation that panic, anxiety, agoraphobia and others can bring.
I am also struck by the support for each other here. So wonderful. You should all be very proud of this community!
About me:
I suffered with agoraphobia from 15-20, I was pretty much housebound. I'm still not altogether sure of the causes, but what pushed me over the edge was bullying and threat of physical violence. That was enough to set off my overactive mind into catastrophising, mind reading and black or white thinking.
With some support and some exposure, I got myself back into 'normal' life. I got a job, an education, a gf, travelled. Things that I thought impossible just a few years before that. That period lasted for around 7 years, then I had a very rough 2008-2009.
First, I was randomly assaulted in a pub. Out of nowhere an attacker first punched a friend, and then he punched me. I left town the next day and returned to the safety of my hometown. The next year, I got stuck on a broken down train for around 2 hours in the snow. That felt like an ordeal and I had many many panic attacks in that time.
Since those incidents, my world has closed in again, and my agoraphobia has returned to an extent. I can still go out, and I hold down a job. However there is much I avoid. I rarely go on public transport. I have panic attacks on trains.
I am currently undergoing EMDR treatment and reading a lot of self-help materials. I truly feel like I am beginning to make real progress. Progress though is gradual, and sometimes there are setbacks, but realising how many times in my life I have picked myself up and started again gives me hope.
And I think that's one big thing I want to emphasise. We are all experiencing challenges and setbacks, but our continued will to seek treatment, understand our conditions, and coming to places like this speak to higher levels of resilience that you would perhaps find in everyday people! :shades: