Agoraphobia- need tips

[zubiboy008]

m an agoraphobic and can't leave the house for no reason, i want to start exposure therapy this week but the biggest hindrances are 1) anticipatory anxiety: when i think of leaving the house man that feeling/thought alone saps away the energy and 2) Consistency: from childhood i've lacked consistency in everything be it exercise, diet or overcoming agoraphobia i try any thing for 2-3 days and then gets fed up , plz post the tips/advice/recommendations, anything to overcome anticipatory anxiety and improve consistency

[HalfJack]

Hmm. I'd say first of all go slowly. When I did exposure therapy I didn't leave the house at first, I was scared to even stand next to my front door - so my first step was to stand in my hallway. The week after that I stood on my doorstep with the door open everyday for a little while, the week after that I sat in my garden a few times etc etc.

Now I can go out, on my own, almost any time I want. some days are easier than others, but I can pass for normal now lol. I can even go in crowds if I have to!

If you do mess up, get back up and keep going. It's OK to mess up as long as you keep trying.
BUT! The awesome feeling of getting better and seeing yourself improve, may prove enough to tempt you to see it through. It gave me a huge boost, I even used to look forward to my sessions.

[zubiboy008]

well thats a gud advice but can you post your recovery process what techniques have you used

[HalfJack]

What do you mean by recovery process and techniques? Like what kind of thing falls into that definition for you?
Exposure therapy was what I'd consider the technique you see, and the recovery progress was mixed pace like most therapy.

[Deepthinker]

this website has some great resources relating to different therapies. look on the forum page and scroll down until you see therapies. you'll find lots of good info there. wish you the best and keep us posted on your recovery.:)

[zubiboy008]

I am housebound for more than 3 weeks now and nothing works (relaxation techniques, mindfulness), don't know what to do plz help

[flossie]

I was practically housebound for the best part of 20 years and am now going out. Don't think in terms of going out as a battle or use words like failed. They are such negative terms and just serve to make your recovery so much harder.
Have you contacted your GP about this? There may be help available for you in your area. Consider contacting No Panic. They offer guidance and support over the telephone.
Take HalfJacks advice. Start small, take little steps. If you cannot open the door at this time then stand in the hallway. Move on to putting your hand on the handle, then on to standing in the open doorway etc.
What kind of relaxation techniques have you tried? There are so many available and it may take a while to find the one that helps you or a voice you find pleasant to listen to. Have a look round this site http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/podcasts/
Don't expect to master relaxation in a couple of tries. It can take weeks and months to start to feel any benefit. It is the best skill I have learned in my recovery.

[Jamesflames]

Starting exposure therapy is probably the best thing you can do to address agoraphobia. If you did nothing, you wouldn't get any better. Having anticipation anxiety is a big part of agoraphobia so don't beat yourself up over it. You need to feel the bad feelings before you can overcome them.

Just remind yourself that you are doing what you need to do to recover. Every time you panic but stick with it you are recovering.

Good luck. It takes some bravery to take the steps out of agoraphobia.

[Mrs Panda]

Do you have this same fear if you have someone with you? I've had therapy sessions where the therapist recommended having someone with me if I couldn't do it alone but just at the beginning, maybe for your first attempt or two.

[Neurotic Nick]

I hope this doesnt count as hijacking the thread but i would like to ask halfjack and flossie how long it took for you to get to a point where you can go out and do things? Ive been doing exposure for nine months now and while ive made some progress i still cant do groceries or go out for a drink or a meal. I feel like im running out of patience and feel like trying to push myself a lot harder but i suppose thats probably not the best way to go...

[gregcool]

i suffer with this to.hate going to far away from home going on public transport .as soon as i see a town sign i dont recognize,i panic big time..but recently i had to drive to birmingham to collect a car for a friend.i shit myself thinking about it.But ! i just got in the car and done it..i had all the usualy anxiety feelings but just tbought,sod it im sick of all this.i faced my feer and after about 50 miles i started to feel fine.it just all felt normal..and easy...iv avoded this kind of travel for years.but sometimes you just have to face it head on.you might suprise yourself as i did.if i was never asked to do it,i would have carred on avoiding it for ever.now i feel i could drive all over the place.it ws a solid 2 hr drive each way...exposier is the best thing.take small steps...just start by opning your door and standing there looking out.do this a few times a day to start.then next week do it again more often and for longer.then the next week steo out onto the path a few times a day.and so on untill you get to the loint you can go for a two min walk.and keep doing it like that and you will get used to and your mind wont feel so thretend..good luck.i have beeten many of my phobias in this way