Sick of these 4 walls .....

[Krakers]

I think I'm going stare crazy. I've been cooped up in the house, sat in front of this computer for 14 hours a day for about the last 5 weeks.

It was partly to do with becoming agrophobic over the Christmas period, but more recently to changing my medication (todays day 4). Its made me worse initially and I've been very anxious most days all day. I know it can have this effect and it might be a few more weeks before it kicks in properly.

By then I think I'll have gone round the bend. I recently finished a good series of books and can't seem to get into my next one. I can only manage about 5 minutes of telly. My better half bought me an X-Box 360 for Christmas and while I'm not ungrateful, I just can't concentrate on it.

Theres a few odd jobs need doing round the house, but apart from that everything else is ok. An hour of cleaning and most things are done (my other half cleans anyway).

I know there are a lot of Agrophobic people on the site, and my question is what do you do with your time ??

If I could sleep for a week before the tablets start to kick in I would. Its just I've been doing *exactly* the same thing now (with the exception of a few good days the week before last) for the last 5 weeks. Its driving me potty, its making me anxious, its getting me down.

Krakers.

[belle]

Hi...
I was completely housebound for a number of years, but at that time i spent 99% of my day panicking, so at least you're not doing that.
Now i am still pretty much agoraphobic my days are spent either asleep or online until about 1pm then i usually go out in the afternoons with my mum.
I find it hard to do anything productive.
However, i don't think i could sit at my laptop for 14 hours a day, i would go crazy, thankfully my little oasis i guess is my son, can't sit down when he's around.
I wish i knew how to make my days more worth while too.

Sarah

[Meg]

Krakers

I apologise in advance for not knowing your situation and circumstances. I'm not up to speed with you all.

I assume you're agoraphobic due to panic of going out either alone or out at all.

Apart from doing some self help CBT style practice each and every day to start to counter this then doing less direct activities that will help you can be done at home.

Relaxation CD's , an exercise DVD, cooking and freezing healthy meals.

It can be really helpful to just chill and follow an audio book if your concentration for reading is bad.

Taking up a hobby or craft where you create something uses the right side of yoru brain and pushes out anxiety if you get really immersed in something.

Do an online course from somewhere like BBC website - short, productive and needs your attention. There are hundreds on all sorts of topics.

Research thoroughly somewhere you'd like to go when you're on your way to recovery.

Make a penpal and write real letters to someone you've never met

Have a clear out and ebay unwanted stuff..

Good luck



Meg

proactiveness, positivity, persistence, perseverance and practice = progress

[nomorehope]

hello!!
are you feeling better?
in my wors days i would pray for some relief from God and it would help. i dont know are you religius or not, but it has help me.
wish you all the best!!

[Krakers]

Hi nomorehope - not that much better really, no. But I have made it through the last 5 days when I'd just about given up on Sunday, so I suppose that some progress.

I've just stopped the new tablets - read too many horror stories about them, they're just not for someone with my problems. Time to go back to the GP and start all over again (arghhhh....)

While I'm not religious in the slightest, I think theres a few lyrics from Robbie that sum up how I'm feeling :

Come and hold my hand
I wanna contact the living
Not sure I understand
This role I've been given
I sit and talk to God
And he just laughs at my plans
My head speaks a language
I don't understand

Krakers.

[Lindalou64]

HI KRACKERS,
IVE HAD THIS FOR 18 YRS BUT GOTTEN BETTER FOR SEVERAL YRS I STILL WENT OUT IF I HAD SOMEONE WITH ME BUT NOW THAT IM NOT OR SHOULD I SAY OUT OF WORK I FEEL CABIN FEVER AND WINTER TIME IS HARD TO......WHEN I WORK AND KEEP BUSY I FIND MYSELF ALOT BETTER.....SO I WOULD SAY TAKE A WALK IF YA CAN ......TRY NOT TO BE ON THE COMPUTER TO MUCH WHICH I KNOW WE DO TO DISTRACT OURSELVES AND OUT OF BOREDOM.......JUST STAY POSITIVE THINGS WILL GET BETTER I HAVE TO TELL MYSELF THAT ALL THE TIME......WISH YA THE BEST.........LINDA[8D]

[bernadette]

hi i to cant go out due to my panic attacks but wot i have started doing is going for short walks and now as i can drive i go out but i still have my safty zones and each time i try to got a little further i still panic but i just do my breathing i even drove to the asda which is ony 3 miles away with my brother and as soon as i got in there i was ok i got to that point i didnt want to go home but you have good days and bad hope you feel better soon ps [you will get there] bernadette

[Krakers]

Hi Bernadette and Linda - thanks for soming back to me.

Its been nearly 3 weeks since my last post so I thought an update was overdue.

I've been med free now for 3 weeks. I thought I'd see if I could tough it out and see what happened. My anxiety is no better or worse for not being on meds, its still with me all day. One plus side is I don't get the side effects from them so don't have to worry whether what I'm feeling is me or the med.

Another upside is I've made myself go out. I'm still avoiding days prety much, but I've been out now for a number of evenings and been ok. Admitadly I've been drinking when out which always helps me, but I've been out frequently for the last couple of weeks.

Now the downsides - I've eaten next to nothing over this time and already lost half a stone plus. I can't sleep at night either resulting in me getting to bed most nights at 6am. This in turn has me asleep most of the day, which also means I'm avoiding my original anxiety problem than dealing with it. I'm going back to the docs tomorrow, but no idea what the next step is with him.

A few natural disasters have also helped my agrophobia along the way. My roof blew off in strong winds, I lost my fence at the same time and just a week ago the ceiling colapsed on me right where I sat on the PC, due to a burst pipe. While this might sound bad it has made me deal with people and interact once again. I've had roofers, builders, plasterers, joiners and plumbers all to deal with. Made me realise I can do it without turning into a wreck.

Anyway, I'll finish here before this turns into an epic. I think its been a real mixed bag these last 3 weeks. All in all I think the positives have come out on top though. Fingers crossed for addressing the remaining negatives in the future.

Krakers.