Newbie with Agoraphobia/Intrusive Thoughts

[LittleBear]

Hello there!
I’m Meg/LittleBear, I’m 23 years old and I’ve dealt with anxiety, intrusive thoughts/OCD, and depression for most of my life.

I have had a heart condition in the past, it’s healed now, but I still get irregular beats and that often sends me into a tizzy. I'm severely agoraphobic and have been more or less confined to my house for the past 4 or 5 years, going out only for doctor visits (who's less than three minutes away and not without a huge amount of stress beforehand) or when it’s absolutely necessary for me to do so. I've also got terrible separation anxiety and I hate being left alone for any amount of time.

I have a supportive family, but I'm tired of being afraid and I want to be able to do things like I used to... plus we’ll be moving away from everything I know in a few weeks, so my anxiety and depression are through the roof.

Sorry for the long intro, thanks for reading. <3

[venusbluejeans]

Hiya LittleBear and welcome to NMP :welcome:

Why not take a look at our articles on our home page, they contain a wealth of information and are a great starting place for your time on the forum.

I hope you find the as site helpful and informative as I have and that you get the help and support you need here and hope that you meet a few friends along the way :yesyes:

[helloworld]

Hi Meg,

We have some things in common... I have had very severe panic / agoraphobia but it is fairly under control now... At the time I was really bad I also found out I have a heart problem (mitral valve) for which I have regular echo scans (have one in a couple days actually so not great for my anxiety!)....

Try and remember that it is completely normal that your anxiety is peaking with the move.... I have found CBT / mindfulness very helpful and very happy to chat about my experiences if helpful... Please feel free to get in touch...

Good luck with the move!

[23tana]

It's said that moving house is the second most stressful thing you can do in your life: and that's for people without anxiety issues. What you are feeling is normal. Try to think of the positives of the move, how you will arrange your new room, what the garden is like, etc.

It will soon be over. Good luck!