Agoraphobic and pregnant

[Shiny]

Hi everyone

I'm 27 years old and almost 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. I've suffered from agoraphobia since I was about 11 years old at various levels of the problem. I am at my all time worst at the moment. I think it is the pregnancy hormones making it harder to deal with but knowing that doesn't make it any easier to cope with.

Over the years I have had counselling including CBT and during college was put on beta blockers to help me deal with exams and getting on the college bus. I have also paid for several hypnotherapy sessions to try and help.

At the moment I am housebound because I am so scared of what the extra stress of the panic attacks are doing to my baby everytime I go out and I've got so depressed that I'm not in the right state of mind to tackle it. I tried to make a small step and go with my husband to take the dog for a short walk last night but I could not get out of my head that "I can't do this" therefore got 100 yards down the road, turned on my heels and ran home in a complete panic. When I got in the house I was so ashamed that I had let it beat me but was in such a physical mess that I just couldn't do it.

I had problems with the pregnancy from week 6 to week 20 where I was threatening to miscarry which was what started my agoraphobia in a downward spiral but since then no matter how hard I try I can make a few small steps forward then something happens to make me even worse than I was when I started.

I hope there are others on here that can understand, if only partly, how I'm feeling and give me the words of encouragement and support I need to recover. Although my husband is absolutely great he doesn't know what to do for the best as I keep getting worse rather than better.

Sorry for the essay!

[belle]

Hi and welcome :)

Being pregnant is a very hard time to have to deal with other problems too. I became agoraphobic while pregnant with my son, however, after he was born i did get better - for a while.

How are you going to be able to get to the hospital?

I'm sure you'll find heaps of support and advice here.

x

[Nibbles]

Hi Shiny and :welcome:

You'll get loads of advice and support here while making new friends along the way. Have you talked to your GP about the possibility of panic attacks harming your baby? It might reassure you to get some professional advice. As panic attacks aren't harmful to us I wouldn't have thought it would be to a baby either but I understand your concern. :hugs:

Take care,

Mike :)

[trac67]

Hi Shiny

Welcome to the forum, you will get a lot of good advice here and make some new friends, why not join our agoraphobia diary thread where we all support one another with getting out and about again, the link is below :

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=24387

Love

Trac xxx

[kellie]

hi shiny nice to meet you. you will gets lots of support here and there are loads of other sufferers here like you too, remember you are not alone. there is lite at the end of the tunnel hun you must never give up hope ok. come into the chat room and talk it helps a great deal to talk to other sufferers who may be able to give you some helpful hints on how to best help. all the best with your new baby and i hope you and your hubbie have a great new year. god bless you. kellie.

[nomorepanic]

Hi Shiny

Congratulations on the forthcoming baby

I just wanted to welcome you aboard and hope that we can be of some help.

[Ivy]

hi hun, you have come to the right place, you will get loads of support and advice here. come and say hi to us in the chatroom, i find that helps alot. i have never suffered from agrophobia, but i have panic and depression, and they're bad enough, so i can only imagine what you are going through.
all the best and happy new year!
ivy xxx

[denize]

hi shinny welcome and nice to meet you there are some really nice people on here that will give you some good advice and are allways willing to listern if you feel up to it pop into chat and say hi xx take care and hope to speak to you soon love and thoughts Denize xxxxxxx

[B happy]

Hi Shiny
I suffer with agoraphopic and pa now and when i was pregnant,
so i no how you feel hun thats fir sure but to be honest i have come onto the chat room and i am now doing so much better ppl on chat totaly understand you and are with you all the way.
Since i have met these ppl i have started to go out but not on my own yet but i am going out please come into the chat room and see if it helps you as much as it did me , hope to chat soon hun tc xxxxx:hugs:
ps welcome to nmp.

[groovygranny]

Hello Shiny:welcome: to you!

Congratulations on you and your husband's forthcoming happy event!:flowers:

It must be very difficult for you to have to cope with these feelings along with the usual stresses and strains of pregnancy - we have a few midwives on here and I'm sure they'll be able to offer advice and reassurance where your baby is concerned.

You need to look after you - try and dwell more on the positive things, such as the fact that you got very nearly 100yds down the road before you felt you had to come back. Maybe just try going 50yds next time and then come back because you want to, not because you have to......then you would have been in control of 'it' and not 'it' in control of you. Little steps one at time - be gentle on yourself!

Pleased to meet you!

:flowers:

[IrishPrincess]

Heya Shiny,

Welcome:yesyes:
Congrats on your pregnancy!
You will find great advice on here and meet some great people,we're all in the same boat and loads of us have kids,so u'll defo meet someone who will understand what u are going through.Just come into chat if ur up for it,hope to see u there.

IrishPrincess
(Karen):hugs:


Keep your heart open to dreams,
For as long as there's a dream,
There is hope,
And as long as there's hope,
There is joy in living.

[erialc]

Hi Shiny,

Welcome, I hope you find the site as useful as I do!

Congratulations on being pregnant


Claire xxxx

[kate]

Welcome, Shiny :D

Kate

[Lindalou64]

HELLO SHINY AND WELCOME TO THE SITE YOU WILL FIND LOTS OF INFO AND SUPPORT HERE .WISH YOU WELL.......LINDA

[tina32]

:hugs: hi shiney,
i know our you feel, i was pregnant about 4 months ago and had to come of my meds which caused massive side effects with anxiety and agoraphobia and i got to nine weeks and ended up having a termination has i would not have coped at all, let me tell you it was not a easy decision and i now are rock bottom again, but with you well you have got this far girl and it not be long until you have your bundle of joy in your hands so keep it up you are doing brillantly, go and see your gp or midwife and have a good chat with them and maybe they could give you something to ease it a little for you, and remember your not alone in this there are alot of women going through the same things as you. please talk to a professional babe it will help:winks: and keep smilling tina x

[Southern_Belle]

Hi Shiny,

Welcome to NMP and congratulations on your forthcoming bundle of joy. You will get tons of support here as many (as you have read) have dealt with this too. I would imagine your hormones are playing a huge factor in this and at least give your doctor a call and let them know so you can plan on your future care and the delivery. I personally think you are being very brave for trying to step out and if you keep trying one day you will succeed. Others here will know better than me though. Good luck!

Hugs,

Laura

[julieb]

hi shiny
ive had 3 babies whilst agoraphobic, its amazing where we get the strength to cope from. try not to get too worked up, you'll be fine i promise just enjoy xx

[Shiny]

*UPDATE*
Saturday I decided to try again with my first step but doing something different. It was my husband's idea and a great idea it was too! I love going to the local crematorium where my grandad and great grandparents are (I know that sounds wierd but it is so peaceful and beautiful) so my challenge was just to get out of the house. I was a bit jittery in the car as we got further away from home (it's about a 20 min drive away) but I was able to control it so it didn't escalate into a full blown panic attack. When we got there we just sat in the car and chatted until I had all my feelings under control. I was determined I wasn't going to leave because of an attack, I was going to leave when I was ready and I was in control of my feelings. I started to get a bit of a panic when we got there and the car was still but again I got it under control. We must have sat there for about 20-30 mins before I decided that was a good point to stop and go home and celebrate my success! I probably could have pushed myself a bit more by getting out of the car and walking round but I wanted to leave on a high.

Then yesterday we went back to do it again to reinforce the good feelings and this time I coped with the car journey better and I managed to get out of the car and walk a little way round. Then when we got home we took the dog for a short walk going exactly the same way we had gone last time it had all gone wrong! I didn't have any panic attacks as I managed to deal with them before they started and I wouldn't leave the situation until I felt better. It was so hard but so rewarding!

Thank you everyone for your words of support it has been really helpful to boost me.

[trac67]

Well done Shiny, you did brilliant and have proved to yourself what you can achieve when you set your mind to it, keep up the good work :yesyes:

Love

Trac xxx

[Ivy]

Well Done! that is so good to hear, you deserver to be so proud of yourself! congratulations and keep going!
xxx

[Shiny]

*UPDATE*

I'm back! It's been 2 years since I was here last and I'm back for the same reasons. I'm now 29 years old and 12 weeks pregnant with our second child. I've been suffering from morning sickness for the past 6 weeks so haven't been leaving the house as much as before so my anxiety has returned with full force. Now every time I leave the house my head spins and I'm on the edge of a panic attack (or having an attack) for the whole time I'm out. I can't go anywhere without my husband and even when he is with me he can't leave my sight or I have a complete meltdown. I am completely dependant on him.

I'm getting really low as I've been fighting this all my life and every time I seem to be getting somewhere I end up right back at the start again and it just makes you feel like there isn't any point in putting yourself through it again if you're just going to go back again someday anyway.

It must be the pregnancy hormones making me worse like it did last time. It doesn't help that I'm anxious about the pregnancy as I almost died giving birth to my son. I had a home birth which went perfectly until I had a retained placenta and lost alot of blood which resulted in a blue light ambulance ride to the hospital where I had the worst three days. I had to be on MY OWN!! with a newborn with a drip in each arm having constant panic attacks. So, yes, I'm a little nervous about going through that again!

Apart from Rescue Remedy does anyone know of any natural remedies that are safe to take during pregnancy? Oh and some words of encouragement and support would be very gratefully received!

[rozzy057]

hi :) i suffer from the same thing, im not as bad now, but about 6 months ago...i wouldnt leave the house, i couldnt get on the train, i wouldnt go out to eat... i wouldnt even go round to my uncles. I was so scared of panicking when i wasnt at home... as i felt embaressed and that i would be in less control of the situation. What helped me , was driving myself to places, as it comforted me knowing that i could leave anytime i wanted, having my calming tablets and spray on me at all times so that i feel more prepared. Do you know why you have a fear of going outside? x

[mummy4]

hey hun first of all massive congrats to you. i have 4 daughters, my youngest was 1 the other week and i have to say my anxiety got worse with every pregnancy i felt awful :( i also had the horrid head spins everytime i left the house and actually do at the moment and its very frightening. sorry hun no advise but just to let you know you are not alone xx

[fawnkd]

Hi I was reading your post it it reminds me so much of myself. I am 17 weeks pregnant I went off my meds prozac at the begining and now its startting to really affect me I feel like I can't leave to go anywhere I get very nauseous and panicy on top of that I can't drive with anyone I have to drive myself no one else in the car. Im afraid I dont know what to do how am I suppose to goto appointments its all very hard to work out. I am very happy I did a web research and found you I thought I was alone. I hope that we can chat and maybe help eachother.

Dawn