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Dizzy-Dave
08-03-09, 21:46
Hey everyone.

I've just come out of the chatroom where afew of us agoraphobia sufferors were discussing how long we've been housebound, and who can go where and for how long etc.

It was a really useful discussion :)

As people were talking about their situation though, I couldn't help but wonder how much more useful it would be if we could see the person in photo/video format.

You might of seen afew youtube videos about people with agorphobia.
Some sit at their pc's and talk, some go out with their camera phone and share the experience of being agorphobic. I believe some members of this site do this too.

I make short films and have been housebound for 6 months now. I have been taking photos and filming myself on and off the whole time.

I'd like to ask if anyone is willing to contribute video footage (using camcorder, phone, webcam, anything you like) and photos for a NMP Agoraphobia Project. I'm thinking of setting up a youtube channel for our videos. That way any sufferors can share the recovery experience in one place.

What do you think ?

*EDIT - We now have a youtube channel :)
http://www.youtube.com/user/AgoraphobiaProject

Alabasterlyn
08-03-09, 21:50
Sounds a good idea to me Dave. I think it might help a lot of us with agoraphobia to focus on something else when we are going out :)

H22
08-03-09, 21:52
I'll definatly try and do this
i think its a great idea and i can see it helping a lot of people, including ourselves :)

xxxxxxx

sunshine-lady
08-03-09, 21:55
I think it's a great idea Dave, however I won't be able to contribute as I am very camera shy. Would love to see/hear other people though. :smile:

Dizzy-Dave
08-03-09, 22:02
I will probally make an introduction video later and upload it.

Until then, save this into your bookmarks :)

http://www.youtube.com/user/AgoraphobiaProject

As a start, and only if you want to, we could do short videos on who we are, how long we have had it, where we are from. Could be 10 seconds long, whatever!

Or if you dont feel confident, talk off camera and i can just use the sound of your lovely voice on top of a photo of a mountain view !

belle
09-03-09, 00:27
I've been making videos for ages :)

x

Dizzy-Dave
09-03-09, 01:02
Yes Belle, I have seen yours :)

Now we can all come together.

Do you have agoraphobia Belle ?

*It seems you have.

Your pretty cute for someone with all those symptoms!

belle
09-03-09, 08:54
I've had IT for 10 years, yes!
I was roombound, severely monophobic and social phobic. Thank Goodness, i am not quite that bad now, at least i can get out of the house even if it is with my ma!!!!

Dizzy-Dave
09-03-09, 16:17
Might be a video on the page now lol. Gawd.

doodah
09-03-09, 16:21
What a great idea Dave! I've looked at yours and Belle's channels and think they're great!

I'm like sunshinelady and camerashy lol but would love to follow your youtube channels/blogs and hopefully, in time, contribute.

I feel really, REALLY embarrassed when I tell people I started with agoraphobia in 1975 - it comes and goes. I certainly don't want ANYBODY here to think they're going to be stuck with it for 30+ years, cos I'm pretty sure it was just a case of me not understanding what was going on.

Anywayyyyyyy - well done Dave and Bell too!

Wendy :-)

Dizzy-Dave
09-03-09, 16:39
Thanks Wendy :)

Dizzy-Dave
12-03-09, 21:49
I'm making great progress and taking the camera out has really helped.

Today i recieved my new camcorder so the quality should hopefully be better.

Also, I left the house (daylight) for the first time in 6 months. I walked out of my close and stood on the side of the main road :)

There was quite afew dog walkers about. It was very strange and I was more dizzy than anxious.

Got it all on camera though so will be uploading it to my youtube channel soon.

Ross
12-03-09, 22:34
Just caught up with your YouTube channel Dave. Awesome idea mate.

I think the key message you are sending everyone is;

"keep trying and keep developing your successes as often as possible".


I am a fully recovered Agora sufferer..... my solution to the problem was quite a 'full-on' one, and although I have put it in writing on here, it may convey to the audience better in film-format. As soon as I can get a decent Microphone, I'll have a shot and if you'll allow me, I'll upload it to the channel.

Best of luck...... I'll be following the thread and channel with great hopes for your speedy recovery.

Kind Regards


Ross

doodah
13-03-09, 00:10
Dave - VERY WELL DONE!!! I've just seen your videos and am grinning from ear to ear at your success!! YAY!!

Keep on keeping on!!

Wendy xxxx

sunshine-lady
13-03-09, 16:53
Well done Dave!

just off to look at your other video xxxx

Dizzy-Dave
13-03-09, 21:51
I've slightly overdone is me thinks as I feel crap today.

Hopefully I'll feel better after a good rest tonight.

I'm going to take my most recent video down now as I have found the missing footage.

I'll reupload it asap as it paints a better picture.

Thank you for your support so far.

Erinath
26-03-09, 19:48
Hi Dave - great idea.

What sort of content do you want the videos to have? Just talking through what we're experiencing? I might try just doing sound files at first, I'm another camera shy person but the therapeutic part really appeals to me.

Dizzy-Dave
09-04-09, 01:43
Hi sorry for the late reply. It's been a crazy time recently.

Since starting my youtube channel, I've:

1) left my street
2) been onto main roads
3) been into 2 different shops and purchased items
4) been in a taxi

All down to my camera being therapeutic and the desire to showcase my experiences with others.

I have found that the videos are not quite how i imagined them before i started all of this. There's only one after thought video and most of them jump from one accomplishment to the next.

The key thing learnt so far is you can not fail when you go outside and face agoraphobia and research before going out is essential.

Every time i have gone out, I have come back alive.
It's such a silly thing to read to a normal outdoor person but for us sufferers, it's the number one thing to remember. You cannot die, or faint, or go crazy.

And also, you're not going to feel amazing when you start doing things you thought were impossible at that time.

Agoraphobia normally has another illness or phobia attatched to it.

One more thing from my jumbled thoughts at 1.30am.....

Both times i have managed to get to a shop, I have felt real awful when i got outside of them and im picking up the courage to go in,

and i have felt bloody amazing when i'd been in them and come out and i'm heading home. I got a real buzz. There was no fear walking home (10 min walk!)

There wont be another video until i goto the hospital next week.

If you haven't seen my videos and you suffer from agoraphobia and you havent been out in a long time then have a quick look. They arn't oscar worthy movies, but just observe me doing it.

Closing quote from Paul Mckenna:

"We learnt how to be agoraphobic so we can just as easily unlearn it"

Dizzy-Dave
09-04-09, 01:44
Hi Dave - great idea.

What sort of content do you want the videos to have? Just talking through what we're experiencing? I might try just doing sound files at first, I'm another camera shy person but the therapeutic part really appeals to me.

Anything you want. Picture, photo, sound file, written text.

I've yet to receive anything from anyone but that is totally fine.
I have goals to meet and that's my main focus for now.

tigger1964
09-04-09, 07:20
Hi Dave,

I am agoraphobic and this is the 2nd time ive have it, just watched your chanel and its fantastic, and inspiration to others who havent managed to get out yet. I done asda last night for the first time in nearly 2 yrs! Bit to camera shy to contribute, but will be following your progress, well done and keep up the good work.

take care

sharon

Dizzy-Dave
09-04-09, 12:59
Asda ? Wow !

I had issues getting into a petrol station. Well done :)

What was it like when you got inside the store ?

Dizzy-Dave
14-04-09, 20:32
I've just started the next phase is making this a real community project for us all :)

The Agoraphobia Project Website has been created and I'm currently hard at work on the content.

It's purpose will not be to take your attention away from wonderful websites such as nomorepanic, but to give you another gateway to information. With my own personal touch!

I'll make a new thread when it's ready to launch.

It'll be much easier to upload photos, drawings and videos to the site, rather than relying on youtube.

I cant wait to share it with you all.

Dave

P.s I have secured the domain: www.agoraphobiaproject.com
Feel free to bookmark it in advance :)

IrishPrincess
19-04-09, 13:33
Heya Dave,
Great idea:yesyes: .I've been watching ur vids on youtube you're doing great.I have just start writing a blog on my recovery maybe I could put a link on the website when it's up and running, was thinking of doing the youtube thing myself.Don't know yet.

shoegal
19-04-09, 17:22
Hi Dave,

I also suffer from agoraphobia. I would also like to join in, but I don't have a camera on my phone so I'm not sure how I could film myself out and about (not sure if I'd want to either, lol). I could try filming myself with another camera I have, but I've never used it before so I'll have to spend some time sussing it out! Is there some way of doing this so we could remain anonymous... I mean perhaps we could create new user names and just appear on the agoraphobia site? I have no problem with people on this site knowing who I am but it's not necessarily something I'd want everyone I know to see me doing (do you know what I mean)?

This is a great idea because it will help us feel like part of a community or group which is something a lot of us have not been part of for a long time!

Love and hugs from shoegal x

Dizzy-Dave
19-04-09, 19:50
IF you can find a camera shoegal, you can film whats in front of you, or you can take photos of things you see when you go out.

I find that having my phone recording seems to stop me from having a panic attack as when it starts to build, i point the camera at myself and that makes me very aware that i must look abit silly (as its all in my head)

Panic then buggers off abit !

As for having different nicknames etc on my site, that will be just fine.

Lawton86
20-04-09, 12:01
Hi guys, when you say housebound, do you literally mean u havnt stepped one foot out the house in X amount of months or you just cant go to supermarkets/ Long walks/ busy places etc?

Dizzy-Dave
20-04-09, 19:29
Hi guys, when you say housebound, do you literally mean u havnt stepped one foot out the house in X amount of months or you just cant go to supermarkets/ Long walks/ busy places etc?

For me it means I cant leave my street without feeling anxious.

One month ago i would of said it meant i cant leave at all but I've started to visit places which are likely to increase my anxiety.

I still consider myself housebound (for now)

belle
20-04-09, 20:35
I've been roombound meaning i couldn't leave the room without having major anxiety and massive panic attacks. I was like that for months. Trying to go to the toilet was NOT fun!!!

I was housebound where i couldn't leave the house AT ALL, not even foot out of the door. Not for a second. I was like that for 2 years.

Now i am just plain old agoraphobic and for me that means i can't go anywhere alone, only with my mum, no one else. I can't travel far in the car and i have to be within a certain distance of the car when i am out or i will panic, and i've been like this for years and years.

PoppyC
20-04-09, 22:27
Dave - You are really talented! :)Did you work in or study IT/Multimedia? ...I hope your website does really well. It sounds like it is going to be very interesting. Well done! :yesyes:
I often wonder how people with agoraphobia coped before the internet - it must have been very lonely for them in a lot of ways back then. The internet makes such a difference doesnt it to people including me with agoraphobia.

doodah
23-04-09, 23:40
Dave - just checked your website again and it's looking great! You really are so talented. I got a shock too when I saw a couple of my doodles on there lol - thank you matey! I haven't forgotten about creating more art and words, honestly, just been up to my eyes with things :(

Belle - I was reall, REALLY relieved to read that you too have been "room bound" cos I was the same many moons ago. It's a really scarey place to be isn't it - I guess we just back ourselves into a corner and think there's no way out - but of course, we keep on keeping on!

Don't know about everyone else but I'm fed up with agoraphobia lol!! One day, eh?

Take care,

doodah xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dizzy-Dave
25-04-09, 21:48
I love my phobia !

N N N N O T.

*yawn

god i'm so tired.

all this going out business really takes it out of ya!

Must do something more with website soon.