I overcame agoraphobia and you will too

Hi guys, i'm Nick and suffered from severe agoraphobia for about 3 years and panic disorder for at least 5.

But right now im sitting on a sunny windswept beach a long way from my car. I still get the odd surge of panic, in fact I just got one a few minutes ago. In a huge open space all the familiar panicky thoughts and sensations swept over me. But it was only for a few seconds. I let it pass because I know from long experience that im still perfectly safe and able to get home on my own. It might not always feel great but as my therapist always says i can cope.

How did i get this far? For me it was meds, a great therapist and lots and lots of exposure. The key for me was that little bit of confidence that is gained from going outside, experiencing panic and letting it die down.

And now as a reward for all my efforts i have my freedom back. Ican walk into town when i feel like it, take walks on the beach and in forests with my little doggie friend.

So if you're struggling with agoraphobia and panic disorder: hang in there! It will get better! I too was convinced that I would never get over it, that I would be stuck in my house forever. But you will get out, you will get your life back, and you'll appreciate your freedom all the more for having overcome this.

Thats awesome hun congrats

Nick


:yahoo: Well done you!!. That's fantastic news. I'm on the same journey and making good progress when I honestly thought nothing was every going to be the same again.

Like you, I've been on meds for years and I had a couple of fabulous Nutters, I mean CPN's. :roflmao:

Well done because it's certainly not an easy hill to climb.

Lisa
x

Yeah well done NN :) Great pic and nice dog too it all helps onwards and upwards:yesyes: Cheers

Well done!

I too am currently on the journey out of agoraphobia. It's hard going but I'm getting there and learning more and more to wait out the panic. Your doggy friend looks exactly like mine, she helps me more than she could ever comprehend.

Congratulations! Great to read a success story on here, well done you :0)

and give that sweet dog a belly rub from me, please!

Thanks Guys! I just want to reiterate, as much for myself as for whoever reads this: it's not about not ever feeling any panic or anxiety anymore, it's about not letting those feelings stop you.

@chrismar and bigboyuk: thanks guys!!

@lisa: yeah i went through a few rounds of cray side-effects and symptom incerases. Turns out im so sensitive i ended up having to measure out my dose of liquid citolapram with an eyedropper :P

@marie: yeah they are tremendous help and great company! Keep at it! A tip (you might know already) what really helped me in doing the exposure was that i went out to do things i actually wanted to do, like a nice forest walk (wich at first was tiny and then got bigger) or a visit to the library. When i went out just for the sake of going out it was always a lot harder.

@idontgetit: yeah i think we owe it to this forum to report on our successes, reading others' success stories gave me hope in the past. And that belly rub has been delivered!

Very well done Nick.... I hope to get an equal amount of success and more... was a nice read.... welcome to message me if you have the time

Cheers from USA

Wow Nick, that is awesome. I can't wait to feel that way again - I know that I will someday! This is a really encouraging post and I'm really glad that you are feeling better :D