People that have been totally cured from Agoraphobia using CBT

[nomorepanic]

I totally agree that it helps to talk to people who have done it.

The main reason I set NMP up was to bring people together to help each other and I think it works well.

[xiand2]

I appreciate your efforts.

However, I wish we had a way of staying in touch with those that are cured. We could have some sort of mentoring program...

[nomorepanic]

When members tell me they are moving on because they don't "need" NMP anymore, and can I close their account, I do ask them to stick around and help others that need it but to be honest not many do which is sad as we lose all the positive success stories.

[AuntieMoosie]

Hello

As I understand it, Robin has indeed suffered from this condition and now leads a normal life.

I suppose it depends what you mean by "completely cured"?

This is only my opinion but how I understand it, is that we learn to change our thought processes over time and it does take time, unfortunately with all psychological conditions there is no one simple cure all. What will work for some people may not work for others.

I expect even if you spoke with ex drug addicts or alcoholics they will tell you that different things helped them in their recovery, they won't all have been the same.

My definition of "cure" for agoraphobia or indeed any of the panic disorders is to learn not to be frightened of fear, because that's what it is, fear. I used to describe myself to people by telling them that I felt like I was living in a "bubble of fear" and I couldn't pop it to get out, the reason I couldn't pop it was because I was constantly re-inflating my bubble with fear and then I would go round in endlessly decreasing circles with fear, feeding fear, feeding fear!

I've now reached the stage that I can recognise the fight and flight symptoms and deal with them instead of being frightened of them. The anxiety feelings still do pop up from time to time and that's when I have to use what I've learned to cope with them.

So as I say, in my opinion for me anyway a "cure" would be when I've learned how to properly deal with the fight or flight symptoms. I'm not telling myself that I'm never ever going to feel anxious again, because for me, that wouldn't be realistic, what I tell myself is that as long as I can cope with my anxiety and deal with it when it happens that will then be good enough as a cure for me. At least now, after all those years trapped in my house, I'm able to go out and face it, that's something I just could not do before.

I really do hope that you find that you make good progress, I do know and completely understand how difficult it is, it's the hardest thing I've had to do in my life so far.

Sending you hugs and best wishes

---------- Post added 02-11-12 at 00:08 ---------- Previous post was 01-11-12 at 23:57 ----------

Many thanks for the link Nicola

I will have a good read of that tomorrow once I've had some shut eye!! lol

[xiand2]

If we stop fearing fight-or-flight symptoms, then they will stop arising in inappropriate times.

You are cured once you no longer fear these symptoms and so you no longer avoid any situation DUE to fear of fight-or-flight symptoms and you never experience any distress in a situation DUE to fear of fight-or-flight symptoms.

[nomorepanic]

How far off are you from being "cured" (sorry but I hate that word lol) do you think you are?

[xiand2]

Too far! LOL.

It's hard to say. I'm at the point where I can drive alone about 20 minutes away from my home to a familiar area.

Perhaps that's 50% of the way there...?

I can handle elevated anxiety, but I'll admit, it can get high enough to still spook me if I'm far away from home.

[diane07]

I was asked by Nicola to check out this thread.

I'm off to work now so will reply more to it later tonight, but yes i used Robins programme, i had "one wish" which was to take my little girl to school on my own, which i did and do.

I can now do supermarkets, town centre's, you name it and i can do it, no fear and no panic.

It can be done.

Di x

[Wannabeloved85]

That's excellent Di, well done, I know getting better is hard and in no way as simple as it is to read. So I would like to say well done in your bravery of facing what can only be described as horrifyingly scary. I'm so pleased to read that you can do the one thing you wished, and rewarded by doing so much more

Becci x

[nomorepanic]

Thanks Di for replying.