CBT to tackle Agoraphobia - my experience

[little wren]

Jamesflames ... Thanks for sharing. It's interesting what you say about it changing how you view areas outside your safety zone. It is so easy to fall into the habit of thinking about 'safety zones' in the same way (the only safe place) and anything outside it in the same way (it is always scary). I can see how gaining a different perspective would be helpful. Good luck x

[robinhall]

Hi Serenite

I'm very sorry I have caused you to feel so bad. You may not have noticed my post in the Announcements forum that I intend to give CBT4PANIC free from now on in a few weeks time.

I did apologize to you when you told me you felt I was patronising you and made clear that it was not my intention to do so but clearly that didn't help so all I can say is that I am sorry again and I hope you are finding the help you need in all directions.

Robin

[little wren]

Just an aside - I have a raging toothache (desperate need of a filling) as other agoraphobics are aware it is not as easy as just phoning up the dentist and going (actually I am not even registered anywhere it has been over 20 years since I went to the dentist). At present I have fallen backwards and cannot even get out of my street. Has anyone got any ideas of how I should go about this? I am thinking maybe Robins programme may help but how long until you feel it working? x

[Pinktel]

Firstly I would register with the nearest dentist!! Not sure how you do this now as have been with mine for years but you must be able to get on somebody's list somewhere close by.
I would then have a really frank conversation with them about your current limits and see what they themselves suggest. Until you know your options you don't know what is required of you or what you need to be working towards.
Certainly I would think the CBT will help but it's perhaps a tall order to throw yourself into that so quickly if you are currently struggling. If nothing else the programme is based on constant repetition of a behaviour to retrain the brain so the more you do something successfully with no fear of panic the better it gets. Why not email Robin to ask advice also?

[little wren]

Thanks Pinktel - you make perfect sense...I need to know what is required of me... can bear pain at moment...but get ball rolling x

[star2sparkle]

Hi LittleWren

Have you found a dentist? I hope so. I have dental phobia along with agoraphobia and had terrible teeth but I found a lovely dentist who helped me to face my fears and if I could marry him I would! I have to travel to see him and so 'battle' the agoraphobia with the dental phobia but it is amazing what you can do sometimes. My teeth are so much better as a rewarding result.
I agree with Serenite in that there are so many anxiety 'helpers' out there such as Charles Linden who are making vast quantities of money from other people's suffering. I actually did buy Charles Linden's stuff and found the Tai Chi helpful and visualisation techniques (not much else to be honest!) so consider that as a way of relaxing. Have a peek on the net.
Robin Hall's books are great. I am sure he would send you 'Overcoming Panic Attacks and Agoraphobia' using CBT if you ask him. It is so good! The cartoons make me chuckle all the time. I don't quite comprehend why he was charging before and not now but I can say that his books can be lifesavers. All I would propose is that you seek face to face expert help rather than just going it alone, especially if you have suffered for many years. Graded exposure therapy is excellent for agoraphobia but often you need extra support for this, not just self help. I will always say that one size doesn't fit all because otherwise we'd all be cured by now; there are, after all, many people who are extremely brave that aren't cured using CBT (I know it is about acceptance and not bravery so much but still have to say it!) It can be about a combination of therapies that suit you.
I am still trying...never give up and just find what is best for you

[little wren]

sparkle2sparkle I am so scared of 'flooding' - doing too much without knowing what the hell I am doing. When things like toothache hit you (something you can't think away) it makes me realise just how ill prepared Ive let myself become by letting my going out fall by the wayside.

Robin sent me the free literature a few days ago. I think the value of it is not going to be immediate for me (i.e. the tooth) but as a long-term strategy I think it makes perfect sense. As for the tooth - I kid myself 'it doesn't hurt that much' etc but I am going to ask MHN early next week where anxious clients go (we all have to deal with the everyday whether we have anxiety disorders or not) as who I see is going to have a major effect on how I deal with it. Perhaps this hurting is a good thing because I can no longer ignore that I need to ask them for help. x

---------- Post added at 08:06 ---------- Previous post was at 08:02 ----------

Just an aside I couldn't get onto your blogspot - it came up error.

Ive seen a few of diaries/blogs on this site and the writer appears to benefit just by the actual writing of their experience (whether anyone reads it or not). I am considering my own (jumping on the bandwagon) as I don't want to hog other peoples. I also find it is easier to follow a few people when they have a diary/blog. x

[star2sparkle]

Hi Little Wren

It is strange about the blog link. As you say it doesn't work but if you copy it and then paste it into your browser, it does. odd! Yes, do write your own blog, I'd love to see it. How are you getting on today?

[Alabasterlyn]

I've had CBT for my agoraphobia 3 times and on none of those occasions have I felt I really benefited.

The last 2 times I was just given the 6wk sessions and both times they were stopped as the therapist wasn't able to take me out in their car. Now I know some people might think that I should have just gone walking up and down the road with the therapist but I was told on both occasions that during therapy it was important to make a list of places that I actually wanted to go to otherwise it would be pointless. As I find walking up and down the road I live in incredibly tedious rather than anxiety provoking we agreed to drop the sessions. I still find it hard to believe that the NHS can't arrange for therapists to be insured to take our patients as being able to travel is surely such a huge hurdle for so many of us.

My first experience with CBT though was for a longer period which was supposed to be a year and for that I saw a qualified Psychologist through the local hospital. I had to go to her office every week for the sessions, which was very hard but I made sure I kept every appointment.

For 8mths we just sat and talked in her office when I was itching to actually go out and do some exposure therapy. When we did start to go out I realised quite quickly that it wasn't going to work as I didn't agree with the way she did things. Our first outing was walking around a local field on a hot August afternoon when the temperature was 96f! I was anxious when we started off, felt even worse when we were walking around the field and more crucially felt even worse once I got home. I've always understood that it's important to stay out until the anxiety lessens yet this therapist obviously didn't see it that way.

For our next session she wanted to meet me in the middle of a 140 store shopping mall I was not allowed to take anyone with me, just to be dropped off in the middle of town, somewhere I was totally unable to get to even with my partner. When I asked if I could at least let my partner wait for me in the car park she wouldn't even go along with that and decided to stop our sessions on the grounds of my "lack of trust". I'd be the first person to say that yes I do have trust issues, but I don't see that as a valid reason to stop therapy.

[Pinktel]

Wow Alabasterlyn - that is RUBBISH CBT!! But I am not surprised as my experience of NHS CBT is equally sad, although I am sure there are good therapists out there, they are just not in MY neck of the woods!

What a shame you are put off CBT from these poor therapists. Please try the (now free) CBT4Panic which is endorsed through this site it is slowly but surely changing my life. 20 plus years of agoraphobia, panic disorder, health anxiety, hyperventilation, GAD, the list is embarrassing!!

I won't advise you to walk up and down your road if you find it tedious. But what happens when you walk beyond your road? Where is the cut off point to feeling anxious as opposed to bored? Find that point and that's where you begin. If you are in charge of your own CBT programme you certainly CAN take your partner to a shopping mall to begin with, you do it at your own pace in your own way. If your partner is around to drive you, try and plan that into your week in different ways.