Treatment-resistant agoraphobia/emetophobia

[lass-in-a-mess]

I've had agoraphobia and emetophobia for 10 years now. I've tried almost everything to get better and none of it seems to work. I've been up and down over the years- sometimes housebound, other times I've managed to work at a part time job 10 minutes from my house. I've been able to make it as far as the next city (30 mins drive away) a handful of times in the past few years, but at the moment I can't seem to do anything without losing the plot.

I'm currently in a very bad place. I'm back to struggling just to go to the local shop or walk the dog.

My main issue is that my anxiety seems very resistant to treatment. I have done exposure therapy- I've forced myself to go to the local shop every other day for years, but on a bad day I still can't cope with it. Technically, by going there and not having panic attacks (probably 100 times) it should have proved that the shop is not a scary place, and therefore I shouldn't panic there. But I still do.

I've made myself go shopping in town, drive to places, socialise in town in pubs, go to my boyfriend's house, etc. over and over again, for years, and yet I still have panic attacks going to those places, or even just thinking about going to those places.

I've been having weekly counselling for a year... my counselor is great, and we've got to the bottom of the reasons behind my panic attacks starting all those years ago. But however much we talk about it, however much we give me strategies to cope and try different techniques, nothing seems to work. Over the years I've tried:

• CBT, keeping a diary/doing experiments over and over
• Normal counselling; talking about my past and the things that have led me here etc
• Exposure therapy with the emet. photos videos etc...couldn't cope with it at all!
• Hypnotherapy
• Beta blockers, fluoxetine, citalopram, mirtazapene, pregabalin
• Healthy eating
• Exercise
• Getting a dog to make me go out
• Passing my driving test so that I can try to feel safe in my car/traveling
• Distraction, breathing techniques, muscle relaxation techniques, positive mantras, mindfulness

Things aren't always as bad as they are now, but I haven't gone further than a few miles out of my city in 10 years. I've not been on holiday, or to visit my sisters who have moved away, I can't work outside my house, I barely see any of my friends. I'm not only scared when I go out, but when I'm at home too, as I'm scared of being sick constantly.


It seems like the combination of agoraphobia and emetophobia is so much more difficult to treat. I'm planning on having some acupuncture, and am going to ask my GP to review my meds, but does anyone know of anything else I can do? I can't live like this any more :( and the longer it carries on, the further away I seem to get from living a normal life. I feel like I do everything I'm supposed to do; that the doctors/counselors, etc. have told me to do over the years, but for me it just doesn't seem to work. I can't get over the fear.



Any advice would be so helpful, thank you x

[netball]

Have you tried Pregabalin?

[lass-in-a-mess]

Have you tried Pregabalin?

yes, am on 75mg morning and evening...not sure it's making any difference though :/

[Jayamashey]

It might be worth trying counseling from an anxiety expert (a professional who has experienced severe anxiety/depression).

One group, anxietycentre.com, feel that anxiety based problems are more about thought processes and less about chemical imbalances. I have had treatment resistant anxiety as well (well, more I couldn't handle the meds) and have made great progress through the counselors there. They do session via Skype for clients all over the world.

[netball]

I'm on 100mg morning 50mg mid afternoon and 100mg at night and it seems to be helping. They do say you need quite a high dose. How long have you been on them?