panic disorder & agoraphobia

[User87365209]

hello I’m new here looking to find ppl to talk to that have experienced something similar. I’ve felt very isolated from dealing with panic disorder and agoraphobia. It’s hard to find anyone who truly understands what I’m going through. I haven’t worked in over 2 years because of my diagnosis. I’m taking it day by day, therapy biweekly, but it would be nice to know I’m not alone.

[gajh]

Welcome. I am not technically diagnosed with agoraphobia, but I have a really hard time leaving the house and rarely do. I am diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I do not work. You are definitely not alone. I would be happy to talk to you about it.

[User87365209 in reply to gajh]

Thank you for sharing! I appreciate the response. It’s hard for me to talk about my struggles period, let alone to someone else. But I have to because if I don’t I’ll bottle it up and one day explode. This is the first time in a while that I haven’t felt numb to my emotions. So I’m pretty scattered. Lol

[gajh in reply to User87365209]

It is definitely good to share. It is so helpful to know that you aren't alone. I can't explain to other people why it is so hard to leave the house. It just is. When is the last time you left the house?

[User87365209 in reply to gajh]

Yeah it’s hard to explain to others especially when they don’t understand bc I know it can sound somewhat unrealistic to ppl who don’t fully experience it. Just know you have an open ear. But I left the house yesterday to go to my moms, my parents are separated so I still go back and forth so it forces me to do exposure therapy. When’s the last time you were out the house?

[gajh in reply to User87365209]

Monday I went to therapy and treatment, yesterday I went out to the mailbox. I think it is good that you are being forced to leave the house. The longer you stay in the harder it is to leave. Are your parents understanding?

[User87365209 in reply to gajh]

That’s good to hear! Has therapy been helpful? Also I remember when I first started with walking to my mailbox, I never thought I’d be able to do it but I’m able to now, depending on the day. But I’m currently trying to walk a certain distance each day in my neighborhood but I’ve been procrastinating. It definitely helps that im being held accountable by my parents by going back and forth. And yes I definitely fall back and what feels like regression when I don’t leave the house even within a day. It’s frustrating bc I get exhausted for doing exposure therapy, and having depression doesn’t help. But how long have you experienced this?

[gajh in reply to User87365209]

I have struggled with depression and anxiety most of my life. I was still leaving the house up until 4 years ago. I have been doing worse since December. I got TMS treatment where I had to go for treatment 5 days a week for 6 weeks. That was super hard for me to do, but it got me in the habit. To keep it up I started going to the gym. I did that for many months before I wasn't able to. I loaned my car to someone after he had an accident. It dragged on a lot longer than expected. Then I got out of the habit of driving. Now I don't drive, but I definitely will drive again. It is so hard when you get out of the habit, then it becomes a thing.

[User87365209 in reply to gajh]

It took my dad a while to understand the severity of it, I didn’t talk to him for 6th months bc of it and stayed at my moms for that timeframe. My mom has been the best I could ask for. Idk what I’d do without her.

[gajh in reply to User87365209]

It sounds like your Dad has come around and is being supportive now? I am so glad you have the support of your Mother and that you aren't all alone with it.

[Agora1]

Hi User87365209 and Welcome.

I started with Anxiety first. Experiencing the horrendous physical symptoms that let

me at times go into a full fledge Panic Attack. Before long I started associating the store

I was in at the time as my trigger. Before long, my world got smaller and smaller until one

day I had a terrible fear of leaving my house. I pulled all shades down, locked the doors and

that's were I stayed for the next 5 years. I couldn't even stick my head out the door to get

the mail. I never saw the sun during that time. Family and friends did not understand,

I was alone. I always thought that I could and would beat anxiety and it's control over

me. With medication, therapy and lots and lots of research on my own I got through it.

The basis of my foundation came from Dr. Claire Weekes and her book "Hope & Help

for Your Nerves" which I still keep her book in my bookcase.

It was quite a journey. I made mistakes by allowing medical staff to come to my home.

Everything else was brought to me in a way enabling me to stay in my safe zone. As they

say we learn from our experiences. I've learned and am here now to pass my success

forward. I'm glad you are here with us. xx

[gajh in reply to Agora1]

Hi Agora1. How long have you been well? How long ago was that? I am really curious how long it took from forcing yourself to leave the house to actually becoming comfortable leaving. Before it just wasn't a thing anymore. Was that a really long process for you?

[Agora1 in reply to gajh]

Hi gajh, once I took that first step in poking my head outside and getting the mail, the

next steps were done in increments. Walk to garage and back. Sit in car. Drive car to end

of drive. Drive around block with my therapist on line. I'd say these steps took about 6 months. The idea was to never retrieve from what I started doing. When the day finally came for me to take that trip to the store, I choose The Dollar Tree *my favorite.

Apprehensive going there but in control doing my well practiced breathing method that toned down the adrenaline. I saw new buildings that had gone up in the last 5 years. It was like a door was being opened to my life again.

When I parked my car in front of the store, I took one last deep breath, put one foot in front of the other and with joy entered the store. Grabbed a cart and started my going up and down the aisles. Only planning to stay a few minutes. I didn't realize until 1 hour and a half later how long I had stayed w/o any incidence because I was happy, happy makes you breathe deeply and exhale any stresses. I finally walked out of the store happy as a clam with a bunch of bags in my arms of little treasures as well as knowing I had just completed that first big step.

From there on, there were trips to post office, pharmacy and of course my therapist.

There isn't any set length of time that it may take. The thing is to keep going forward and always pat yourself on the back for having tried (which is also a win) It's a great feeling to feel alive once more. This all happened ten years or more. I've now been on this site for 8. Wishing you all the best. xx

[gajh in reply to Agora1]

Hi Agora1. Thank you so much for your response and the details of your recovery. That is so helpful. I think it is amazing that you have been here 8 years helping people. Thank you. I have read Hope and Help for Your Nerves. I have anticipatory anxiety. I worry all week long knowing that I have to go out on Monday. The anticipation is worse than actually going out. I have a question about depression. I have fatigue, lack of motivation, and just don't want to do anything. I feel like the depression is keeping me in the house not just anxiety. I am not motivated to do anything. I have gone out to the mailbox, but I just don't want to do that every day. I know I should. I know it would help me with anxiety. So, my question is do you use acceptance the same way with depression? Do I just accept that I don't want to do anything and do things anyways? I keep wanting to feel better first. To get some energy and motivation. Is that hope the problem? Do I just have to do it anyways? So, acceptance is the way to recover from anxiety. Is acceptance the only way to recover from depression also? Does it work that way? Did you have depression along with anxiety that kept you in the house? If you did, how did you push through the depression, and did it get better?

[Agora1 in reply to gajh]

Hi gajh, I did not have depression along with my agoraphobia. It is one of the reasons that I do not address depression since I only go by my own experiences.

You are on an excellent site here where you can get the answers you need from others. As for myself, I always blamed my inability to do anything from anxiety itself as well as anticipational anxiety.. 'I never remember even really being sad but being determined that I would beat this control over me. FEAR was the block I had to break through.

Acceptance of anxiety not being harmful is the key but in order to turn the lock, we must take action by going outside the door. It's going to be okay. One step at a time will get you to your goal. My best to you xx

[gajh in reply to Agora1]

Thank you. I will have to find my determination to do it. This site is helping me so much.

[Agora1 in reply to gajh]

The thing is to never give up. Where there's a will, there's a way.

It's a pleasure to have you as a part of our virtual community of friends. xx

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Hi! Welcome! You Will have a lot of support on here! I am finding that this is really Helping to have People that are going through the same thing and truly understand what we’re going through! I suffer from bipolar disorder and panic attacks go hand-in-hand with it. I’ve had it for years!!! My panic attacks get so severe that I end up in the emergency rooms and it’s embarrassing in the end when you’re handed a Xanax and sent home! It starts with an instant Burning feeling in my chest and then the panic sets in ! I often try to do breathing exercises but sometimes it doesn’t work! :(I have a doctors appointment next Tuesday to see if I can get on medication to help me with my disorder. I’ve been on meds before But I either had interactions, or it didn’t work! “Stay strong” we all can get through this together No matter what condition we have!!! ! Hopefully your doctor can prescribe something that will help you too!! Remember, you’re not alone!-Shay