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[Littlebit2cute]

Hi! I’m totally new to this! I have pretty much suffered with depression, anxiety disorder and the older I get my agoraphobia is getting worse. I take medication for all the above and check in with my doctor every 3 to 6 months. Is there anyone there that may have issues like this that may have tips on how I can get out of this rut?

[blackcat64013]

Hi and welcome to your forum.

To deal with your agoraphobia you will need to do a Talk Therapy in addition to medication

Talking therapy known as psychotherapy has 3 parts

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This is highly effective for anxiety disorders, including agoraphobia. Your therapist focuses on teaching specific skills to better tolerate anxiety, challenge worries, and gradually return to avoided activities. CBT is usually short-term and helps you build on initial success.

Exposure Therapy: A crucial part of agoraphobia treatment, exposure therapy involves gradually facing feared situations. Therapists understand the challenges of leaving home, so they may offer alternatives like home visits, video sessions, or phone consultations.

Goal Setting: Work with a therapist to set goals and learn practical skills to reduce anxiety symptoms.

If your condition is getting worse, it may be time for a medication review, to increase the dose or change to a different medication.

There are people in the forum who have been there and done that through their lived experience.

As a group we have membership from all over the world e.g. I am in Australia. We are in different time zones so there is usually someone online to reply to which helps when we are really struggling.

[Littlebit2cute in reply to blackcat64013]

Thank you so very much got your help and reply! It is so greatly appreciated! 😊

[Ellamaye]

Welcome to HU and yes we all are going through it x I have anxiety and depression but loads of others on here have agoraphobia I hope they reach out to you if there are any helpful things to share x

[Littlebit2cute in reply to Ellamaye]

Thank you for replying and letting me know there are others on here that have agoraphobia.

[gajh]

Can you share more about your agoraphobia? Are you leaving the house at all. I was not. I am now going out one night a week with my boyfriend, but I am home other than that. Just in the past 3 months I drove to the pharmacy once each month to pick up my meds. I know how hard it is to leave the house. It has helped me so much talking to people here who also have agoraphobia.

[Littlebit2cute]

Hi! Yes, I do leave my house to go to store to pick up meds and food. I have to take my anxiety med 30 minutes prior leaving the house. I have problems where there is going to be crowds of people. Also, I cannot go very far from my house. I am at home most of the time. I do go see my grandsons play basketball and baseball sometimes but sometimes I can’t make it which makes me very sad. 😢

[Agora1]

Hi Littlebit2cute....as you can guess from my username that I too WAS Agoraphobic

for 5 years. Never leaving my house even to get the mail. Windows covered with

dark shades. I was hiding from intense fear but didn't realize the fear was within me

and only I had the key to let myself out of this prison I had built around me.

At first it was like being on a long day off but after a few years, it get's stagnant.

Lost friends, family members disappointed in what I had become. Once I decided

enough was enough, I took all the therapy I had and became my own Advocate in healing.

After all, I had all the right tools but wasn't applying them. It wasn't until I set a goal for

myself and stopped sabotaging myself with "one day" was I able to go forward.

One day came and I took one step at a time with the help of my therapist on the phone.

I had to relearn all I had lost during those years. Determination, Patience and Persistence

made me finally attain the freedom I wanted and needed. It was amazing not to have this

ball and chain around me. It was amazing to breathe the fresh air once more. See people

all around me. My first time out alone was the Dollar Tree. lol

I realized for the first time that Life is Good and I am Good. I believed I could do it and

I did. Good Luck in finding the key within you. You may find that the door wasn't even

locked. You had the power to go through it at any time but fear held you back.

We're here for you to help you walk the walk one step at a time. It's going to be okay xx

[Littlebit2cute in reply to Agora1]

Thank you so very much Agora1! There are some days I don’t make it to the mailbox but I will say that I do have to have my blinds open during the day to see the sunshine. I do try to make myself go to the Dollar Store which is right down the street from where I live at least once a week. I still, though, have to take my anxiety meds 30 minutes before I leave. What bothers me the most is I never know from one day to the next how I am going to feel when I get up the next day whether it be calm or totally anxious. If I am anxious, I usually will not be able to go anywhere. If I have a doctors appointment the next day, I get so anxious the night before I have a difficult time sleeping and get up in the morning wanting to cancel my appointment or anything that I may have scheduled for that day. I hate that! I even get that way if I have a family event going on and that’s what makes me so sad 😢. I went to my granddaughters one year birthday party Saturday, there were about 20 ppl there, I had to go back to one of the bedrooms away from the crowd because I started having a panic attack. So, I went and took my anxiety meds and gave it time to take effect before I went back into the crowd. When I am in a crowd it sounds like someone has turned the volume up to 100% and feels like the walls are falling in on me. I start having a panic attack. It really bothers me I have this because I don’t get to go to hardly any of my oldest granddaughters Cheerleading Competitions it’s way too much for me.

[Agora1 in reply to Littlebit2cute]

I totally understand in that noises and lights and people chattering around me

use to get me super stressed out.

I'm proud of you in that you do try to get out whenever you can (isn't the Dollar Store

a fun place?) My mistake was truly closing the world out from me by covering the

windows as well as having people come to me during this time.

Worse possibly enabling... Don't give up...always believe in that you will one

day take that step out and not want to go back.

It happened for me and I am now here on this site to pass my success forward.

One day, you will be doing the same. xx

[Littlebit2cute in reply to Agora1]

Thank you so much!

[OldestSibling]

I had agoraphobia years ago until I started taking Prozac. It was so great to get my life back!

However, when I stopped working a couple of years ago, I didn’t have to leave the house, so I just stopped. It just seems safer to stay at home. It’s paralyzing but I just don’t want to change when it comes down to it.

I believe the only answer is to make a commitment either to a part time job or volunteering perhaps at a Senior Living Community.

Once out on a regular basis I think it will make it easier. I will have to take something for anxiety before leaving the house though.

Hoping to force myself to commit to something very soon!