Does anyone here have agoraphobia?

I was attacked by my brother 4 years ago, and my sisters and mother turned their backs on me and all surrounded him with love because he has a mental health illness. I was resented for not forgiving him. Soon after the attack I became riddled with panic attacks if I went into shops, which led to agoraphobia and general anxiety at home. It was awful. I had 2 bad years but then I worked on things and overcame it all 70%.

Last year I became ill with chronic fatigue, body weakness and felt unwell. I had blood tests done and I have an underactive thyroid and chronic fatigue. I am being treated but it's taking a while to treat it so the levels come down. WIth it all I have developed high anxiety again, trauma type symptoms triggered again and agoraphobia again. I had a bad panic attack at a blood test last September and since struggle to go to any appointments, shops or socialise. I struggle to even open the door to the postman some days. I am unwell and taking care of my children, cooking, cleaning and have to rest often due to my fatigue or i crash and am in bed for a few days feeling weak and unwell. My GP has to visit me if I need an appointment and I live in fear of needing blood tests as I can't go for them, even him coming to do them at my house fills me with dread (now I have social anxiety and fear of blood tests thanks to the panic during one last year). I have fears of ever having a terminal illness how would I cope, what if I needed scans or hospital treatment... how would i cope? Urgh being ill these fears cross my mind every day and i worry the doctors have it wrong and an underactive thyroid can't make you this fatigued and weak.

Can anyone relate? How do you cope with agoraphobia and appointments? I used to be able to do them with my hubby, sometimes alone but now since it returned I can't even manage them with my husband with me. It's horrible. I am having therapy again and i hope in time it will help me.

[valachia-t]

I have agarophobia. It was bad for the first two years. I didn't go no where. I now take baby sets. I sit out side for a little bit. I walk to the stop sign on my road. I take organic vitamin, and Valium when I have to visit my doctors. Some times the lack of certain vitamins can lead to these illnesses. Magnesium, B complex, etc...

[miarose]

Hi yes I hate going out alone, I usually have someone with me...my advice to you, would be to try and fight this...go out your front door and go as far as you feel comfortable, turn back,,,and do this every day until you can do it without feeling scared..gradually increase your distance all the time..believe me it works..its a slow process, but boy does it make you feel good..I can walk round the block now, and sometimes I go a bit further, look around you and ask yourself, what am I afraid of ? you will realise theres nothing to be afraid of..just your own fear...I dont mean to sound as if I know it all, I am still working on this myself. but it is the only way to overcome this..I know from experience..and of course therepy helps too..you can do this , believe me..I wish you all the best xxxxxx

[Beevee]

Hi

I didn't suffer from agoraphobia. Mine was GAD, with special emphasis on health anxiety and relationship anxiety.

However, recovery from any type of anxiety, including agoraphobia is possible if you follow the same process described by Dr Claire Weekes in her book called Essential Help For Your Nerves. If you haven't already read it, I urge you to do so. if you practice her teachings, you will recover. It is not about getting used to going certain places (not panicking when walking from A to B) it is more about allowing yourself to pass through the feelings of panic so that you can walk anywhere!

The book also teaches you that all anxiety disorders have the same root cause. Fear, or fear of fear which applies to agoraphobia. The location itself poses no threat, it is the fear of the fearful anxiety symptoms which stop you going there. As the root cause is the same, the way to recovery is also the same. Face your fears (don't avoid or shrink away from them,) accept them willingly (don't fight them or try to push them away, allow them the space to do what they want without resistance), float past them (be comfortable about feeling uncomfortable) and let time pass.

Hope this helps.

[Pat9 in reply to Beevee]

Dr Weekes is a life saver I bought her books when I had a breakdown 41 yrs ago and they gave me a life I woulnd't have had I would recommend her books to anyone

[Pat9]

So sorry you feel so bad I do suffer like you with appts, visitors etc but as Beevee has so rightly posted her look up Dr Weekes and she will give you the tools to cope with the fear which is all it is, fear and although I get problems I always have her advice to fall back on and it always works, good luck xx

[Beevee]

Curiously, I get the impression that that agoraphobia is more common in the female population compared to males and wonder why that is? I can clearly see how it develops and is no different to other anxiety labels such as OCD, health anxiety, relationship anxiety, PTSD , generalised anxiety. It's all fear based.

For me, although I felt fearful going places, places that never ever used to bother me, the anxiety never stopped me. I'd feel very stressed but still went. On the other hand, I had a hard job coping with relationship anxiety which "posed" all sorts of problems which I felt needed to be addressed. It turns out, nothing needed to be addressed and it was just my anxious mind giving me anxious thoughts which were false. I found this out by glimpsing in moments of clarity/relaxation/heavy exercise when those thoughts just never entered my head or if deliberately summoned up by me, they just didn't bother me. That didn't stop them coming for a while after because my nerves were still sensitised but being able to see that the whole anxiety thing was a complete confidence trick, Spurred me on to let the thoughts and feelings do whatever they wanted to do and float past them all.

I still get anxious from time to time (I am giving a presentation at work later today) but the magnitude of the feelings is nowhere near to the feelings I used to experience because there is no longer the fear attached. It is all very manageable and, In any case, I know those feelings will pass so it's no big deal!

The way to recover is always ahead. It is hard but it is the only way; to go through the panic and anxiety without resistance I.e floating past. keep on trucking and you will get there.

Best wishes

Beevee (Mr)