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Agoraphobia

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katrina5558

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Agoraphobia Posted: 05-09-08 11:33am


Is there anyone else out there that is suffering from Agoraphobia? I believe that I am suffering from that. I have read some stuff online about it. I am able to leave the house and go to places within a 5-10 mile radius of home, but anything more than that and I can not go unless my husband drives me. I also have IBS and one of my phonias and fears is being anywhere away from a bathroom, so I bought an old camper van with a toilet in it and that is the only way I can go anywhere. Even if it is only a couple of miles from home I still have to drive that. The thought of being in a regular car terrifies me. I have to admit that I did have on accident in the car and one time where I needed the restroom and couldn't get to one and I fainted in the car with my boss. I have also had about 10 fainting spells in the last few years, so those traumatic experiences are the cause of my anxiety. So I do know how it started, I just am not sure how to stop it now. Any suggestions or common problems?

CarolDiane

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Posted: 05-10-08 10:55am


I also went through that and in a way still do. But, mine was due to healh reasons. I was unable and still am, to be around anyone that is sick.....ei..Flu, viruses etc. So, I was totally afraid to leave my front door. Been almost four years now and I think the farthest I have gone is 50 miles. Yes, anxiety is normally the common cause of agroaphobia and the reasons behind it. I have been on anti-anxiety medication for almost 5 years now. Was switched to something similar to wheen me off the Xanax and now I take Lexapro and Serequil along with Depakote for my Bipolar. The three seem to compliment each other for me. But, every one is different and has to find the right cocktail for them. Hope you get this under control so you can have at least some kind of normal life. Thoughts are with you, CD

opeth

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Posted: 05-13-08 14:49pm


I am an agoraphobia-survivor. My case became so extreme at one point that I was afraid to leave my house at all. My 'safe zone' boundary closed in around me and eventually shrunk down to just my own home. It was really difficult. I got past it eventually by finding the right combination of cognitive therapy and a good natural supplement to correct the chemical imbalance I was having causing the extreme anxiety.

katrina5558

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Posted: 05-13-08 16:28pm


Bill, Did you go to a therapist for cognitive therapy or just do it yourself? What kind of supplements did you take? It would nice to pick someones brain that has been through this and gotten better? Can you go anywhere now or is it still difficult??

opeth

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Posted: 05-14-08 15:00pm


Katrina: I was too debilitated to see a therapist for cognitive help so I just scoured the internet for every resource I could find on techniques that work. I found an amazing variety of techniques out there including accupressure, breathing exercises, mental conditioning, diet tweaks, visualization... you name it. I had nothing to lose (since I had already lost nearly everything) so I just started trying as many of these techniques as I could. Some worked for me and some did not. The most helpful for me were the breathing exercises to use while experiencing a panic attack and visualization to fight the agoraphobia and get myself out of my house and expand my comfort zone once again. It took time but it worked. As far as meds go, as soon as I was comfortable enough to get out again I made it to the doctors office. They immediately put me on antidepressants (of course). I was on Zoloft which was great at first until they had to increase my dose to a megadose which made me sick. I eventually tried natural supplements to get off of the drugs and settled on a great one called Ashwaganda. This lead me to find a really good ashwaganda-supplement product called Panicyl. I'm still on it today. That combined with the cognitive exercises I learned get me through every day successfully. And every day I'm agoraphobia and panic-free adds more & more confidence. These days I'm back to my 'normal' state again. I can leave the house without worry. Looking back its hard for me to believe how bad it got. There were days I truly wanted to give up. So please don't lose hope. If I could do so can you. You just have to find out what combination works best for you. Hang in there Bill

r53

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Posted: 05-22-08 00:40am


I am too am an agoraphobia survivor, (having lived with it for 30+ years), and I lead a perfectly normal life now. But there was a time not that long ago, when I was afraid to go anywhere, I couldn't drive the highways, only side streets, I couldn't go into any place where there was a crowd of people, unless I'd had a few stiff drinks first. Large department stores forget it! Ballgames out of the question! I could hardly function at work, I had my "safe" zone (my office)...but outside of that , I constantly felt as if I would faint of pass out, and scurry back to my office, I couldn't even fathom going into the cafeteria. And this was while taking, what was available for stress at the time librium, or valium. Then Xanax came along and it helped some, and I was on it for years...but never really comfortable, and still avoided highways and large stores etc. Then tried Zoloft, and some natural remedies, but none really worked for me. Then a Doc prescribed Cymbalta and after a few weeks it was like night and day. Hell I can go anywhere and do anything I want now, I don't even think about having an attack, which is the biggest battle in defeating THE BEAST! I know everyone is different and some natural remedies and therapy will work for some but not all. Meds are not the enemy if you have a chemical imbalance they just might be the right thing for you see your doctor.

ObserveWithCouth

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Posted: 05-27-08 12:53pm


It's such a shame to see so many people with such a misconstrued view. Your doctor says one sentence and you think he/she has given you all the information you need to know. Anxiety does not cause Agoraphobia. It's a result of being agoraphobic. This isn't an anxiety disorder, it's a phobia. "an abnormal fear of being in crowds, public places, or open areas, sometimes accompanied by anxiety attacks." Keyword: abnormal. Essentially this anxiety is brought on as a result of how other people will view/judge you in a social situation. For example, 'stage fright' is agoraphobia. Not so severe, but the anxiety which comes from being on stage in a crowd of people is agoraphobic. Alex Rodriguez choking every October when he's at bat in a playoff game could also be viewed as agoraphobia. The only difference is in your case, it's very severe. Think of it sort of like alcoholism- A. Rod has a drink every so often, you're a full blown drunk. You can beat this on your own, but you can't let it get the best of you. Anti-anxiety meds may work to help cover it up. If I shove 4 valium in your mouth and drop you in a grocery store you're obviously not going to feel your typical agoraphobia. You probably wont be feeling much of anything! Prozac and other SSRI's simply aren't anti anxiety meds. They're a fad amongst doctor's like ritalin was in the early 90s. Your fear of being away from a bathroom has nothing to do with a "chemical imbalance" in your brain. If that's the case, when Im on trial for a homicide I'll just say "oh, it must be this chemical imbalance I have." Apples and Oranges, but it gets my point across. The best way to get past Agoraphobia is socio-cognitive therapy of some kind. Just like people with a fear of spiders, flying, feet, monkeys, batteries, chickens, etc etc are treated for their phobias. And if you keep an attitude such as this: "But, every one is different and has to find the right cocktail for them." you're destined to pop whatever pills people tell you will work for the rest of your life. A truly healthy mind doesn't need to be medicated.

r53

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Observewithcouth Posted: 05-27-08 13:35pm


Do you have an anxiety disorder??? If not then you don't know what the H-ll you're talking about. Unless you experience this you can't possibly know. If You can't leave your house, if open spaces make you very uncomfortable, and if you have trouble functioning outside your home I'd say thats pretty darn close to the definition of Agoraphobia. Therapy may work for some, It didn't for me, but the little pills the doc gave me, has given me back my life . I'm not zombie, I have a very demanding managerial position, that takes a tremendous amount of multi tasking, I couldn't do that unless I was clear headed and focused.

Agoraphobia