help with agoraphobia

hello, my name is sharon and im 25 yrs old, ive been suffering with this condition for 8 yrs now and ive been to see a physcotherapist which i didnt find helpful i was taking medication aswell which was a type of antidepresent which did not help me one little bit, i have now been placed on a waiting list to see a cognitive behaviour therapist and am awaiting an appointment to go, i was wondering if any one had been to see a cognitive behaviour therapist before and could tell me weather they have found it helpful, i dont leave the house anymore because of this problem and just want to speak to other people who suffer with the same problem and to try and make some new friends by being on here. i would be very grateful to hear back from people. thanks .

[29sillygirl]

Sorry for the delayed response to your post.  I suffer from agoraphobia w/ panic.  Can relate.  

I hope you have gotten to a therapist by now.  I benefited from CBT..one on one, and group therapy.  Meds are a trial and error proposition.  For me they were essential and the base for success with therapy.

There is hope.  You keep trying.  Chip away at leaving the house....reward yourself for walking  to mail box or to take out trash..coming out of hibernation is a matter of taking baby steps.  

We have several forums here.  Suggest you join the anxiety or even depression forums for feedback.  Believe there is less activity in this forum....

Best...

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? Were you able to see your therapist? CBT usually  involves 10 to 20 visits with a health professional over a number of weeks. It helps you change the thoughts that cause your condition by learning to recognize and replace panic-causing thoughts. learning stress management and relaxation techniques, systematic desensitization and exposure therapy,  and gradual exposure to the real-life situation that causes the fear, among others. A healthy lifestyle including regular exercise, enough rest, and good nutrition may also help. Take care and hope to hear from you soon.

[reluctantcodeineaddict2011]

Sharon
first of all well done on having the courage to reach out for advice and support on here...I truly believe that reaching out for help is the first step to recovery
and recovery from even a serious disorder such as agoraphobia is possible.
of course I t won't be easy because of the nature of the disorder but if you have even a tiny desire to try to beat it, that can help us as we try little by little to overcome our problems.
I have lived with agoraphobia since my childhood...that Is when the pattern developed and became part of me.
I am now trying to face my fears each day without medication and I am succeeding even if I cheat by going to doctors appointments early because of my fear of walking into crowded rooms.
I think this has been my first year without relying on medication for my agoraphobia.
and it has not been easy of course but I have proved to myself that I can face life without drugs...and I believe you can too...in fact we all can...and I think that once we start trying to convince ourselves we can then that is the first step to recovery and freedom from irrational fear.
but sadly of course, many of us will never completely overcome our fears, but if we can even just overcome our fears enough to be able to live a normal life then that is better than living in utter fear 24/7.
please keep in touch and let us know how you get on.
all the best to you
with love from trevor xxx