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is there help for me

hi-

I've been researching online to try and find some help for me. I have let anxiety take over my life. From what I've read online I think I have agoraphobia. I am not homebound, but i avoid situations where i feel I can not escape, and I have no idea what i'd be trying escape from anyway!

I can track my anxiety back to about ten years ago. I used to take the bus into the city to go to school. I ALWAYS had to have a water bottle with me. If I didn't, I wouldn't get on the bus until I bought one.

A few years ago, I was driving home on the expressway and I just got such a nervous feeling. Since then it has gotten progressively worse where I will not drive on the expressway, or over bridges by myself or as a passenger. I haven't flown in 3 years because I fear that something may happen and I cannot get out.

I used to love to travel and now I cannot. I have to make excuses to friends why i can't go into the city with them. I just want my old life back somehow. Has anyone gone through something similar? I am going for a checkup and wanted to ask my doctor if her could prescribe me something.
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Avatar universal
you're not alone about 10 years ago,as well I was very socail! then i went into depression and started getting social anxiety,didn't want to go anywhere. I then got on some kind of ani anxiety med,and gradually started getting out going places in my car.It did take me a while to ride with other people and go far from the house.It helps and makes you feel better if you call a family memeber or good friend and just tell them where you're going.Good luck you'll be ok! God bless!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi there, I'm Barfer.  I am the person that nursegirl referred to in the above post.  I started that thread for people just like you.  I am managing amazingly well for someone who is agoraphobic, but like I wrote in that Agoraphobic and Housebound thread, I have a very close friend who isn't as lucky and has been housebound for seven years. I have had GAD and panic for as long as I can remember but have only been housebound once and for a very short time.  Although I have always limited myself because of my agoraphobia.  I used to love travel when I was a kid but as soon as I got married, I stopped liking to travel by plane and now I realize it was because my mother was my "safe person".  In time, my husband became my safe person but by then we had children and didn't do much air travel.  Then of course, the seats on the plan got smaller and closer together (I'm claustrophobic too) and it seemed that the only time we travelled by air was because of some family crisis.  Needless to say, I associate air travel with bad situations and car travel has become the same for other reasons too long to go into now.  Let's just say that travel is for the birds!  The big BUT here is that just recently, I had to travel to Florida because my sister has lung cancer and wanted me to be with her.  This is where all that CBT and medication was really going to be put to the test.  My husband drove me from Toronto to Florida...it took 3 very long days and I was able to do it because IF YOU REALLY WANT SOMETHING BADLY ENOUGH, YOU WILL FIND A WAY TO DO IT.  I wrote that in capital letters because I need you to know that it is possible to do something you think you never can or will do again.  With the right therapy, a positive outlook and possibly medication (definitely in my case) you can have the life you want.  Here come the capital letters again...YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO WORK AT IT.  Every single day is a challenge for me to leave my house but I make myself do it because I don't ever want to be housebound again.  Sometimes I make excuses not to go out, but I know in my heart of hearts, if I don't make the effort, I will never leave.  I make sure I eat properly before I go to somewhere special, I take my meds, keep a positive attitude and even if I feel the anxiety, I fake it and eventually, I feel comfortable or at the very least I don't feel like bolting.  You've got to work hard at it, but it is sooooo worth it.

Barfer
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
I bumped that thread for you.  It is called "Agoraphobic and Housebound" by "barfer".  I hope you get a chance to take some time and read the whole thing.

It is a good read for ANYONE....
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
Welcome!  You have found a great place....so many of us have been where you are (or are still there in varying degrees).  

What you describe absolutely sounds like agoraphobia.  If you search this forum using that as a keyword...you will find all kinds of posts related to that.  Also..I have a few journals about it (some were posts taken from a lengthy thread we had going on the subject.)  I actually hope you are able to find that thread....it is such a great thing to read regarding agoraphobia.  I BELIEVE it was started by a member named "barfer".  I'll try to find it and bump it for you.  It is a wonderful thread.

The good news is...there is hope and there is recovery.  The bad news is (isn't there ALWAYS 'bad news'?) it doesn't happen overnight.  It takes us quite a while to get into this kind of cycle, therefore.... it takes a while to break it.

"Talk therapy" is a must....it will help you to cope with the anxiety and work thru the agoraphobia.  CBT ("cognitive behavioral therapy") is also a GREAT option for agoraphobics.  Meds may be an option for you as well.  A lot of people have had success both WITH meds as part of the treatment protocol, as well as without.

I'm going to go and find that thread for ya....I think you'll feel a lot better after reading about it.  Search around...read some of our journals...and you will realize how NOT alone you are in this.  It is VERY frustrating and debilitating...but you CAN get through it...it is just going to take some time and patience on your part.

Hang in there...glad to have you here...please feel free to share what you are comfortable with...we have such a great group of people here with the same thing in common in one way or another....anxiety.
Helpful - 0
506273 tn?1260138781
Hi there.  I think we have something in common.  I have been diagnosed with agoraphobia as well as other things in my last post,but I can COMPLETELY agree with what you are saying.  I haven't driven on the highway in so many years I can't count them.  If there isn't a back road that can get me where I need to go, well then I don't go.  I too need an escape route.  When I first got sick, there were many grocery carts left full in the store, I had to go!!  When it all first started it scared me to no end...honestly I am still scared.  Making excuses so I can stay home is a major problem here.   I have been working with the same dr. since 1995, many medicine cocktails..at times I just think  he drugged me to shut me up.  Oh well another story..

Anyway I hope this gets better for you!!  If you need to chat drop me a note!

Have a great night
Alley
Helpful - 0
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