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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Developing agoraphobia due to thick post nasal drip or ENS. Am I paranoid?
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
Developing agoraphobia due to thick post nasal drip or ENS. Am I paranoid?
by shaun1984, Jun 18, 2007 12:00AM
Hi, I've suffered from Social Anxiety since I was 15, I'm now 23. What's causing me distress at the moment, for over a year now, and is making me agoraphobic and has made me drop out of Uni twice in the last 9 months is, from what I have read, a thick post nasal drip among other things. I can feel mucus in my throat but when I try to clear it I can't bring it into my mouth to spit it out, I can only swallow it and it comes back within minutes. Occasionally when I do manage to spit some out it is clear mucus. A while ago I also woke up a few times choking on clear, thick, sticky mucus, which I noticed happened when I ate fatty foods. For a long time now when I wake up I tend to find myself sleeping on my hand/s or my arm/s with the blood circulation to these parts cut of and I find myself breathing very shallowly. -- The reason this is increasing my SA and making me agoraphobic is the fact that wherever I go in public the people I end up next to always cough and clear their throat. It's a normal thing that people do I know, but it happens everywhere I go and people always do it in such a manner, Heh Hem, which is also used to draw someones attention. I get it everywhere! I get it on the train, the bus, at the haidressers, at the cinema, in class which is why I dropped out. It just make me not want to go out.
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Jun 19, 2007 12:00AM
, Jun 19, 2007 12:00AM
You need some help with your social anxiety, which is certainly the cause of your preoccupation with mucus....which is an expression of your anxiety and a reason to withdraw. YOu can help with programs or therapy, and since this is interfering with your schooling, I suggest you seek a therapist to help you work this out.
You do sound very anxious which leads you to be overly-focused on mucus, etc. Have you been to an ENT (Ear Nose and Throat) specialist to rule out any sort of nose probem?
I think you could work on your social anxiety with a GOOD therapist. After reading over people's comments on this forum, I've come to the conclusion that a lot of people don't have access to really good doctors and other professionals. Do you live in a big city? Is their a medical school in your city? If so, I'd recommend doing some research to find someone that can you help. You'd probably need a psychiatrist and someone that is experienced with cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT).
You may be tempted to stay inside and keep to yourself...but you need to fight that temptation.