Cant leave my home!!! HELP ME PLEASE

[Talz]

Hey Guys, This isnt really a question..but I would really like some advice or knowledge on this subject.  Ive had anxiety for years, and everything was okay, I was still able to go to malls, and do all that stuff.. then suddenly, I went to the mall (5 days ago) and I had this huge panic attack.. it was massive. I couldn't even understand what was happening, it was just a complete blur. Like I was high on something. I freaked out and tried to run away from the mall.. i stood outside trying to calm down and not just run away from this, but it wasn't really going away, I felt all weird, and sick..I thought I was going to vomit and faint, but my heart was not beating any faster, and my breathing wasn't changing.. (they were both normal)....
Ever since then, I have been scared to leave my house.. I've actually not went out.  Today I wanted to make a change, because I cant do this to myself, Ive never been at this state.. so I went to the local store (which is a couple blocks from my house) I drove there okay, and got into the store and freaked out again the same way. I drove home and refused to leave. My boyfriend can't get me to go out for coffee which is a couple blocks down, because I'm scared. I WANT TO DO THIS, but I feel like I can't.. because I cannot take these feelings..
I have an appoitment at a doctors office soon, and it's really far from my house (at least a forty five min drive) and I am soo scared. I want to go because I want to help myself, but I seriously freak out, and these feeling do not go away AT ALL..
HELP me!!
Any advice... has this happened to anyone? How did u cope? ANYTHING.. please.. I am desperate..
I am giving up hope.. all is lost for me..

[Morningdovemom]

My not wanting to leave my house started years ago. It was a very mild feeling of anxiety,and i would always just go out anyways. I am a very strong person and have overcome a lot in my past. I am 47 now and find it more difficult to leave my home every day. I cant go grocery shopping any more unless my husband comes with me. I feel completely safe going out with him or some one else, but almost and sometimes do cry when I know I have to go out of the house by my self. I have put off going to the grocery store for 2 days now. My hubby is very supportive with me, but not knowing why this is happening to me is very frustrating. I have been hiding this from everyone except my husband, and I dont know how much longer I can hide it. Any advise would be greatly appreciated

[ruk]

I've had depression since i was 14, im not 17 about to be 18 in a month, just recently i began to have panic attacks, goign out to a resturaunt especially and just today going to the mall. I cant explain the feeling i get but its terrible and idk what to do. Its taking over my life and i was on anti-depressants when i was 15 and they made my anxiety worse so i went off of them. Im begining to get agrophobia and i also have sleep paralisis which i had one last night for the first time in a while and drinking is about the only thing i can use to control this anxiety and the panic attacks and the fear when i go to sleep. My mom wants me to go the my regular doc. and get medications but i want to talk to someone who understands. I dont think i can take tihs anymore its taking over my life and i can hardly leave my house anymore.

[sweetxtc4me]

I feel so hopeless, its gets so much harder when i fail at something to get back up again and shake it off becuz its seems like i am so alone all the time and im so sick of this. Ive been agaraphobic/anxiety/panic ridden since i was 13 yrs old and i just turned 34 and i managed to keep my head above water to breathe a little but i cant seem to fight this with medication and or therapy, i have seen about 13 psycologists and 5 psychiatrists throughout my life so far and and i think they all have just filled  my head with more garbage than was there to begin with so now ive been medication free  for 5 mths and recently had o start a few of them to sleep and function a little better, when i stopped all the medications my mind felt clearer and i stopped having nightmares but i still cant sleep and i am still depressed and very high anxiety................ and i have been house ridden except for doctors appts twice a month.............i really wish i could go outside again.

[smiley733]

I sometimes get this feeling in Malls as the people seem to come at you so this may be one of the reasons is the crowded feeling similar to clastraphobia.  I hope you can get over this as mine seems to happen everytime I am at WEM.

[JSGeare]

Welcome to the wonderful world of panic. Bummer, isn't it? To get to the doc's office you may need to find what we in the panic business refer to as a "safe" person -someone whom you trust to take you, wait on you, bring you back. Maybe your boyfriend -and maybe NOT. But I would promptly call the doc's office and report this problem. Perhaps (just perhaps) they'll phone in a prescription for you.

Little doubt the time has come for some intensive therapy to get to the roots of matters. Meanwhile, see if you can remember what has been going on in your life about the time you went to the Mall -anything stand out in your memory? And -is it the mall -or is it all the people? How about a church? A theatre? A library? What about your neighbor's house? Aside from your own home, does any place stand out as being safe, such as a relative's home?

I'm not asking you to dwell on this, Talz -but I am suggesting you give some though about what it is that is scary.

Odd as it may sound, this explosive incident may possibly be an indication that you are on the brink of actually DEALING with issues -sort of like the darkest hour is always before the dawn -and then, daylight!

Enough for now. Chill time. Minister to yourself kindly, exactly as you would for someone else.

And please stay in touch. NOW is when forum support can be very helpful. It is at times like this that I wish my fellow travelers in the panic worls were all within a few blocks or miles, so I could pop in and be with you.

[skalamanga]

wow! i didnt think anybody my age was going through this. anyway, i can DEFINITELY
relate to the whole anxiety/panic attack experience. for me, it started as severe depression and as it got worse, life itself became unfamiliar to me. depression is a whole different ballgame, but my panic attacks were worse. iv had attacks that i couldnt control at all, and some that i could. my physchologist taught me a little trick to help control the panic attacks, think this to yourself that THIS WILL END. EVERYTHING THAT HAS A BEGINNING, HAS AN END. iv used this method many times, and over time it begins to work w/counseling and/or medication. the best cure for panic attacks are ANTI-DEPRESSANTS. there are a lot of sideffects that come with this, but the panic attacks will vanish/ occur A LOT less and are LESS INTENSE. im taking 50mg of Zoloft everyday and i cant even remember the last panic attack i had. if i ever do have a panic attack, i can usually control it easily. as for being afraid to leave the house, iv had that too. with the medication, its a lot easier to go out in public without getting nervous or anything. i have had a more successful time dealing with my responsibilities and facing SOME problems. iv had anxiety/depression/agoraphobia/insomnia/insanity/social phobia/ect. for 2 years and im only in high school. so i figured if iv dealt with all of this at such a young age over only 2 years, i can pretty much deal with anything, right?    

[againnot]

I'm with you all....especially trying to walk thru a mall.  I haven't done that in probably 4 years or more.  That's when the worse vertigo takes place.  As for the grocery, use a cart every time.  Shiny floors in wide open spaces make my poor little brain go haywire and then the anxiety starts...
What a life.

[chris931]

I used toe xperience the same exact thing!  Especially when I went into malls was a major panic factor!  Even the supermarket I had to run out...You will be fine go to the doctor I couldn't even sit still in my chair while waiting to go into his office.  I walked back n forth like a looney but hey u gotta do what makes u feel better.  Just make someone drive you there do not drive alone.  As soon as I left the doctors office got my prescriptions I felt like a whole new person.  I am now taking celexa and klonopin.  I am currently trying to come off of the celexa the klonopin I thank God for.  I was able to go out to stores and do normal stuff like a normal person again.  I had this in the past I was on medication for a while and went off of it and was fne for a few years then BAM this came out of nowhere.  My doctor says it's biological it can go away for a while and do this out of nowhere.  I suggest klonopin to you though.
Good luck hope you are better.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

you have to get out and soon, when i felt that way i would only go out with my hubby, i felt like if i needed something he was there for me , so go have just coffee with him, get out with him so you can see hes there for you and after that i told my sister and she would go with me than i started feeling better and now i go all the time , but you have to get out or your going to cause yourself to be house bound and you cant live like that and neither can your boyfriend .

[looking4answers40]

I too have been right where you are ( and still am a little bit ). The best i've found to somewhat overcome this is too go out a little bit at a time. The worst thing you can do is to stay in even though your fears overwhelm you when your out and about you still must try. I found this out the hard way, the more i stayed in the more i was afraid of going out. I still have issues in big stores and going to visit ppl but i can at least go to little shops or rides in the car, which a big step for me because i spent almost 2 months shut inside from my anxiety. Keeping your Dr.'s appointments is also the most important. I too had lots of issues with going to dr's but i made myself do it, (and yes i had panic attacks while there ) but i was able to realize i was ok and got thru them. Hope this helps. You are NOT alone talz. If you would ever like someone to talk to I am here , just let me know and we will find a way to communicate, via messenger, email, phone, or how ever. Take care and God Bless.

[ativan]

I also have felt just like you your not alone, but you must fight hard to get back to where you was, even though that wasent nice dont let this illness take everything away, please get to your doctors appoinment it dosent matter if you freak out at least then he will know what your going through. you can do it talz dont let the bully win because thats what i call it a big bully tell it to f--- of and dont let it spoil the things you enjoy doing. take care let us know  how your doing.

[dh49]

i too have had similar experiences, maybe not as severe but i understand completely, my only advice is to go to that doctors appointment. i went through years of anxiety, depression, worry, sleepless nights,and so on and so forth, but i finally got pinned down by some awsome friends that made me get help. i didn't want to go, but for me i needed it, proffesional help is the best help whether you can hold yourself together to get there is a challenge, i know but it is worth it, i still struggle everyday with all kinds of stuff but you need to go to that doctors appointment.