agrophobia

[nikki777]

hi all im new here ive been agrophobic for 18 months now i can step out the front door stand in the garden but thts about i see alot of ppl on here are agrophobic have u never tried taking ad`s for it or talking to someone about, and has anyone just thought sod and gone out or overcome it on there own?

my doc has just give citalopram 10mg but cant bring myself to take it worried about the side affects even thou i knw in the long run it will make me feel better and get me out of the rut im in my really wanted to take it this time for my kids sake but i just cant do it i read on post some one had been agrophobic for 25 years omg tht is along time i aint planning on being stuck in the house forever god no i wouldnt cope im cracking now watching the world go by and not being part of it i want to be normal again whatever tht is lol

nikki.

 

[Remus]

and has anyone just thought sod and gone out or overcome it on there own?

yup and that works eventually but its a long struggle, you really have to perservere, I still have off days but not half as bad as it once was, I almost lead a normal life with it now.

best take things in little steps at first, going down the road for a little walk, doing it in little steps, going further each time, then brave the corner shop or somewhere close, set yourself an agorophobic task everyday, even if you fail that task you are still trying, remembering always that the worst thing that can happen when you are out is a panic attack and nobody ever died from one of them

this all worked for me, I'm sure others can benefit from it

welcome to the forums

 

[sheree]

I've been diagnosed recently with agrophobia aswell as SP..yay :evil:
on the basis that i cant go out alone/panic in shops/i only go out once every two weeks..

i'm not to bad walking in the fresh air but it's just getting out there thats the problem!
:roll:

 

[nikki777]

hi Remus,sheree

first thanks remus i did start taking little steps outside everyday even thou i didnt want to some says but ive been making myself go and to feel tht fresh air is so exzilerating if u knw wht i mean i felt so good to be out there i only went about 5 mins away from my house and stayed there for 20 mins till my anxiety dropped then came home but i felt so proud of myself .

hi sheree shame u have agrophobia but keep going out dont stop or it will be very hard to get going again as i found if i had known about half the things i do now about my condtion i wouldnt of stopped going out i would of forced myself everyday but hopefully one day ill be back out there doing the things i once did fingers crossed.

take care any time u want a chat im about pm if u want.

nikki.

 

[marge808]

i want to be normal again whatever tht is lol

nikki.

me too.

 

[corrinaelizabeth]

ive got agoraphobia SP and depression,u should take ur meds honestly im on 40mgs of citalopram and ive had no bad side effects the only thing u might find is that ur a bit tired 4 the first few days of taking it,
ive seen many therapists but it didnt help me but that was a while ago,im just building up the courage to ask my doc 2 be referred again lol i was hoping to go to college in sept but am going next year hopefully now

 

[AgoraphobiaGuy]

Medications for Agoraphobia

Hi everyone!

I'd be a little careful with medications. I am a recovered agoraphobic and I do believe in using meds but only to get through tough situations or when you are practicing going out places.

I used Xanax to practice, but different meds work for different people.

The cautions I would give you about meds:

1) benzodiazepines (tranquilizers like Xanax, Ativan, Valium, Restoril) can be helpful but you build a tolerance and if you take a high doses regulalry - its tough to get off. The withdrawal effects are as bad, and similar to the original anxiety and panic. My girlfriend is going through Ativan withdrawal right now and its been a nightmare. She wasn't even taking it for anxiety and now she has an anxiety disorder and was agoraphobic for a while because of the meds. If you want you can read her horror story at http://www.agoraphobia.ws/ativanstory.htm

2) there is research to say that what you attribute your recovery to matters. People that attribute their recovery to their own efforts are more likely to stay well after recovering from agoraphobia. People who give the meds credit are more like to relapse.

That's my two cents on using meds to help recover.

- Stephen, http://www.agoraphobia.ws

 

[Tom_M]

I had severe agoraphobia for 8 years, which I believe was just part of a general anxiety disorder. However, I started taking a antidepressant called Anafranil (Clomipramine) which as totally changed my life. It took about 12 month's for the medication to completely turn my life around, but now I'm fully cured of the agoraphobia, as well as the general anxiety state. Now the only problem I have (I take 75mg daily) is if I reduce the dose, then the symptoms come back again. I'm not saying this medication will work for everyone (It's an older generation of antidepressants - tricylic), but it as worked for me.

Tom

 

[cupcake]

Hi Tom

Thats great that you have fully recovered from agoraphobia Tom!
I would like to try those anti-deppressants but my doc said it may cause mania as I have bi-polar disorder. So I guess I am a bit stuck to what to try.

I had severe agoraphobia for 8 years, which I believe was just part of a general anxiety disorder. However, I started taking a antidepressant called Anafranil (Clomipramine) which as totally changed my life. It took about 12 month's for the medication to completely turn my life around, but now I'm fully cured of the agoraphobia, as well as the general anxiety state. Now the only problem I have (I take 75mg daily) is if I reduce the dose, then the symptoms come back again. I'm not saying this medication will work for everyone (It's an older generation of antidepressants - tricylic), but it as worked for me.

Tom