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fauna

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I have agoraphobia... it started a little over a year ago but right now it's worse than ever. I have faith that I can beat it with medication... without meds I'd probably be hopeless right now. I leave the house probably 3 times a week for 20 minutes right now... mostly at night when the streets are more empty

My panic attacks make me physically ill and I'm terrified of throwing up so I can't leave the house at all. It's been 3 weeks of me being inside almost 7 days a week. I'm waiting to see my psychiatrist to get a refill on my klonopin and then hopefully venture out...

I am on SSI but I still live with my parents. I can't go to therapy anymore because I can't go more than a block from my home. Agoraphobia is hell on earth but I have a strong will to survive

My body is suffering, my stomach constantly hurts and I take tums and even dramamine. I get very little exercise which sucks because I love being active... all I do to exercise is crunches/push ups in my room and walking up and down the stairs of my building. I am afraid to eat most things besides bread and I drink like 10 cups of herbal tea a day to calm my nerves. I am 21 years old and almost housebound because of my panic attacks. But I will beat this

P.S. I know exposure therapy is the only way I can beat this, I tried going out to the post office and I had the worst panic attack I've had in months which really set me back...
 
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fauna said:
I have agoraphobia... it started a little over a year ago but right now it's worse than ever. I have faith that I can beat it with medication... without meds I'd probably be hopeless right now. I leave the house probably 3 times a week for 20 minutes right now... mostly at night when the streets are more empty

My panic attacks make me physically ill and I'm terrified of throwing up so I can't leave the house at all. It's been 3 weeks of me being inside almost 7 days a week. I'm waiting to see my psychiatrist to get a refill on my klonopin and then hopefully venture out...

I am on SSI but I still live with my parents. I can't go to therapy anymore because I can't go more than a block from my home. Agoraphobia is hell on earth but I have a strong will to survive

My body is suffering, my stomach constantly hurts and I take tums and even dramamine. I get very little exercise which sucks because I love being active... all I do to exercise is crunches/push ups in my room and walking up and down the stairs of my building. I am afraid to eat most things besides bread and I drink like 10 cups of herbal tea a day to calm my nerves. I am 21 years old and almost housebound because of my panic attacks. But I will beat this

P.S. I know exposure therapy is the only way I can beat this, I tried going out to the post office and I had the worst panic attack I've had in months which really set me back...
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Sorry to hear you're suffering so much. Agoraphobia can be really debilitating and though you're right about the exposure therapy, in no way would do I underestimate quite how difficult it is for you right now, or how difficult it is to make the steps towards recovery. Medication is a crutch, a very useful one at times, but it isn't the mainstay treatment.

You mentioned you love to exercise. You should give yourself credit for still being active, even if it isn't to the degree you'd like, it would be oh-so-easy to just give up and do nothing, so the fact you're doing something really is something to be proud of. You leave your apartment to go up and down the stairs, that's great too.. you could be just locking yourself in your apartment and not leaving at all.

What I'm trying to say is not that your agoraphobia isn't serious, but that maybe try not to be so hard on yourself and take stock of your achievements, no matter how small. As far as exposure therapy, it may seem a long way off at the moment, and it may seem absolutely terrifying, but just take it in small steps. I mean.. literally.. this may sound ridiculous to some people, but I started out by leaving the house in really small stages. The first day, I managed five steps out.. the next day ten.. and so on. Sure, there were days where maybe I couldn't make it as far as I had the day before, but I tried not to let it set me back and I'd just start from the last period I felt totally comfortable. I found this much easier than giving myself the challenge of 'make it to the post-office' etc. Though after I'd built confidence, I did start setting myself goals like that.

It isn't easy, and it does take time, but don't feel you'll never get there. Just take it really slowly, and don't set yourself up for failure. If you don't hit a goal straight away, don't lose hope and give up. You really can do this.

Have you been given any advice on how to cope with panic attacks at all? Also, you mentioned you're only eating bread - is that because of stomach problems, or an OCD thing?
 
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