New User: I think I have acute agoraphobia

[phox11]

Hi, Im a 22 year old male in a bit of a dilemma. About 4 months ago I overdosed on caffein, and I had a panic attack. It happened in a Pick n Save, I was just standing there next to a beer cooler and all of the sudden I started feeling tingly, numb, dizzy, had heart palpatations, and had minor chest pain. I thought I was having a heart attack. I didn't go to the hospital because I dont have health insurance, (I just got married and were kinda poor).

I felt fine for the next week or so, then I had another attack at work, (this time not caffein induced) and I had my wife take me to the ER. All the tests showed negative. After this second attack I started having them more frequently, I went to the ER a second time and they did more tests and again, they were clear.

I am constantly having these attacks whenever I am in an open space, or around a lot of people. I fear that there is something seriously wrong with me, even though all the tests they did on me came up negative.

I will be fine in the house but when I go outside it feels a little bit overwhelming, I mean it doesnt stop me from doing the things I need/want to do, but it still happens. I can keep the attacks in control with breathing excersizes made for hyperventalation, (even though it never feels like I am hyperventalating).

Places where I do not have an attack are, our home, our parents homes, my friends homes, the bar we always go to, and restaurants we frequently visit.

Places where I usually feel an anxiety attack come on are, outside, driving, stores, the mall, and crowds.

It is not like I feel like I have to stay in the house, I dont feel like I need to be able to run home, or escape, I just get panic attacks from wide open spaces.

So I guess what Im asking is, with all this information I have given, do you all think I might have a minor case of agoraphobia? It is the only thing I can think of and I have been trying to find out what the hell is wrong with me for 4 months now. I just googled "agoraphobia forum" and clicked on the first MB I found.

If I DO have agoraphobia how the hell am I supposed to beat it? I read therapy usually consists of confronting open spaces, but that really doesnt apply to me because I go outside anyway. I just dont know what to do, any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[DDaKidd]

Hi phox11.

It's best you go and see a doctor, but it is possible you suffer agoraphobia. Your description seems to match.

Try doing what I do, its starting to work for me:

· Every day, you have to go to places where you usually feel unconfortable. When doing so, you will leave the place when you start to feel too bad to stay there.

· When you are feeling unconfortable, distract yourself by thinking in something you really like (basketball, cars, etc)

· Joke with yourself (be sarcastic) about the problem your having (eg. "Geeze, they are really staring at me today. Did I forget to put my clothes on?")

· Use relaxing techniques (breathing exercise, yoga, meditation, etc)

· Think that you are the one in control of yourself, not your feelings.

By doing this, you should start to feel better in a months time. Hope I've been useful. Good luck.

 

[phox11]

you know in all honesty I never tried distracting myself with comforting thoughts, thats a good idea. I do do breathing excersizes, and unfortunatly for me I force myself in those situations all the time but it never helps

 

[desperate]

My friend

How are you? That was great when I read you didn't stop doing what you needed to do. That's your only cure, believe me, and I honestly think that the most you think about it, the most paranoid you become about it, the worst it gets. I feel the worst when I stop doing what I'm supossed to do. I've done pretty well through my life cause I tried not to stop doing what I wanted or what gives me a little bit of fear. Believe me, you keep trying to go with your life as normal as it was before and it will go away. I've been unemployed for about two weeks and I'm going insane. I found that the times in my life when I was really busy, working here, meeting friends, working on my place, painting, writting, going for a ride on my bicycle, those are the times when I less suffer from this shit. So, pls, you're doing great, don't let that ghost make you a loser, you can win, all my best to you.