The dreaded Agoraphobia for me...

[wildflower_77]

Well I don't know really what to say..except that this is really getting me down.My agoraphobia is turning me into a stay at home all the time cause its safe..I dont want to leave the "safety zone"  I hate it.I have had depression for years..been in and out of treatment for it too.Now its not so much my depression but the other.I feel ever time I leave the house EVERYONE is watching me..talking about me and knowing that I have this problem.I feel horrible..so much that I wont go anywhere without anyone.I cant even go to the chemist for medicine.    I don't even know who I am anymore..or how Its gotten to be like this.I'm glad I found this group thou.I don't know which medicine help people with Agoraphobia best..does anyone know.I'm taking Luvox which is a SSIR like Prozac..but that ain't helping.People have suggested going to therapy  :-\ I'm skeptical on this one due to the fact that Ive seen too many people in the past.Thanks for getting this group happening..Its a blessing in disguise.... 

[Highhopes]

Hi (and welcome) my freind. I have been like that myself for a long time. I am so out of shape from just sitting at the computer constantly and "surfing" that I don't get out much anymore. Even my freinds do a lot of the shopping for me. I feel so guilty about that but it's hard for me to leave the house the way I feel most of the time because I just don't have the motivation or feel good.

I'll tell you another thing too. If someone calls me up and say's "hey, you want to go out to eat?" or "you feel like going to the mall?" I'll start panicking really bad about leaving my own "safe space". Then, I'll start thinking of all kinds of excuses about why I just can't go and after I call them back up, then I'll get really down feeling like I just deprived myself of having a good time. My body itself feels old too. Fresh air, sunshine, meeting people, doing fun things and getting excersize are all good for your mind and body and I'm not really getting ANY of that.

So have you tried doing any excersizes in your home like maybe using a stationary bike or some other form of excersize?. Even just getting up and doing things to get your circulation going can work wonders. I hope you feel better soon :)

[Angelwings]

  Welcome to the boards wildflower

You'll find lots of other freindly people here who are ready to support you. Glad you made it here!

[twodogs]

Hi wildflower_77

I took Luvux for a short time. I had side effects from it that I just could'nt deal with. Lately I have been trying to do things that distract me from thinking about things that might trigger me like reading or painting. Do you have any hobbies you enjoy?. Pets are good distractions too and takes loads off my stress.

[rara]

Maybe it would help if you went outside with someone and during the whole time talk about every single panic attack and every single person that is making you feel judged? I just want to say that i dont judge people when i am walking outside and while you may be aware of that i just hope you dont lose youre self in youre panic attacs so bad that you forget that.
Remeber that youre doing nothing wrong when youre going outside and that you have an aim and a cause to complete just as important as anyone else, if that helps.
(I am begingin to see that i am very restricted on my understanding as all my messages and advice sound a like.)  Talk on the phone, e-mail etc and keep youre self as outgoing as possible and...dont watch to much tv like i do. Although you probobly dont do that.

[aynothea]

Sorry you are having such a hard time of things. I think that therapy is a good thing for us stay-at-homers, at least we get out once a week for therapy. I managed this only by taking cabs back and forth to the therapist. My friends and family help pay for the cost of these trips. I found that Klonapin was extremely helpful with my panic attacks and gave me a feeling of some self-control. I am also on Zoloft, and it works well for me. I well understand that feeling that everyone is noticing you and is aware of your problems. It is just in our minds, part of the pathology of agoraphobia.  After 7 months of therapy and meds, I became more comfortable with the outings that I started to take the bus home. This was a big step for me, crowds make me uncomfortable since I fear I'll have a panic attack in public and then what? I was afraid of crying in public. I felt that if anyone asked me a simple  question I would get shaky and tears would flow. Sunglasses help disguise this reaction somewhat. Point is, I am getting better and for me it is because of self-exploration in therapy and psychotropic meds. Maybe you should give therapy another try just for the need to leave the safety zone for a little while, and if you can afford it, why not take cabs? It will limit your interaction with the public until you get more at ease with the outside world. I hope you start to feel better soon and post some more so we could have a running dialogue, that may also help.
Best wishes, aynothea :)

[bummed]

i can drive around town  but i do const. work and ever so often i have to drive a little bit farther  and i turn around and come home my boss is cool i told him whats wrong and showed him some stuff on it but still i did not work for 2 weeks now and my kids r worried cuz i am a single dad and it makes it twice as tuff on me but to drive far freaks me out writr back if u want to

[Emily]

I have pretty bad agoraphobia.. It is to the point where I don't leave my house during the day very often.. I like my husband to take me on drives at night.. That I feel has helped me quite a bit.. I have been in psychotherapy.. I have taken the meds.. I still do take lorazapam.. in very low doses.. I am blessed that I am not forced to work because my husband does.. The agoraphobia stuff didn't start with me until about a year into my very intense panic attacks.. now my attacks have been gone for awhile, but I can't leave my house.. I used to be somewhat attractive.. Now I am 50lbs over-weight and have horrible acne because of Paxcil.. I took paxcil for a little over two years and it did help.. but I was getting so depressed because of the side effects.. I am now two months clean: ) And feeling a little better I might add!
I would love some advice from someone who has been in my shoes.. I wish I had more friends that understood this disorder.. I have become distant with most of my friends because of the way I am.. always making excuses and such.. now they don't call at all! I wish I could cure panic and all of the bull that comes along with it.. for myself and all of you.. but we take it one day at a time with hope..

[apple]

I had a bad bout this past year...something very horrifying happened to someone I love dearly.
The thought of leaving my home made me literelly sick to my stomach, I wanted to trow up and I was scared and I don't know what I was scared of. even going to get a massage had me feeling this way, the only thing that really kicked me into gear of getting back to normal( which is not normal but normal for me) was medication, clonazopam.  I was finally able to make a commitment to a specialized therapist who deals with anxiety. I also went on a new medication that worked well...however now the sideeffects have caused other health issues and now I need to change again. I am able to go mor places without a second thought now, and I hope I continue to do well. relapse is a fear.

Hope any type of relief will find its way to all of you...we may not a cure ourselves.. but finding ways to live with some relief is a good start.

[Emily]

Hi Apple.. I am curious.. what types of side effects are you getting? I am thinking of switching to clonazepam, but like to hear what others think before I decide..

[apple]

I'm on other meds too...but so far I have no side effects from the clonazepam, It brings my anxiety level down tremendously.  I am able to just consentrate on what is happening at the moment and all the mind racing quiets.  The tremors stop and I am able to breath normal. If you try it I hope you don't have any side effects either...

Apple

[mbabynz]

Hi there i 2 have taken clonazepam and it worked really well the only side effect was after a few days i was a bit grumpy it made me a bit irritable but me and my family could handle it.I was careful not to abuse the drug and took it in moderation i haven't been on them for 4 months but hope to see the doc to get some more just to have in the cupboard.
cheers mbabynz

[Emily]

Thanks Guys :)

I plan on trying it out next week.. I will let you know what happens..

Lots of LOVE..

Emily