Agoraphobia `

LOCKED IN AGORAPHOBIA

Sometimes... I fear leaving my home...
I have had this fear since I was very small...
my family never knew... I still have this fear today...

one of the biggest things that haunt my childhood memories...

I remember so many time how much this fear immobilized me, kept me from doing things, huge fear but once I was out of the house.. I could keep going, my biggest help in all of this as a child was my brother Pat. He would rip me out of the house, drag me kicking and screaming and find us stuff to do... now as an adult, alone and single... I work I come home... Only reason I leave now, is to work, and get what my children need... no brother to rip me out of the house.. and with the internet... there is even less need.




` hurts..

You do not need to be homebound to be diagnosed with agoraphobia. Agoraphobia can cause a panic response in an array of situations, including traveling by car, train, plane or bus; being in an elevator, crowd, large store, or confined area; being on a bridge or standing in a line. The fear associated with agoraphobia is so intense that a person will usually go to great lengths to avoid the feared situations. At the most extreme cases, agoraphobia can develop into a fear of leaving one’s house altogether. One’s home becomes his or her “safe zone.”

How Can I Get Over My Fear of Leaving the House?


Get Professional Help

Being homebound is disabling. But, you can find significant relief with treatment. The sooner treatment begins after the onset of agoraphobia, the more quickly symptom reduction or elimination will be realized. However, even those with long-term symptoms will generally experience improvement with treatment, and most will regain the freedom to resume many of the activities they once enjoyed.


Learn and Practice Relaxation Techniques

Your fear of leaving the house is fed by anxiety. By leaning and practicing relaxation techniques, you will be able to reduce the level of your anxiety and panic attacks. You may even be able to defuse an attack in the making.


Keep Stress in Check

Stress and anxiety seem to go hand in hand –- increase one and the other will follow. If you have developed agoraphobia and have a fear of leaving your house, it may be beneficial to your recovery to keep stress and anxiety in check.


Learn and Practice Systematic Desensitization

Systematic desensitization usually starts with imagining yourself in a progression of fearful situations and using relaxation strategies that compete with anxiety. Once you can successfully manage your anxiety while imagining fearful events, you can use the technique in real life situations. The goal of the process is to become gradually desensitized to the triggers that are causing your distress.
source info:
American Psychiatric Association. "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., text revision" 2000 Washington, DC: Author.

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