My agoraphobia is mainly focused on the fear of being sick. When I’m at home I usually feel mostly fine. The only places I can easily go are the gym and grocery store because I can just leave whenever I want and knowing that keeps me from feeling trapped. Anytime I go anywhere that I feel trapped I instantly feel sick and started ruminating about how I must have some horrible chronic health condition that is causing all of my symptoms, even though logically I know that when I’m at home in my safe space I mostly feel completely fine.

Well this week I started classes, I’m only in two but the past couple days have been rough. I can manage the first 20-30min in class fine but I eventually become extremely nauseas, sweaty, dizzy, and feel completely trapped. How do you guys handle these physical symptoms? It feels like torture.

My family and friends lately are used to me being in the house all the time in my room my mom and my brother make jokes about it even my best friend. It’s like everyone could see me at the lowest point of my life. I don’t know what they should do to help me, but I just hate being the butt of every joke. I’m aware that I’m missing out on everything. I’m aware that I’m living a miserable life. I don’t know why it has to be funny :( I miss the person I was. Everyday just feels the same and like an empty void. Just wanna lay in bed. Idk how much longer I can do this.

I was stuck inside my home for about 2 years. Couldn't leave the house or even take out the trash but now I can go to the store alone go for walks etc.

The problem is I suck at conversations.

And I don't really know how to talk to anyone anymore. Even with friends I feel immense panic/anxiety, so how did y'all start being social again?

I fumble my words and can't really concentrate on the conversation. Like I feel shame all the time about it.

I’ve been experiencing situational anxiety/panic attacks for a couple months, and am wondering if this could mean I developed agoraphobia unknowingly.

I live a hermit lifestyle, mostly going out when I need to run errands or for appointments. In the past couple years I never really had this problem, but in the past couple months I’ve been experiencing anxiety/panic attack symptoms when it came to going to social events or if I have to drive somewhere away from home.

I have no issue going outside for a walk, and can do so for over an hour, but when it comes to social events or driving somewhere it can cause a reaction.

I am seeing a therapist, and have received medication to help mediate physical symptoms.

I've been struggling a bit. I was trying exposure therapy on my own for a bit, i'd go somewhere and wait a bit then come back home when I started to feel less anxious. Sometimes i'd just drive through a scary section. Then i had a few bad moments where it was too hard to handle and I panicked really badly. Then I started avoiding more and I have been scared to push it further again for msot of this year and don't really know how to start I am so scared but just want to make some progress.

Hi. I just wanted to air out some happiness. Last time I posted I was panicking about a job interview. Ultimately, I was ghosted by the hiring manager which I'm not too beat up about. I had a couple red flags walking into the place. Today I went to the DMV alone to get a driver's permit. It was grueling for me and I was anxious the whole time, but it went smoothly all things considered. My body still hurts from being so tense. I did really well on the exam which I'm proud of! And I have another job interview tomorrow which is better than the last one I applied to.

I'm still scared. Without a doubt. But I'm tired of this life. I can do better than this and I want to. I want to feel like a person and not have to rely on my family to support me. I'm tired of being in a prison of my own making. I think I'm finally ready to steer my life instead of waiting for it to happen to me. To anybody who feels the same, you've got this. You're braver than you think. Sending all much love.

Me and my boyfriend lived really close like 10 minutes away now he an hour away. I have always struggled to go to his house even tho he lived 10 minutes away.(I had a kinda bad panic attack in-front of his mom) he basically alway came to my house or we would hangout in the car. Now that he’s an hour away in a place I have never been before it really scary and terrifying for me also he still lives with his family which is fine.

One I don’t know how to make the drive down because I know I am go to freak out right away and my physical symptoms will take over really fast
Also what if get to scared to drive home ( I should add I will not be driving but he will)

Two just being there is scary but I think I can deal with that but I don’t know about sleeping it’s really hard for me to sleep somewhere new because I will wake up in a panic attack and there a chance I will go out body state and freak out even more.

Three is just meeting his family/ friends I can’t just hide from them and I think tho if I feel safe I will be okay I am just scared to have more of a physical panic attack because that when I am run and hiding in the bathroom

I already take daily diazepam but I noticed it just makes me feel very sleepy and basically numbs me, but in a very uncomfortable way. In a way where I still feel agitated and anxious but... Through a barrier. That's probably the best I can describe it as. I KNOW the anxiety is there but I can't feel it properly. It feels unnatural almost, like a weird loss of control.

I also take my country's version of Ambien for sleep, and honestly? If it wasn't a sleeping medicine that obviously makes me extremely drowsy and unable to function, how it otherwise makes me feel is sort of ideal. It makes me feel very optimistic, creative and sometimes puts my mind into a state of planning things and steps to do in order to achieve something. I quite like it. But it's not intended for this use.

But based on this experience, I was truly wondering if there is a medication used specifically for agoraphobia that could make us feel this way, minus the drowsiness. And if it does - I am scared to try. Because the second I hear something like "antidepressants", I run. I am just tired of feeling this way (anxious and panicky all the time, no will to even go outside) and would just like to have something that will reliably even out my mood so I can at least try to beat this thing.

Life just feels so empty at the moment. My cat of 18 years I grew up with has made these past few years of dealing with agoraphobia and being socially isolated so much easier, even enjoyable at times… but now he’s just gone, and I have nothing to look forward to anymore.

I’m autistic and have never been able to connect with humans the way I have with my boy. I miss him so much, and I expected the pain to be intense but I mostly just feel empty. The house is so quiet, I no longer feel witnessed by anyone when I dance, sing, clean, look out the window, lay in bed etc. I’m just by myself for the most part, except for when my mom’s around, but it’s incomparable. I’m assuming most people fill their time with activities outside the house and have social networks to help in these life-altering situations, but I don’t have those options. I’m just left with the aftermath and these walls.

If anyone else has lost a pet whilst agoraphobic/homebound, I’d love to hear from you and your experience dealing with the change.

I have a really bad agoraphobia, I can't go out because it kinda triggers my emetophobia as well, I get dizzy (like I'm about to pass out) I get nauseous and I can't focus. Like, months ago I was able to go to a park, it is near my house (a car trip tho) and I felt very anxious, nauseous, but I did it and I got to spend time there, not really that bad. But right now I don't feel like I can make it quite yet, I can try to go out near my house, walk as far as I can and come back, but whenever I do this, I feel like it's too little and that it is not going to help me

Does this help? should I push myself more? I really want to recover and regain my life, but there's just too much going on I can't really push myself too much. Also no, I don't take meds and I don't intend to! They have been hurting me more than helping

Maybe if u set the intention that u want to get better and look for something more than yourself you'll find it. I never believed in stuff like this but im without a doubt certain angels or whatever u want to call them exist. I left my house after 6 years straight alone almost with ease. So maybe look into or meditate on good things like that n just see if something happens. Nothing to lose right?

If u really want out look into something like that. Im getting legitimate answers and am being helped guided by something else. Pretty sure angels =0

I have left the house 2 times since December.

That was with my 'security blanket', I can't go anywhere without my mother or someone I know/trust (which are very few).

I don't know what I'll do when she is gone, the thought of losing her fills me with so much dread and anxiety every day. I can't do anything without her, she buys everything I need to live because I can't leave.

Hi, i suffer from extreme health anxiety , and panic attacks. Been years now. Lately ive been just so overwhelmed by everything . Im sick of living like this. Lately i havent been wanting to leave the house. Well having fear leaving the house . I leave but im having severe anxiety when i leave. Even when i got to work i cant stand to be there. I get panic attack , the other night i could only work 4 hours in my shift and i left. I have two little boys and its been hard keeping them in all day and i feel terrible. The night is better i seem to be ok, but even still. Is this the start of agoraphobia , im scared because i feel i wont be able to work.

Should you do hard exposures sober/unmedicated or should you do hard exposures without anything in order to get over this condition?

.

I need quick advice please, so I’m tapering off of Zoloft and my withdrawals have been absolutely awful and made my agoraphobia far worse! Haven’t left my house to even go on a car ride in my neighborhood and usually I’m able to do that but I’ve been stuck at home for nearly two weeks. My psychiatrist told me to start taking Effexor today so that it helps my Zoloft withdrawals settle. Does this make sense? I’m very scared of starting a new medication while on still on Zoloft because I’ve had some scary panic attacks on Zoloft, I’ve called an ambulance once cause I thought I was about die. Is this safe? She says it could help me but I’m so scared

I’m agoraphobic and i’m afraid of panic attacks. my parents also cook all my food for me so that never makes it easier. i live with them and they’re leaving to italy for two weeks. my brain keeps telling me im gonna panic, things are gonna go wrong, i wont be able to handle cooking for myself for 2 weeks, ill lose weight since i already struggle so much with food. but what are the positives of them leaving? i’m 27, and i doubt my ability to live alone due to me being housebound. i also struggle with food. but i currently don’t cook my own food because im worried that when my parents are here and im cooking, if i get a panic attack and have to walk away, ill get yelled at. i just feel more stressed cooking while they’re here. i’m just trying to look at the bright side when my mind is full of negativity about it.

please give me some success stories of being able to cope alone 🫩

Please be kind, this is really difficult to share and I’m not sure if I’m in the right place.

Ever since I was a kid, I freak the fuck out at night by myself. When I’d be home alone, I’d have to barricade myself in one corner and couldn’t move until someone got home, not even to pee. If I needed to get something from the car, someone had to stand at the door and watch me. In high school, I had to ask my friends to watch me walk home (literally across the street) or I’d freak out. I didn’t know why, I didn’t know I was potentially inching in on a panic attack, I just knew the weight on my chest grew heavier and my breathing became more shallow and I was afraid and uncomfortable.

Living alone as an adult has been a challenge over the years but I’ve been able to maintain a few apartments living alone.

I’m now 30 and I can go to my car at night and mostly can not freak out outside at night. But, I work on a farm now and it’s getting darker earlier and last night I called my mom in hysterics because I was alone and couldn’t take the trash to the dumpster across the farm because I was panicking.

It’s embarrassing, and sad that I can’t function at night. I have 0 issues during the day, so the word agoraphobia never came to mind but a friend with agoraphobia mentioned that there can be nighttime specific agoraphobia.

Does anyone else relate to this?

It’s so debilitating and I’ve tried exposure over time but some nights I feel like I’m 8 years old all over again.

There’s no specific event I could recognize as a trigger, I’m not sure why it’s this way but I know it is more severe than I truly realized as a kid.

Thank you for reading

hey guys. ive put off asking for help for a long time. im scared of what people will think or say to me but im getting to a point of no return. im scared for my future. in december i was working a job that i loved, it was a dream job. but the managers i had were so completely awful to me. for months i shoved it down and sucked it up because i know you will never find a place where you get along with everyone, but it got to a point where i was being harrassed in all kinds of ways at work, at home and when i went to work in a different building. i was bullied and belittled and i finally mustered up the courage to tell a higher up member of staff what i was going through, she laughed in my face and said " *his name*, he wouldnt do anything like that, hes a teddy bear, he wouldnt hurt a fly". i showed her proof, she said i made it up. she made me apologise to him and give him a hug. ive never felt so shocked. from that point on, i think he got a kick out of bullying me, harrassing me and the best part is we werent allowed phones because we worked in a childcare setting so i couldnt record or anything as it was happening in the rooms with the children. the day that broke me was i was in the baby room changing his own sons nappy. its a small tiny room by the way, big enough for just a changing table and small sink. he came up behind me, bare in mind i am 5'3 and he is around 6,5 and way bigger. i was a skinny thing bc i couldnt eat at all going through this. he whispered to me while behind me " i can do anything i want and nobody would ever believe you" and laughed like a maniac. i finished the nappy and i gave him his son, i didnt/ couldnt say a word to him or anyone. one coworker said i looked like id seen a ghost. i grabbed my things and i walked out of the building. management called me over 20 times that evening and the next morning, i finally picked up and just said "i cant do this anymore i quit" he was on the other end, he said " that could have been an email. " and hung up.

since all this happened and i couldnt bring myself to speak about it to anyone including my boyfriend, i havent been able to leave the house. i try and i try but i cant do it. im terrified of the thought of running into someone whos hurt me, either him or past managers that have traumatised me, ive never had a good manager. i try and go for a walk, my chest feels like its been punched all of a sudden and i cant breathe, my knees get weak and i feel sick in my throat. ive tried new medications that doctors have given me, no help. i miss working, earning my own money, i miss shopping and just browsing, i miss the outside. but i just dont think im ever going to get better. im exhausted. im in therapy but it doesnt do much to get me outside. id really appreciate any advice or help. im losing hope.

thank you.

Back in February this year I had my first panic attack which kept my nervous system completely sensitised. This was due to stress from work and life which built up over many months prior. I didnt understand what panic attacks were and how all my physical symptoms fell under the 'anxiety' umbrella. Over the next month, i ended up going to the ER because i felt like i was dying even though all my tests indicated I was healthy. I also avoided going out and running basic errands, which led me to develop agoraphobia where I could barely stay at home by myself because I thought I was going to die from a panic attack. 6 months later and I can now drive wherever I want and visit places where I never though I could ever go into again. I still experience anxiety but I now have the skillset and understanding of what to do.

If I could go back and tell myself some tips, it would be this:

1. Understand what anxiety is and accept it. The moment I stopped fighting anxiety and learned what is it, is when my healing journey started.

2. Its not going to be an easy recovery, it sucks, but you're going to have to feel uncomfortable to grow. Once you do it repeatedly, your brain rewires and learns the most when its uncomfortable. It learns from your reaction/response in this state.

3. When doing exposures you dont want to feel calm, you want to feel trust. That no matter what happens you can trust you body that it can handle the panic no matter how bad it is.

4. After doing exposures, do NOT analyse it, no matter how good or bad it went. While self talk is good, you're still putting anxiety ontop of your list. Accept how it went and move on to the next task.

5. Stop googling your symptoms and using chatgpt for assurance. Its only keeping the anxiety alive.

6. A bad day or week doesnt mean you're back at square one, no matter how much it feels like that.

7. Adrelenine is a wave, it will not last forever. The only thing keeping it alive is your reaction to it. This was the hardest thing for me to learn. I had thoughts my anxiety was going to sky-rocket and not come down until I felt like I wasnt trapped.

8. The more you get on with your life, the less important anxiety becomes. At the beginning of my journey this was hard to see, but now that im slowly living life the less intrusive thoughts I get.

9. Recovery doesnt feel like recovery until it does. Its hard to see progress when youre constantly asking yourself daily "Do i feel better today". When I look back months at a time, theres a huge difference. Also measure your recovery by how you react and respond to anxiety, not by how you feel.

10. Find the root cause. For me it was feeling trapped and getting a panic attack that i couldn't control. Shopping lines were the worst. Exposure therapy helped me immensely, you dont have to go from 0-100, start small and work your way up.

I cant speak for medication as ive never tried it, but recovery is definitely achievable. Recovery isnt have no anxiety, recovery is feeling anxiety, letting it pass and knowing you're completely safe. The more you do this the more the physical symptoms will subside.

Hopefully this helps people on their healing journey. Happy to answer any questions! We're all going to make it and get through this!

For the past few months I've struggled leaving my home without someone going with me, I get panic attacks if I'm alone and I avoid leaving my house if I know I won't have a way back for a while. I struggle with control and I always need to know I can get home whenever I choose, if I can't I just won't go. If my comfort people goes with me im sometimes completely fine so I struggle to call myself agoraphobic does anyone else struggle with this?

I miss my old life, i can go whatever what I do. I love to travel in open places.

I dream of working overseas.

I can’t work properly because I feel so weak for being anxious.

I want to do my job properly; I can't think of a cause for being anxious.

I want to get healed, How?

I stressed my work, health, and money.

I don’t know what to do, how to make a living if I'm like this.

Ganito na lang ba buhay ko?
My hope pa ba?
My future pa ba?
My security paba?