Any agoraphobic chicks here?
 

Just wondering if there are any others here with agoraphobia and panic attacks?

I'm semi-housebound and don't have a doctor. That means no meds just me medicating myself with food.

I've recently started using my elipitcal again but still having trouble with eating way too much.

Anyone want to share tips on living with panic attacks and trying to lose weight?
~*~Bliss~*~

I have had panic attacks and problems with agoraphobia. I never became housebound, but I did have a lot of travel phobias- highways, subways, elevators, going to unfamiliar places, etc. My agoraphobia limited my life a lot and I was ashamed to tell people.

I've done a lot of exposure work in the past two years and am doing much better. A few weeks ago, I got on airplane for the first time in 5 years. That is a total miracle. Four years ago, I would have told you I'd never fly again.

I would suggest that you get treatment right away. This is a problem that gets worse with time. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy & medication work wonders for people.

As for the weight loss issue, I think you are probably medicating your anxiety with food. If you had proper treatment, the eating issue might disappear.

Good luck and I hope you keep posting. Also, I suggest you check out the web site Panic Survivor. It is an amazing forum of supportive people with anxiety and panic disorders. They are really great.

Caroline, thank you so much for the reply. I'll check out the site you suggested. I belong to a yahoo group but there's never much going on there.

I'm so glad you found the help to get control of your anxiety attacks. I have tried many things but nothing seems to work for long. As for medication, that's another of my fears. I was drugged by 2 cousins who thought it would be a fun thing to do when I was a teenager and have had a fear of anything but tylenol since then. Every little side effect just brings on more panic. I tried a few anti-anxiety drugs a while ago but ended up with the side effect of depression. I wasn'T depressed before I took them but got really blue and had no desire to do anything while on them. Don't remember what they were now as I only took them for a few months. Refused anything but a simple tranquilizer called tranzene after that.

Thanks again,
bliss~

A lot of people don't understand how debilitating anxiety can be.

My agoraphobia limited me so much. For awhile, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make it to work anymore. Now, I can almost do anything and not feel like I'm going to have a panic attack. But my anxiety is always better in the summer, so I'm not sure how I'll feel when the weather gets cold.

Panic Survivor is great. I should get on there and start sharing my success stories. I seem to only go on there when I'm doing badly.

By the way, my anxiety seems better now that I have lost weight. I don't understand why that is, but I am so much calmer than I used be. Binge eating didn't really calm me down even though I thought it did.

Hi Caroline,
I just noticed you are from Philly, I live just north of Pittsburgh. My husband's family is originally from Tamaqua.

I was over at panic survivors and joined. I have yet to post a hello. I'm spending my time here today.

I know that eating well and exercising along with practicing my breathing helps me a ton. My biggest problem is that I've had panic attacks for so long that I just don't think I'll ever get control of them. Every time I start to do well something happens and I'm back to being either completely housebound or can only travel short distances.

I really need to find some motivation to get moving on this. My attitude has been to learn to live with it. I feel like I have so much other stuff to do rather to spend so much of my emotional and physical time trying to work on overcoming the panic. Hopefully I can find some tips over at the survivor site.


bliss~

I read somewhere that once we stop fearing panic attacks, then they will go away. Easier said than done. Ha!

I hope you get out of the house every single day. No exceptions. One day you might only get as far as the first step outside the door. But I bet that some days, you can walk a block or two.

I had my 1st panic attack at 14, but I didn't become agoraphobic until 5 years ago. I remember I became afraid of taking the train to work. But I had to take the train or I'd lose my job. So for a few months, I would panic every day on the train. But I took the train every day. And you know what, the panic disappeared. And once I tackled the train, I started taking the subway.

Make a small effort to do something a little scary, every single day. No exceptions. You don't have to do something terrifying, something a little scary, something that will make you sweat, but not have a full blown attack.

I apply this rule to my life now. I have a date tonight and it's scary. But I know I can face my fear. If I hadn't dealt with my agoraphobia, I wouldn't have this date tonight. Or if I did, I wouldn't be able to get there.

Hugs to you. You are a very courageous woman.

At several points I wasn't able to make myself leave the house without a companion and completely lost my independence when I wasn't able to drive. So I take baby steps with everything and revel in every little triumph I make, whether it's stepping out into my back yard or driving across the city by myself for the very first time. I was pretty bad up to last year and still have bad moments. But it gets better.

I think what I hate the most is feeling so helpless and vulnerable; the thing that first helped me was finding out what was exactly was wrong with me instead of feeling I'd simply lost my mind. I think one of the best steps I ever put myself through was joining a TOPS chapter. Not just for losing weight, but I needed the social aspect of it as well as the whole forcing myself to get out of the house thing. I'm currently not working (not sure I can handle a regular job until I have a better grip of this) and have had a hard time getting out and meeting people ever since I moved out of state.

I think eating better has helped a lot, partially because it gives me a sense of control over something positive I'm doing for myself (which is a mental boost), and partially because it's just healthier in general (which of course is both a physical and mental boost). Exercise helps me as well, although it's something I typically have to talk myself into since i'm not always entirely comfortable with it. I personally think it helps work out all the body chemistry that builds up during the panic attacks.

When I'm having a panic attack, I try to situate myself into a familiar, comfortable area, breathe, and pace as I give myself a mental pep talk. And when I have the time (when I'm not in the midst of an attack) I allow myself plenty of peaceful, quiet moments to relax and de-stress, which I think helps find a balance.

I'm not sure if any of this will help, but I wanted you to know I understand and that none of us are alone. Just as I'm finding the strength to get through this, I know you will too. :hug:

I'm much like motivated chickie.

I've never had an actual panic attack, but my body goes into "fight or flight" at the strangest things, and it gets worse the older I get. It started with driving and I didn't see it for what it was until recently. I can't drive in unfamiliar places or in large cities (Cincinnati, Dayton...oh so big. :rolleyes:) If I drive a different route to work than normal my anxiety kicks in because now I'm somewhere where I'm usually not and if there's an accident it will be my fault because I'm not supposed to be there. :rolleyes:

I no longer go to restaurants unless it's between 4:30 and 5:30 and on a weeknight because I can't stand the crowds. I can not drive to a mall at Christmas time, or even Meijer. I can't remember the last time I went to a festival and if I could do, I couldn't be the one to drive.

It's debilitating and it sucks. At the gym, I can go at my regular 5:30 AM time but I can not go later in the day.

This has gotten better with weight loss in some aspects. I no longer feel like I'm just taking up space. I don't feel like people have to walk around my enormous self. I'm not sure the driving will ever get better. It just gets worse. I now have to tell my supervisor I absolutely can not attend a workshop in the city because I can't drive.

I've had some moments, real bingeing, calling in sick to work panicing, crying.

I force myself to go out, and usually enjoy it :)

I'm not going to let this neurosis get out of hand and ruin my life.

Thank you all for adding to this thread!

I was wondering if any of you have found what it was that may have caused you to start having panic attacks? Like being sick while away from home; a scare in the car; a scare in your home, school or work: an emotional problem that just got so bad it started the panic attacks; or maybe you just seemed to always be a nervous person?

bliss~

Originally Posted by bliss:
Thank you all for adding to this thread!

I was wondering if any of you have found what it was that may have caused you to start having panic attacks? Like being sick while away from home; a scare in the car; a scare in your home, school or work: an emotional problem that just got so bad it started the panic attacks; or maybe you just seemed to always be a nervous person?

bliss~

I think it's just my personality. My brother is worse, but we seem to be the only two in the family with any social type issues. Everyone else is pretty social.

My 1st panic attack happened with my family in front of the tv. I was 14. My mom, who was a rageaholic dealt with it in the worst way - she yelled at me.

When my agoraphobia happened, I was 36 and a passenger on a dark highway. We had gotten lost and the driver was an angry type person.

My dad had anxiety and a flying phobia. I think I may have gotten it from him and my mom's abusive behavior made it worse.

I struggle with agoraphobia, social anxiety, depression, ptsd... I've been almost completely housebound for about 5 years now. I started improving a little in the last 1-2 years (with the help of an antidepressant) and now I'm able to keep a doctor's appointment. With a tranquilizer. :p

I had my first panic attack when I was 15, in a crowded holiday-time shopping mall.

It's not a fun way to live, is it? I won't even answer the door for a delivery person. For the longest time I wouldn't answer the phone.

I recently started seeing a therapist. I can force myself to keep these appointments by telling myself it's something I must do regardless of my fears.

Originally Posted by bliss:
I was wondering if any of you have found what it was that may have caused you to start having panic attacks?

I have no agoraphobia, but I have other, diverse, sometimes random, panic attacks, and I figured out one reason behind a lot of them: I wanted to be taken seriously. If I was not comfortable in a situation, my parents (and later friends/partners) would just tell me to shut up and get over it. If I started crying as a child because I was afraid of something, my mum just shouted at me to stop crying. :mad:

And then somehow my subconscious must have figured out: let's try a full-blown panic attack. Hyperventilation, unstoppable crying, I was a total mess. And then, suddenly, everyone looked after me and took my fear (I think it was a rollercoaster I hadn't want to go onto, but was pressured into) seriously. And of course that stuck - whenever I now felt insecure in a situation, my heart started to beat really fast, I started to hyperventilate - panic attacks.
Once I realized this, and I talked to my husband about it and told him: "just take me seriously when I say I don't want to do something. Don't try to talk me into it.", the panic attacks have lessened more and more. I am teaching myself to respect my fears and worries - but face them! I am planning to put myself in situations I have avoided in the past, but only when I feel comfortable with it and only little bits at a time.

Originally Posted by Katya:

It's not a fun way to live, is it? I won't even answer the door for a delivery person. For the longest time I wouldn't answer the phone.

I fear this because as we've said, it gets worse as we age. I already refuse to order pizza. DH has to do it and I don't want to use the word "panic" but I have severe anxiety while waiting for the delivery man because even though DH will take care of it, I fear he'll be in the bathroom or otherwise occupied and I'll have to deal with it. I can't/won't call about anything really and always make DH do it. I even have anxiety about calling my best friends. I hate the phone.

Shyanara

That's what I do. Put myself in uncomfortable situations a little bit at a time. It has worked for me.

Some things I couldn't do in small pieces (like riding the bus to NYC), but I did it when I was in the mood and felt I could succeed.

I have noticed that anticipatory anxiety (worrying ahead of time) is something that makes my panic worse. When I rode on an airplane a few weeks ago, I didn't let myself worry beforehand. I really need to get on a plane again soon b/c the fear comes back unless I keep doing something over and over again.

This is such a slow process & I have to keep taking risks. I think the hardest part is actually getting the guts to do it.

I have had anxiety problems all my life....I didn't get my first full blown panic attack until I was 20. I finally decided that I needed to try meds again and have been on Zoloft for 6 years but its not a miracle drug. In fact when I was on it at one point I couldn't do much of anything. I would not go to restaurants, would not drive very far because of my panic attacks. My Zoloft got up to the highest dose I can be on and I have been a lot better but I still can't drive distances, I think more for the fear of having a panic attack then anything else. I will definitely check out the forum that you guys were talking about. Now I am dealing with trying to loose the weight I have gained from being on the drug because getting off the drug is not an option for me. I would appreciate any suggestions on anything.

Originally Posted by Eliana:
I can't/won't call about anything really and always make DH do it. I even have anxiety about calling my best friends. I hate the phone.

Oh, aren't phones the worst? :(

I have an 11-year-old daughter and her friends can't come over to play because I am afraid of them. The crowning moment happened about six months ago when a neighborhood girl rang the doorbell and my daughter ran to answer it without waiting for me to escape to my bedroom. I fell in the hallway trying to run to my room. (At over 300 lbs, I find it easy to lose my balance.) To hide from an 11-year-old. I just huddled there on the floor, crying.

I can't even imagine driving a car again.

Now that I have this new therapist, I'm so afraid he's soon going to start pushing me to do more things. Like driving again, going into a supermarket. I'm so afraid.

I can't even walk to my mailbox in the daylight. :(

Hi everyone here. I am new to the site, have depression, anxiety, panic, and agoraphobic issues. No longer on any meds, did about three years of "cognitive therapy" (didn't think it would help), prior to that years ago did years of talking therapy where you go over all the awful things that has happened to you, write in journals, etc. I can't recommend the cognitive therapy enough!!!!!! It might work for others, it's worth a try. I still have bad days, bad times, but feel more in control of myself than ever in my life, but still it's not perfect. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Katya:
Oh, aren't phones the worst? :(

I have an 11-year-old daughter and her friends can't come over to play because I am afraid of them. The crowning moment happened about six months ago when a neighborhood girl rang the doorbell and my daughter ran to answer it without waiting for me to escape to my bedroom. I fell in the hallway trying to run to my room. (At over 300 lbs, I find it easy to lose my balance.) To hide from an 11-year-old. I just huddled there on the floor, crying.

I can't even imagine driving a car again.

Now that I have this new therapist, I'm so afraid he's soon going to start pushing me to do more things. Like driving again, going into a supermarket. I'm so afraid.

I can't even walk to my mailbox in the daylight. :(

I'm not there, but I fear I could get there. :^: I do not like having my kids' friends over. I adore the kids of my own closest friends and they're welcome here anytime, but I dread having other kids here and I really don't know why.

You mention your therapist making you do thinks like driving again. This is what I wonder about with therapy. I don't really want to do the things I don't want to do. :dizzy: You know? I don't want to drive in the city or in unfamiliar places. If I wanted to do those things, I wouldn't have stopped doing them. I'd have persevered and forced myself on my own. For instance, I was petrified to take my kids to the amusement park alone because I have no sense of direction, feared I wouldn't be able to find the car, and then there's the whole crowd mess...but it was something I wanted to be able to do with the kids so I did it again and again and now I'm fine with it. But I want that. How is a therapist going to help me through something that doesn't seem like it's in my best interest? Why would I want to talk on the phone? I can get by without ordering pizza. Why would I want to go to a crowded restaurant on a Friday night and wait in line when I can go on a week day at around 5:00 with no wait? That's what I struggle with. What good would a therapist do? But it would be nice to know that I could maybe have the power to keep things from continuing to get worse.

OK, I've been lurking on this thread too long. I'll admit I'm agoraphobic, have social anxiety, ptsd, and who knows what else. I don't have medical insurance, on no medication, or any psychotherapy. I did try to get help for my depression through the state, but they can just kiss my a...

I just seem to get along here at home, keep myself busy with crafts, food (well healthy food now), and my cat keeps me company. DH drives me to the store when he can, I hate driving! I can, at least sometimes, get myself to the grocery store that's only 3 miles away. I don't have to take a major street to get there, so at least I'm lucky there.

Yeah, I have the phone thing too. I only pick up when I recognize the number. Don't answer the door either. DH has to pay the pizza guy. Poor DH, hes only one man against all my chaos. I feel sorry for him.

Sorry I've been mia since starting this thread. I came down with the flu and it's taken me 2 weeks to get over it. I know, so crazy to get the flu in the summer but that's what it felt like.

I want to thank all of you for sharing. I'm still so emotional after reading the posts made since I was last here I just don't know what to write. I'm glad I'm not the only one who isn't comforatable with company, or phones, or people coming to the door, and don't get me started on repairmen.

Eliana, I also feel the same way as you about seeing a therepist. I've been there, done all the talking, writing, and cognative therapy. I've seen dr.s in person and had one who would treat me by phone. I'm tired of being told what to do by people who have no real idea what I'm feeling. I also tried a mailorder course. Not the one you see in on tv, this is an older one. It made me so stressed to listen to the cassettes I never made it thru the entire course, though the relaxation tape helped so much I still pull it out when I can't sleep.

My big problem at the moment is being forced to see a doctor by my local jury duty board. Since I manage to get out and vote every few elections my name is in the jury duty pool. Every few years my name comes up and I explain about the agoraphobia and they let it go but this year they have decided I have to go to a doctor and get a letter from him explaining it all. I don't have a dr anymore as he moved out of my comfort zone. I'm thinking I should call my state rep about this but that scares me too. Really, what right do they have to force me?

oops, gotta go, the puppies are reminding me it's after 5:00 and they want dinner.
I'll check back in a few days,
bliss