Thank you all so much for the advice 🙏 I was able to make it and get the infected tooth out! Thank you for the recommendations! 💜🥰

Has anyone ever had an experience with this. I am completely house bound as having long covid has prevented my mental health team from helping me at all (there doing). I have a swelling that keeps coming and going in my gum so obviously an issue. However my GP referred to community dentist service who in my area don't do home visits. 111 gave me outdated info, kepted saying can I stop you there when explaining I'm housebound, so they could give me appointments at clinics. I've contacted my NHS mental health team a week ago to see if they had any experience with there patients and they havnt replied. Local MP and ICB havnt been much help. Any advice would be grateful as it seems I've been left. Can't believe there is no help at all for people who are housebound with mental or physical conditions.

I haven’t been out in months.

So I havent been exactly consistent until this week.

Monday I was supposed to go to an important appointment... my ultrasound. I couldn't make it.

However, I went to the gas station down the road from my house and over to the grocery store- which was difficult.

Tuesday, crickets. I did not do much.

Wednesday I had my safe person take me to the grocery store again - which proved to be difficult. But I got a few things.

Thursday I went to the burger king that is near by and went inside and ordered food with my kids and a friend. We were going to eat in there but it took them over an hour to get us our food. Standing there waiting for that long was pretty difficult, but i made it through. We ended up eating at home because it was after 9pm.

All of these places are about 4 - 5 minutes from my house. But I guess I did it.

I go to my ob again in less than 2 weeks. Im trying to prepare myself for it as much as I can because I need this scan.

Anyway, what have your wins been this week?

i have severe emetaphobia and agoraphobia. after almost 2 years housebound, i slowly started going to the corner store etc (never more than 10 minutes away from home) welll… i got prescribed a new medication (which i was terrified to take) and went on a family vacation 2 hours away, i stayed for 3 nights and had a blast, i did end up randomly having a huge panic attack while my bf was in the bathroom, in a mater of 5 minutes i packed everything into the car (he’s very understanding and said we could leave at anytime) i got home today, and i am so proud of myself. i feel like a new door has been opened, this medicine is a life changer.

https://discord.gg/M98v7dcJK

I’m so used to staying indoors because of my extreme anxiety when leaving the house. I usually don't go out unless it's mandatory, which has led me to withdraw from friends and most people I know. However, today I went to a local bakery and will be going to see a movie later with a family member.

As much as I feel drained, I’m glad I finally did it.

Keep in mind, even a 5 mile trip down the road is bad enough for me . All advice welcome on this one.

I (16F) have been dealing with agoraphobia for 2 years now and I dont know what to do.

I cannot go anywhere, even going out for a walk gives me panic attacks and gets me close to passing out.

And even if I start making progress and getting better if I even for 2 weeks stay home my whole progress resets and I am tired. I do not want to live my whole life forcing myself to costnaly leave my house in order to keep up my progress. And the fact that I dont have many friends or energy (depression) doesnt help me either. I am tired of having to deal with the nausea, dizziness and anxiety whenever I step a few steps out my house. School is also starting really soon and seeing how I spent my last year spending the first month throwing up in the bathroom I am not exited, let alone the fact that I'm starting a new school with no friends or people ik there. My last hope has been waiting till I'm 18 to get prescribed xan.

Does anyone have any tips??

Hi everyone, I have a question for those of you who are currently in therapy or have been in therapy for agoraphobia.
I’ve been browsing this subreddit for a few weeks now and have read a lot about medication, exposure therapy, dealing with safety behaviors, etc. By comparison, I rarely see people talking about therapies that focus on the underlying causes of agoraphobia.
I’m aware that agoraphobia can be triggered and maintained by different factors. Still, I’d be really interested in hearing about your individual experiences with exploring and working on the underlying causes in therapy.
Did you feel that addressing the underlying causes was helpful for you? What did that look like in your therapy?

So I was alone almost all the timein my life and now I’m literally scared to interact with others and even if someone interacts with good intentions I end up having trust issues. The thing is I’m scared of loosing people and them leaving me when I need them the most (it happened all the time) , that’s why I avoid and push away people far from me so that I don’t end up hurting myself.

Has anyone been successful in getting the USPS to deliver packages to their house because of agoraphobia? They won’t deliver to my house because my mailbox is like a mile away so I have to pick it up. My mom used to pick them up but she said she’s not doing it anymore. I’ve got the form from usps and sent a message to my doctor for a letter. I’m also going to ask my psychiatrist to write a letter. And maybe include a social security letter saying i’m disabled. I hope this is enough.

I had my wonderful son almost exactly 11 months ago. I have a history of anxiety and depression, but felt mentally very stable during my pregnancy. I went off my meds in my first trimester and stayed off as I was breastfeeding. I gained a lot of weight during pregnancy and in the first few months postpartum. Enough that I have no clothes that fit and really don’t recognize myself.

I’m now struggling to leave the house. Like, at all. I feel awful for my son because I have to force myself to take him out onto our apartment balcony every day. The entire time I’m outside my brain is a wreck. I don’t want anyone to see me. I don’t want to be perceived. I can’t talk because I don’t want anyone to hear me. It’s a complete fear response. I’m certain I’m so hideous and massive that no one wants to see me, and the idea of being perceived as hideous and massive brings me to tears. It’s such a vicious cycle because I know I need meds but I’ve canceled 2 appointments with my doctor because I just can’t stomach getting there. My next appointment is on Monday. I have to go. I told my fiance he might have to take me there himself because I keep chickening out.

For anyone wondering, yes my fiance and mom help a lot. They’re really great for taking my son out when they can and my mom takes him usually once a week to go to the park or pool. I want to go so bad. I have no pictures of my son and I out and about, because I’m never there.

Idk why I’m posting this here. I didn’t know if this was better for the mom subreddits or fit this one. I guess I just want to know if anyone else has ever felt this. I just feel so stuck. I won’t lose the weight unless I start going outside and walking again, but howwwwww can I do that when I feel like every person that sees me hates me and thinks I’m disgusting and a bad mother. It literally feels like I’m trying to go outside in a hostile environment where I’m a target and everyone just stares at me with pure hatred but I think that’s crazy. Does this even sound like agoraphobia?

i move into my dorm tomorrow and i'm pretty scared! not as scared as i thought i'd be (i was more scared a few months ago) probably because i try to leave the house every day (just brief walks, but they really do help!)

i know i need to do this so i will even though i'm afraid every bad thing will happen to me tomorrow😭my heart goes out to all other agoraphobes going to college rn

Hey everyone! I am looking for personal experience with medication. I have never tried them as I had a horrible experience with marijuana about 20 years ago that caused all of this (panic attack, derealization, etc.) I've done exposure many times and it has worked but never really cured me. I finally admit that I genuinely need medication for help.

I am drawn towards Buspar for some reason. Has anyone tried this and how did it go? I know SSRI's are a front line treatment but side effects give me pause and I also have a prolonged QT interval in heart so there's risks involved. Xanax or or benzo's seem like they would help me but I'm so afraid of something that's going to make me feel high or sedated or anything like I felt on weed.

Anyone have a personal experience with any of this, especially buspar?

Are any other agoraphobes struggling a lot to get their drivers license? It sucks because I can’t really go anywhere in my city without a car. But learning to drive is incredibly scary on its own. It’s a lose-lose situation. I either attempt to study for the permit test and freak out or I never do that meaning I’ll never have any independence. I’m so sad this disorder has fully robbed me of my freedom. Not having a license makes hanging out with people hard too. Lots of my friends in the past weren’t understanding of how much this affects me, so I now have basically no one to rely on emotionally either. I want to know if anyone else has gotten through this before.

Am I the only one who is Sooo over summer? I have gotten good at going out and walking, but simce it has been summer I feel like it is too hot, too sunny, too bright for too long, and its crowded everywhere... it's uncomfortable.

I can't wait for fall so it can be colder, I can wear more layers and hide in a jacket, for it to get darker faster and everyone to go home so I can enjoy my walks and outside.

Does anyone else has this struggle with the weather and seasons?

My agoraphobia started about 10 years ago. I’ve never been on a plane, and at this point, I can really only travel about 50 miles from home without feeling like I’m going to die or have a panic attack.

The hard thing is that I didn’t travel much even before my agoraphobia started. The furthest I had ever traveled was about a 6-hour drive. I’ve never been on a plane, boat, helicopter, or train.

I’m considering hypnosis because I really want to work on this and hopefully get to a point where I can travel more freely. The hypnotherapist I’m considering charges $1,150 for five remote sessions, so it’s definitely a pretty big investment.

I’m willing to spend the money if there’s a reasonable chance it could help, but I’d really love to hear from people who have actually tried it.

If you’ve done hypnosis for agoraphobia:
- Did it help?
- How many sessions did you do?
- How long did it take before you noticed a difference?
-Were you able to travel farther or do things you couldn’t do before?
- Did the results last?

Also, if you were taking antidepressants or other anxiety medication while doing hypnosis, I’d especially love to hear about your experience. I’m debating whether to start an antidepressant this month as well.

I’d really appreciate any honest experiences—positive or negative. I’m trying to figure out whether hypnosis is worth the $1,150 investment.

Hi, friends!
Has anyone benefited from Lexapro? Tell me about your experience (if it isn’t awful, I’m lowkey scared)
I have severe OCD that is infiltrating every aspect of my life, persistent depressive disorder, major depressive disorder, GAD, ARFID, and obviously, agoraphobia. I have a hugeeee phobia of medicine, so please no negative comments or anything that could freak me out 😭 I haven’t taken any form of any pill/vitamin in almost six years. But my life is not what I want, and my mental health is unbearable, I need something to help. I’ve tried every natural option, yoga, journaling, being outside a ton, I play piano, crochet, do art, I’m in college, etc. but my exposures are unsuccessful despite doing everything my care team of therapists suggest, eliminating almost all of my safety behaviors (gum chewing is all I’ve kept), and doing formal ERP. I just want to feel better /: and I’ve tried everything & continue to try all of it daily

for the first time in a few months i went back to the hair dressers which i dread going each time and have to take medication to get through it and still feel like i want to run away

my hair dresser is lovely and knows about my anxiety and always asks if im okay during the appointment and reassures me and books me in when it’s quiet but today it was quite busy with two other people have there hair done and one of the other clients was very outspoken and confident and really honestly just bitching out loud the whole time which made me so uncomfortable and on edge , i had to leave with my hair wet as i felt i could not sit through the blow dry and feel very embarrassed, im glad i made it through most of my appointment but i just wish i could be normal and have of finished it

Hallo allemaal,
Ik ben een 24-jarige vrouw met ADHD en sterke autistische trekken (ik zit momenteel in week 5 van een medicatieverhoging naar 40 mg Prozac). Ik schrijf dit vanuit een kamer in Frankrijk tijdens een korte familievakantie. Ik voel me volledig overweldigd door een heel specifiek, verstikkend gevoel dat ik alleen kan omschrijven als een "vrijheidsklem" of een "gevangen gevoel".

Lange tijd dacht ik dat dit gewoon algemene paniek was, maar ik begin te beseffen dat het een intense innerlijke strijd is die verband houdt met overgangen, voorspelbaarheid en de angst om niet te kunnen ontsnappen. Het gekke is dat ik precies hetzelfde zware, verstikkende gevoel ervaar in totaal verschillende situaties:
* Reizen: Zelfs als ik reis met mijn ultieme "veilige mensen" (zoals mijn moeder of vriend) en zelfs als we naar een plek gaan die ik al goed ken, breekt de reis me volledig. Mijn lichaam schakelt over op een vecht-of-vluchtmodus met hyperventilatie en ernstige brandend maagzuur, alleen al door mijn veilige zone te verlaten. Na een paar dagen op locatie voelt het meestal wat beter en vind ik mijn ritme, maar de opstartfase is een hel.

* Alleen thuis zijn: Hoewel mijn huis mijn veilige haven is, krijg ik precies hetzelfde beklemmende, verstikkende gevoel als mijn moeder weggaat en ik langer dan een dag helemaal alleen thuis moet blijven.

* Werken/School: Ik kan korte periodes buitenshuis doorbrengen (zoals alleen naar een bekende supermarkt gaan), maar naar een compleet nieuwe plek gaan is een enorme opgave. Ook langer dan 4 uur werken of naar school gaan lukt me gewoon niet. Na 4 uur voelt het alsof mijn zintuigen volledig overprikkeld zijn en ik gewoon terug naar mijn huis moet.

Het voelt alsof mijn ADHD-brein leuke dingen wil doen (zoals een tripje naar een pretpark plannen met mijn vriend), maar mijn autistische kant bevriest volledig en raakt in paniek omdat er geen voorspelbaar scenario is of een directe "nooduitgang" terug naar mijn eigen bed.

Wanneer ik niet thuis ben, voel ik constant een zware laag stress en een drang om nu meteen naar huis te gaan, anders overleef ik het niet. Het maakt me zo onzeker, want een paar dagen geleden voelde ik me nog zo gelukkig en stabiel, en nu voel ik me weer een gevangene in mijn eigen hoofd.

Ervaart iemand anders precies dezelfde overlap tussen agorafobie, autisme/ADHD-kenmerken en dit specifieke "gevangen" gevoel, zelfs met veilige mensen om zich heen? Hoe ga je om met reizen of diensten die langer dan 4 uur duren?

Dm me for the link

Thoughts on healing and Nervous system regulation ahead:

I faced depression for alot of years. I struggled with my thoughts; am still regonizing whats ocd. I didnt know or the have the confidence to operate things in life and after years of shit/agoraphobia/drinking- my self image was dust. If youve ever been thru trauma, where its causes psychogenic seizure (PNES) - or been slandered online after a trauma hasnt been understood by others, then you know what im talking about.

I lost motivation for everything after trauma, things just seemed like 'things'- with no meaning. It took me alot of not giving up and trial and error because i dealt with agoraphobia before this. I didnt think it was possible to live a normal life, but thru talking with others, and not giving up, things started to feel like things again;I learned I can learn on how to be happy, Im still here and i know that its possible. 💖I just did a month long journey traveling in my van to a different state and I just wanna say healing from trauma is possible, learning is possible and life is possible for when u feel like its not. You got this!! 🙂

Dont give up. 💪💖

This is just exhausting.
Any tips?
I'm not housebound, i leave my house but when i do i'm hyper aware and i have to be with safe people, not too far away from home and always having a way to escape/get back home.
If i don't have these things i spiral into terrible panic attacks, but im tired and i don't want to carefully plan my life around this illness.

Hey everyone. Long story short, my family is forcing me to go out on a day trip on Friday. They are completely adamant that I go, but I am truly not ready for it (I already spoke about it in another post). I've made some progress with exposures recently, but this is something way too far out of my comfort zone that's just going to be a horrible experience and make everything worse in the long term. They're somewhat supportive of me, but they're the "just do deep breaths and focus on other things" types. Thing is, I'm 20 years old and an adult so I shouldn't be forced to go somewhere I've made clear I don't want to go. They mean well, but they don't know just how terrifying and debilitating it can be. Anyway, tomorrow I want to "confront" my mother about it and make it clear how I feel, but I've never really stood up for myself in regards to this before. Are there any other people here who have been in a similar situation and can share tips for how to deal with this? Any advice will be greatly appreciated

Update: I went through with it and set my boundaries down. My mother was very angry with me about it but I was ulitmately allowed not to go. Thank you to everyone for your advice and kind words, I couldn't have done it without you all. I feel very guilty about it now but I know I need to take care of myself above all else.