Mild Agoraphobia
I start to feel terrified when i go to the store at the end of the street , i made it worse by staying inside for the past few months, i go to the corner store every once and awhile with my Mom where she goes but almost everytime i've been out i start panicing and i want to get help and i Know where to go it's just i don't feel like i would be able to sit in an office for longer then 5 minutes without having a panic attack. I'm looked up dozens of things to try and help myself be comfortable outside for longer periods of time but if just so terrifying and nothing seems to help. Has anyone gone through anything similar? And can help a guy out please??
@imaginativeHuman5462
Hey there, thank you for sharinh your experience with us! When we're in a strange place, it can cause a lot of anxiety, which it seems like you're feeling. One thing I would recommend is practicing some calming breathing exercises, it's isn't much, but it may help. This page from the Mayo Clinic may help or this letter from a survivor of agoraphobia. Wishing you all the best.
@imaginativeHuman5462 Do you have many negative thoughts before you go out?
I hear that you are uncertain of the cause of your anxiety.. Understand that this is normal.. our minds go 100mph, it is hard to keep up and understand why it is doing it because we are so consumed by the feelings we get. I'm curious if you have tried journaling about your anxiety? That way you have something tangible to look over for clues; it also helps in identifying any negative thought patterns you may have and not been able to identify yet. I hope that helps!
I have dealt with this for over 10 years. It does get better with age and exposure. I have found that the blood pressure medications “beta blockers” help with the symptoms and let you get control of your surroundings. Start by just walking in the front of the store every visit and as time goes on go further in the store. Eventually after going many times you will be exposed and the anxiety will disappear. Best of luck. I’ve been there and just want you to know this is only temporary.
I recently started overcoming agoraphobia. What helped me the most was having headphones in when in public. Music is a great way to up your mood and keep you distracted. Also, I would sit in my car and panic for about 30 mins just to run inside and get some milk. Somedays I didnt make it and others I did but I always at least tried. So, even on days you feel horrible, get out of house and at least try. Dont be hard on yourself. Also you could eventually try getting a gym membership. Just having that extra motivation (wanting to get in shape+ endorphins), keeping distracted by working out and having headphones in is a perfect mixture.
