:( I would be interested to know and share your experiences of this awful mental disease which affects 1/10 of us.

How do you cope with it/ does it cause mental anxiety when you have to leave the house for essential trips.

What causes it? i have heard of life skill courses which people can attend via your gp who will arrange it and in these courses they discuss these kind of problems.

I believe the main route of the problem is the ebbing away of ones own self esteem and the confidence factor, perhaps a person is trapped in a loveless relationship.

Perhaps it is lifes wear and tear and the feeling of helplessness.:roll:

AGORAPHOBIC is defined as an unexplained fear of open spaces. Therefore everyones answer would be different.

I do personally feel that if someone is confined to a space indoors for an amount of time it can be frightening to go out again. I think maybe its a learned behaviour, when people suffer from depression they tend to shut themselves away and stay indoors. Then are afraid of going out and meeting people which in turn feeds a depression and the agoraphobia.

I have agoraphobia, I have an ongoing battle to go outside. I fight panic attacks almost constantly.

it all started when i was assaulted, at the age of 20.I asked the council to move me away from the district I lived in, because the only way to get out of the block of flats I lived in at the time, was to walk past the house of the man who attacked me. which made me a nervous wreck.

the medical housing officer was very dismissive of my situation, and refused to accept that i needed to move. It took the council 9 months to finally visit me, and her (really sympathetic :rolleyes: ) response was to say " You were raped? 9 months ago? huh! you should be over it by now!"

I said "don't give me that! how the H*ll do you expect me to recover from something like that, when i have to see the home of the man who attacked me, out of my own front window? I have to walk past his house to get anywhere, which reopens the trauma daily! I am on mogadon and valium. as a result of the stress!"

This same visitor later rehoused my friend, who lived a few doors down, because she allegedly could not cope with living on the same block of flats as her late mother had lived in.

She claimed that it was distressing to her, to have to see the flat in which her mother passed away.

I accept that she was distressed over losing her mother to cancer, but how was her trauma any worse than what I endured? I see her need as valid, but if her need was valid, why wasn't mine?

ANYWAY! back on topic!

What I do is, i try to meet the Agoraphobia head-on, and not let it get thebetter of me. some days, the Ag' wins... Some days, I win.. It's like a game of tug-of war.

PT

Hi plain talker really sorry to hear about your experience would love to know what you do to beat agoraphobia, when you say it is a tug of war.
I can't believe such inconsistancy exists where if somebody can make up an exuse that their situation is so bad and you have to remain where you live going through that dreadful trauma my sympathies.

my dads suffered with agrophobia for about 20 years
it was caused by panic attacks when him and my mum used to take us as kids on day outs to fox house, i remember he collapsed on the bus once, thats when it started
hes tried all sorts to beat it, been on drugs for years, and if i remember rightly he was in middlewood for a short spell to try and sort his head out??, he does ride his bike to the local shop these days, and very occasionly gets taken to my uncles house in my uncles car.
he did venture to handsworth for his mums (my grandmas funeral) he said he couldnt have lived with himself if he hadnt, im proud of him for managing it, he even came to the pub for the drink after....the first time weve been to the pub together........i was about 34 at the time

The No Panic supportive charity has lots of helpful (and inexpensive) leaflets and tapes aimed at most phobias and anxieties. The website is www.nopanic.org.uk. Hope this is helpful.

Hi plain talker really sorry to hear about your experience would love to know what you do to beat agoraphobia, when you say it is a tug of war.
I can't believe such inconsistancy exists where if somebody can make up an exuse that their situation is so bad and you have to remain where you live going through that dreadful trauma my sympathies.

Thank you for your understanding.

My friend was genuine, I have no gripe at all that they moved her, and with just reason. I just failed to see the logic from the medical visitor, that her situation warranted a move, and mine didn't.

as for beating the Ag'.. i don't know, really... I try and force myself to go out, and try to tell the darn thing that it isn't going to beat me... some days, as I say, I win, on other days, the ag' does.

I try not to let it beat me.

I am worst when I am travelling, by coach or train. I have panic attacks, and feel trapped.

it was good to hear your experience but sad that you suffered in such a horrible way and really hope you get well soon, i myself am suffering with slight symptoms as i find it hard to look well when i am out my skin is getting dry, my face is all red and my eyes go very strange when waiting in bus queues, i know i can beat it but would hope to get more support from my parents but they are very none supportive ,chin up stop moaning type, only want to hear that everything in your life is perfect for their peace of mind.
I've stopped all correspondence with them,don't write,phone or see them.

AGORAPHOBIC is defined as an unexplained fear of open spaces.

Had it for years and it's a real pain in the a**e. Though i don't agree with the docs definition that it's open spaces and it certainly isn't unexplained. There's a very real explanation behind every case.

It's not even open spaces, it really isn't - not for barely anyone. It's strangers who are in their space in public . Generally a traumatic experience(s) happens as children or adults and the trust in humankind gets ripped away. Waiting rooms are an especially big pain.

Know from experience though the more you withdraw the worst it gets and GPs don't help allowing to withdraw from work and hence from society. It's a real pain to get back and functioning in the world again. Though it wasn't exactly Heaven being extremely nervous in public, it was much more preferable than after the GP gave a way out.

I know the feeling doncastrian, i only venture out when it rains or i have to go somewhere my wife probably thinks i'm a real waste of space.
I will get a jov eventually but on my terms and not in the public domain,my doctor did the same as yours just kept giving me more time off work and though i did visit my employers twice to discuss my problem they were unsympathetic and just wanted to know when i was coming back, i felt like saying the 12th of never.
The problem is that people who judging it from outside don't understand the real issue here.
Only until you have gone through the same experience will yo u be able to relate to the same issues.
Thanks for your contribution.