Agoraphobia Support Group

Disorder?

Thanks...

I started to consider myself agoraphobic when my symptoms exacerbated when I went places.

I became unable to drive would either hyperventilate or heart pound without even recognizing hey this makes me have anxiety.

It was out of my control.

Even though I had done these things for the last 20+ years of my life sudeenly I could not.

I can get up and walk around here pretty much without thought but if I'm out somewhere suddenly it increases the pressure by 25-50%.

another weird thing one time I was in the store with my son started feeling very bad very sick hard to breathe

And popped a tiny bit of xanax and within 5 minutes my lungs opened up. I was able to smile and complete my shopping. Now keep in mind my symptoms are very very physical like collapsing on the ground physical and a tiny morsel of Xanax took it all away and I felt like my old self. Able to be physical and push the cart walk and the sick feeling leave. It opened a gate.

Other times getting sick in the store I would flee to my car and feel sick on the verge of death all the way home but once I stepped inside it all stopped. Suddenly the feelings were gone and I knew I would be okay.

I had no fear of grocery until my body told my mind I cannot do this I will collapse.

It was just like an uncontrollable response.

So then the anxiety would start then related to fear about going places even though in my mind I was not afraid of the store or driving I had done it successfully all those years. It was fear of the responses that happened when I went to those places. Home and in my bed started to feel like the only safe place.

I would try to push myself and I would have to pull over in parking lots every so many yards or so.

Now I still do not try to stand and push the cart but can ride the disability scooter.

This helps not trigger some type of anxiety response. Something about the standing and not feeling as secure as when sitting? Or the trying to coordinate the breathing and the walking things we should not have to think about.

So my whole anxiety level was going up with any outings at all which might be normal but my body was just having an abnormally over the top reaction to those settings. At home yes it happened too but it was because I did not understand what was happening to my body, I really believed there was something wrong and my anxiety levels were extremely high at the time.

I wanted so hard to fight against it to keep my job and my mobility and it seems like it just wore me out more to fight the

battle.

Once I reduced stress by not trying to push myself past my limits and started to relax which was a long process I eventually then went back to exposure and working through the feelings.

I'm still working on it to this day.

Post edited by: damselndistress, at: 06/23/2012 05:32 PM

I have both. I have panic attacks at home sometimes but not that often. Im in a constant state of anxiety though it seems. My understanding is that it all starts with panic attacks, and some people start avoiding places thereafter as they are afraid they will panic there and escape might be hard and hence develop agoraphobia. I have read that 1 in 3 people will develop the agor part of panic disorder. Most of my intense panic is entering a feared situation...e.g. Shopping alone, driving far, etc. Yet there are some that have just panic attacks not associated with any particular place or reason..they just happen out of the blue I think.

Panic Disorder can lead to Agoraphobia. My agor started out with several panic episodes that road like waves through me, one right after another for extended periods of time. I began associating places and objects with panic. ie... I panicked in the bathroom, therefore it must be the bathroom causing the attacks, so I in turn avoided the bathroom for months.

It is quite possible to have either one without the other.. every case is similar yet so different. I have known several with agoraphobia that don't experience panic attacks, or very few. They fear leaving their safe zone, not the fear of a panic attack in public. I know even more that have recurring panic attacks, but are not agoraphobic and don't isolate or avoid things.

I was functioning with panic attacks until it got to a point where I just couldn't do it anymore... that lasted for years. Now I deal with the attacks on a case by case basis and don't allow it to keep me from going places I want to go.

I hope that helps answer your question.