Agoraphobia Support Group

Today's question... Do you run home?

I see many of you going for walks for exposure. First there is the anticipatory anxiety, then comes the actual walking... THEN...

THE SUDDEN URGE TO RUN HOME

The advice of the professionals says....

DON'T RUN HOME!

During panic, it’s very common to feel an overwhelming urge to run home. Resisting this urge is one of the keys to overcoming agoraphobia. A lot of things about how you heal from this condition are very "counter-intuitive" – the opposite of what you might think! One of these "counter-intuitive" keys is resisting the urge to run home.

In the short run, running home relieves the anxiety. But in the long run, it actually reinforces the agoraphobia. When you give in to the impulse to run home, it reinforces two completely false and counterproductive ideas: 1) that you have to run home to relieve panic and 2) that you have to be at home in order to feel safe.

Panic attacks – as unpleasant as they are – are not harmful. If you don't run home when you have a panic attack, nothing bad will happen. In fact, in the long run, it will help you to overcome agoraphobia.

Here’s an example of how to resist the urge to run home: Let’s suppose you are driving and you experience panic and the urge to run home. Instead of immediately turning the car around and heading home, just find a place to pull over. Use your cognitive techniques and just wait it out. You will see that nothing bad happens, and the panic passes very quickly. Then, congratulate yourself, because you just had a victory! Once you feel pretty calm, you can decide to either go home or – even better – continue with your outing.

Each time you resist the urge to run home, you discover that, by using your cognitive techniques, or just by waiting it out, the anxiety subsides. And each time you resist the urge to run home, you chip away a little bit of the agoraphobia.

http://www.paniccure.com/overcoming_agoraphobia/ Resist_the_urge.htm

What do you think about this?

It has been a while for me since I did walking as exposure but I think this running home phenomena applies to almost all exposure.

I think not running home is one of the biggest keys. It took me some years but I no longer run home. Trust me, I still get the urge. You know, the feeling of being so damn uncomfortable you feel like you just gotta go. The feeling can be so strong. It takes a lot of strength to go against what your body is telling you to do but if accomplished, it is rewarding. With time the urge is not quite as strong. Even if it does not quite disappear you learn to live with it, to recognize it and allow it to pass. Like most things with this disorder it is a skill and it takes both acceptance, understanding and time.

I still get the urge too. Especially after going to a couple of my frequented stores. Then I just have this feeling like... that's it, I'm done, I'm going home. First it was just one store, then I worked up to a couple. I'll admit that after about 3, I am wanting to go home. But... I guess that's quite far from not wanting to leave my house at all 10 years ago huh? Slow... but I'm getting there.

And yes, you just tell yourself no... no, I'm going just a bit further, or another store, or drive one more mile. Then I run home!!!

What I experienced was okay this one trip I made two stops-did okay through the first store went into the second and went to the bathroom came out and what I experienced was a wave that went through me followed by the shakes I grabbed one thing and went to the car and felt as if I'd collapse and die all the way home so yes I bailed out of the store. White knuckled it driving all the way home which was a good 20 minute drive then as soon as I walked through the door all of the feelings melted away.

Episode was over and I said what is this?

There was potential I did have a physical problem going on also but do they magically go away when you go through your back door.

Nothing adds up.

The closest thing is a type of anxiety that manifests itself physically more than psychologically.

I did not fear stores until my body did weird things in stores.

So running home helped define my issue slightly like a diagnostic.

Now if I could just break the barrier of this so called comfort zone I've got surrounding me I'd be all cured lol.

What do you think about this?

Im hoping the "what do You think Of This? is the QOD?

I can only answer from my own experiences with agor/panic and hiding/running/exposure/BS etc...

so here goes...

the more I have isolated completely and hidden all the symptoms of my AGOR (from others) and retreated away from the 'outside' world the WORSE the AGOR became and the more difficult it became to conquer even the tiniest of tasks...

In my experience, my own AGOR has been life-threatening and panic has been harmful and has caused many other health problems as well. My Agor roots are not found in one single place...I have traced them to several things and so one of the initial causes/reasons for my AGOR as well as an ongoing symptom and worsening problem have been the same thing...therefore helping to keep me sick...feeling imprisoned in my own body...mind or whatever with my own fears as the warden sorta...

for me getting out everyday (which is VERY necessary) hasn't made it "easier" hasnt "cured" my agor...hasnt given me less panic attacks but it has made it harder and given me more panic attacks thought I feel more confident just from knowing that I DO it anyways...I FEEL more courageous even though I am probably just as scared as when I am inside my home not answering the phone/door etc...I have arthritis in my neck from agor and panic and stiffness from tension of being out to where often when I drive or walk in any public place I cant turn my head cause my neck locks up from the pain...but other times I can force my head to move even if in pain...its only dangerous if I cant turn my head when driving...to see the lane/car next to me(changing lanes/and or backing out/up)...

for me it doesnt "chip away a little bit at the" agor...but it sometimes chips away at my hope and increases my feeling inferior and like a 'monsterous freak' or 'deformed'...due to the original reasons I started isolating in the first place...but I know if I don't get out it will be so much worse...

lately I do not 'run home' since I dont have any 'home' feeling anymore... separated from hubs in march/april and lost the 'home' feeling then ...now its sort of a 'you-dont-belong' feeling no matter where I go... so I dont run...but I do try to find moments of private "safe" spaces for a few minutes usually in a locked bathroom... where i can sort of block everything out just for a few moments...but it helps cope with everything in a more healthier way...rather than hide there 24/7 which is what I did when I practices 100% complete giving in to my AGOR.

when I do panic in public I do not try to run anywhere cause usually there is no where to RUN to...no place would relieve the anxiety so I know I have to continue what I am doing till it goes away and I sort of learned to accept it will always be there and a part of me and who I am but Id get rid of it if I could...I hate having panic all the time and feeling spacey like I cant remember things and feeling soo exhausted from the toll anxiety takes on my body...it a pain in the ass and not fun at all!