Agoraphobia Support Group

Even though I've joined the group recently, I have been reading posts, new members presentations... since the group had around 400 members. I've seen that in less than maybe 3 or 4 years the number has increased to 1421 members. Do you think is more common lately to suffer from this kind of mental disorders or this has always existed but now people understand better what is happening to them and can communicate better using for instance the internet?

When I start having panic attacks around 20 years ago I had absolutely no idea of what a panic attack, agoraphobia was. I remember that I went to my family doctor with my mother and after i told him my symptoms, he performed a regular physical checkout and he said that I was OK. I spent several years feeling horrible and not knowing what was happening to me until I read a magazine that mentioned something about panic attacks etc and I understood what had been happening to me for those years.

I think agoraphobia has just become more known through the media and online groups during the past few years. I don't know of course.

I didn't become aware of this until about 8 or 10 years ago either.

I think the word agoraphobia is just now becoming known to more people. It has gotten some media attention in the recent year or two. I think many people suffer without knowing what it is that they have. Before I was diagnosed with panic disorder I spent many months being tested for physical problems. My psychiatrist is not a fan of labels so I knew before I got to him that I had panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, but that was that. Not until much later did agoraphobia enter my vocabulary and I was told by my shrink that that was what I was diagnosed with in the first place. I really wish I knew for I was perplexed and tortured by the fact that I could not leave the house at all. I thought it was just the nature of panic disorder.. Oh well.. So, I think more people are realizing that there is a name to their condition.

I agree Anna. I wasn't told until suffering with it for well over 20 years what I had. I had heard about it of course but assumed since I was able to leave my apartment once in awhile I couldn't have it. Until I was at the medical doctor's office having a meltdown and started going on and on about how I can't leave my apartment and that's the worst part of it all blah blah blah. She said "You have agoraphobia!! You need to see a therapist!" It took me a couple years to accept this because I couldn't get my preconceived notion out of my head but I began to notice that I never walked out that dreaded front door without a safe person and wouldn't get out of the car when people took me places. I had been this way on and off since I was a child so it was hard to believe it wasn't just my warped personality like I always thought. I'm not sure why none of the therapists or psychiatrists I had seen over the years let me in on this?!?

I sorta knew what it was for many years. I had my first panic attack over a year ago but didn't want to accept that something wasn't wrong with me, my heart, something other than this. For the longest time I was sure it was my prior blood pressure meds and the increasing doses causing anxiety. That or because I had started taking Claritin daily because allergies were bothering me. I've known people that get anxiety with that one. But because I often noticed the "dizziness" first the Dr and nurse practitioner that I was seeing said they thought it was just the blood pressure and side effect dizziness from my bp pill. Eventually they said it could be panic and anxiety and referred me to call and sign up for behavioral health with my insurance. I didn't for the longest time. But eventually did so I'd have the option to get meds if it returned as I was expecting to be needing to drive alone and such to return to employment. A couple weeks ago I had another panic attack after many months of controlling the anxiety when out to prevent it. I was driving alone. I started opening up some at the group therapy session and the counselor thinks I have the beginnings of agoraphobia. I hadn't even put this in that category because like Clara I was and am able to leave but often I have to have someone with me.

Many of us don't have a "safe person"

I'd like to have one but am so hard to get along with when under pressure and going out anywhere is something I make myself do and many times find if I go out too much I start to have little melt downs. Then I wish I did have a safe person.

However since I now know what is going on I tend to fight it harder but sometimes when we push ourselves too much we find we need to stop and regroup.

That's where I am today....regrouping from too much going out(because I had to)