Coping with Agoraphobia: Will it ever get easier?

I don't want to scare you but I'd nip this in the bud as quick as you can I've been Agoraphobic ten years. And because of it I've had infections, defiencies, tooth decay, weight gain then loss, and I'm in pain everyday with my muscles in my leg back etc I have a herniated disc an being so inactive for so long I can barely walk now. 😥 This needs to be taken more seriously Agoraphobia is a serious condition an when left can really escalate. I'm sorry I had to be the one to say this. X

I'm on SSRIs and they've been helping me a bunch, it numbs the anxiety so I can't really feel it. I've been going out, and talking to people for a few months now. I've had a few panic attacks now and then, but it's much easier.

Sometimes just sitting by a window or on your porch and being present helps to take those first steps outside. Some days I can walk a block, other days I sit at the last step on my porch and feel that's as far as I can safely make it. Recovery isn't linear.

I feel like I gotta hurry home from work, be inside, and I'm not sure if I'm actually afraid of something or if I just don't want to deal with people? I'm usually extremely social. I just recently started venturing out for walks at night with my son and our dog. Baby steps.

Hi. I became agoraphobic after a traumatic incident when I was 17 and it got unbelievably hard when I was 21 and moved to another state. My therapist tried meds to no avail. Then she started using hypnosis to understand why I had become agoraphobic and she taught me self-hypnosis techniques. Within a year I went from not leaving my house alone to flying back home to visit my family all by myself. It was lots of anxiety but I made it. I still struggle with making myself go places and do things but I use those techniques to relax some and calm myself. There's absolutely hope!! Hang in there!!!

Ok! Thank you so much. I'm doing CBT right now. I haven't done the other two I don't think. I'm also doing exposure therapy.

I'm sorry, what are emds and ifs?

Some coping skills for me were to kind of trick myself into going outside. Like, look I want to get closer to that pretty flower. Won’t you take a couple steps out the door? That kind of stuff.

Well personally I have had quite a journey with it. I started CBT with a therapist which got me to the point where it is bearable but still taxing. I am still working on it to be less taxing and scary with my new therapist using EMDR and IFS therapy.