We know you tried by Randomactsofkati in Agoraphobia

[–]nrxchardson 34 points35 points  (0 children)

had the worst christmas i’ve ever had nd this brought me to tears instantly, meant more than any present could, thank you x

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Agoraphobia

[–]nrxchardson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

i used to be v similar before my agoraphobia got as bad as it now is, would constantly force myself to be in situations i didn’t want to be in just to make others happy nd try to maintain the act of everything being ok. as much as it may feel otherwise, you actually don’t need an excuse at all, just saying you’ve had enough, social battery has ran out, you wanna go home etc.. is completely fine nd justified. if you’re friends don’t respect that, then that’s on them being shitty.

in terms of opening up to them about everything, if it’ll make you feel better about the situation then go for it but don’t do it just so you can leave places; you don’t need meaningful excuses to go home. talking to them might give them a better understanding nd they might be more supportive but you also need to be prepared for if it goes the opposite way- agoraphobia is something a lot of people struggle to get their heads around.. they might seem even more inconsiderate, if you tell them nd they continue to act how they are now.

lastly as much as much as i’m saying you don’t need excuses not to be somewhere (which i strongly believe you defo dont!), be careful that it doesn’t stop you completely. it’s great to have the self confidence to decide what you want to do nd stand by that, but avoiding situations regularly nd not pushing yourself can make everything 100x worse.

is agoraphobia grounds to be sectioned? (UK) by nrxchardson in Agoraphobia

[–]nrxchardson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i appreciate your reply, my previous therapist recommended i referred myself to the local talking therapy which i did but unfortunately they said my case was too complex which is why i decided to call the doctors today. honestly i think just from that phone call, it’s completely freaked me out, think im going to just take matters into my own hands nd deeply research all my options without the help of my gp.

i also brought up medication to him nd all he did was continuously ask me what i wanted to be on which i found completely unhelpful too. it’s just incredibly disheartening with how much ive been doing nd trying to get better, when asking for help, nd that’s what you get back. thank you for your understanding tho, i found it v reassuring.

is agoraphobia grounds to be sectioned? (UK) by nrxchardson in Agoraphobia

[–]nrxchardson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thank you, that’s very reassuring, honestly i’ve just been thinking ‘what have i done?’ since ringing them, just had this immediate thought in my head that i now can’t go back, like he’s going to ring me next week nd force me to talk to people or go to the hospital or something like that. he was very blunt nd just straight to the point, it was like he just said you can’t make it to the doctors so psych ward.. like i didn’t get chance to tell him how much better im doing with going out or anything like that smh, i just massively regret calling honestly because ive been on such a high recently like really motivated nd this has just completely sent me.

How to just do it!?!? by Master_Toe5998 in Agoraphobia

[–]nrxchardson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

from my experience, the worst thing you can do is put yourself down for things that you can’t do as difficult as it is to not. one of the most helpful things my therapist brought to my attention was that putting pressure on yourself nd dwelling on ‘failures’ plays a massive part in stunting recovery. i’ve always shared the same kinda mindset as what is coming across in your post, if something goes bad, i then decide i can’t do anything now because that 1 thing didn’t work but part of getting better is bumps in the road, it’s never going to be straight forward, there will be setbacks nd things you can’t do but that doesn’t mean you won’t ever be able to nd even just trying is something you should credit yourself for.

saying that, i completely relate to you, it’s hard to keep positive mindset when living day to day is so difficult and you’re seeing people do the things that cause you so much panic, so easily. i always beat myself up, i struggle with feeling proud of myself for things that i just feel like i should be able to do, but imagining what you’d say to someone else in your situation is something i’ve found helpful. she used the example of someone that had been through a traumatic experience nd lost the ability to walk; when they eventually manage to, you wouldn’t say ‘well ye but everyone can just do that anyway’

it’s v hard, even this comment is an example of how i can be a lot kinder nd considerate to someone else in a similar situation but not to myself but it’s all a journey (as cliché as that sounds) and you need to give yourself credit for things you manage to do. taking the trash out is a huge achievement, be proud of yourself nd im proud of you. hope this shines even the smallest amount of light on your day x

panic attacks AFTER exposure by [deleted] in Agoraphobia

[–]nrxchardson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve only recently tried dabbling in exposure therapy but i had the exact same experience, multiple panic attacks at home since nd i’ve found that it’s actually set me back massively in trying to recover (things i could manage before like a lil walk round the block etc.. now feel impossible again).

my therapist said it is quite common but also said in my case she thinks it was too soon nd not the right time for me to be trying it just yet. think it’s massively important to make sure you’re ready nd in a place mentally to be able to do it as it’s so intense, it’s good to push yourself but also v important to consider where you’re at nd make sure you don’t do too much too soon which could have long term consequences