What can I do for AGORAPHOBIA?

Question

What can I do for this? I am 23 years old and I seemed to have developed this over the past 2 years and it has slowly gotten worse {could it be I had a baby, moved, and lost my nana, who i was VERY close to all within months of each other 2 years ago??}... I don't have med. ins. so I can't go to therapy, and I don't know what to do... I just started xanax but too soon to tell if it'll help... I have to "go" everytime i have to leave the house and my stomach hurts soooo bad...it's to the point that I can't go ANYWHERE anymore...How can I stop this?

Answer 1

One of the most effective treatments for panic disorder with agoraphobia is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). There is quite a lot of research which supports this. This type of treatment consists of methods in thinking straight and graded exposure to feared situations. The process is conducted over a couple of months-there are no quick and magic solutions! I would advise that you stay away from medical treatment because relapse is likely once you stop. there are some good self help manuals around which are likely to be cheaper than clinical treatment. For e.g. "Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia" in Andrews G. Crino R. Hunt C. Lampe L. Page A. (1994) The Treatment of Anxiety Disorders. New York: Cambridge University Press. Otherwise there may be more information on the web about CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) for agoraphobia.

Answer 2

Xanax is only used for short term treatment. The standard for agoraphobia is anti-depressants which also help with anxiety and they are non-addictive. Last thing you want is to get addicted to xanax too. Finally, therapy and meds go together. If you cannot afford therapy then have your doctor refer you to the local mental health clinic where you can obtain free resources. Don't delay. Get your life back. Try the book, the anxiety and phobia workbook by dr. bourne. It has some good info in it. I have a family member with agoraphobia and it can be licked but it is a process. So get started with the process.

Answer 3

Do you have supportive family? That is really what helped me. My husband has been there and helped me through so much. I knew that I had to be there for my kids and that is why I started going to counseling. Without my husband and kids I don't think I'd be doing as well as I am but still to this day I have problems leaving the house at times, but my husband's there to help me along. Did your family doctor give you the Xanax? Without counseling the meds aren't going to help much. You need to talk to someone about what is bothering you otherwise your not going to really get better. You need to find out why you really don't want to leave the house and how to deal with whatever that might be. There is usually some kind of free or discounted counseling through the county where you live. Try looking in the white pages.

Best of Luck,
Jennifer

Answer 4

I have a slight case of agoraphobia myself. My psychologist recommended a book titled, "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook." The author's last name is Bourne. It's a very good book and really helps you understand a lot about what's going on inside you and why you feel the way you do. I've been working with it for a few weeks and it really makes sense. It's only about $20, a lot cheaper than therapy.

Answer 5

Ask your doctor about increasing the dose of xanax or changing the medicine. Xanax is supposed to work instantaneously for anxiety and has worked extremely well for me. However everyone's bodily chemistry is different and some medication may work better for some people than others. So tell me what your dosage of Xanax is. You can feel free to phone your doctor about taking another xanax pill to see if you experience more releif or ask about other medication. However Xanax is the most potent anti-anxiety drug on the market.