agoraphobia...and I'm 14?

Question

i'm 14 years old and i suffer from pretty severe agoraphobia. it effected my schoolwork so now I am attending summer school, which is like a prison for me. it is a 6 hour day for 2 classes. at first my mom was supportive and helped me get out of the house, but now that it has gotten worse, she yells at me and punishes me when i don't go to school or where she wants me to go. my dad is unemployed and my mom's job doesn't offer health insuance, so i can't go to a doctor.
does anyone have any ideas of what i can do about my situation and what to do when i get scared especially in summer school?
i have lost friends over this and now the support of my family.

help me!

also, my biggest problem is feeling sick to my stomach all the time because of my worrying.

never have i actually gotten sick, but for some reason i can't convince myself that its all in my head. how can i reassure myself?

Answer 1

Check your local newspaper for your county or city 'Community Mental Health'. . .you can be seen and diagnosed for no cost/or be directed to another place in your area that does offer this service for someone in your situation.

Sometimes, there are also Church affiliated organizations which offer help based on income. Some fees are very, very low. (Example: Catholic Social Services)

Please look also in the local yellow pages and explain your situation, you will be directed to the area you need to go. Be patient, it may take some calling, but it really will be worth it/or call a local Pastor or Priest (you will speak to the secretary) and briefly explain what you need.

Mom doesn't not understand what you are going thru, it's hard for her too.

Good luck to you and please take this advice.

Answer 2

Looks like there is no miracle or home remdies out there.

Here are some treatments which require going to a doctor or specialist:

Agoraphobia can be successfully treated in many cases through a very gradual process of graduated exposure therapy combined with cognitive therapy and sometimes anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications. Anti-anxiety medications include benzodiazepines such as alprazolam. Anti-depressant medications which are used to treat anxiety disorders are mainly in the SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) class such as sertraline, paroxetine and fluoxetine. Alternative ways of treatment include hypnosis and techniques of Neuro-linguistic programming, which is rapidly becoming more popular and widely accepted by the general public.

Treatment options for agoraphobia and panic disorder are similar.

Answer 3

That;s horrible that you have lost the support of your family. I have suffered from this as well, and I'd like to think my symptoms have lightened.

You enter situations in school that are required, such as giving a speech, but you quiver and weaken at the legs right? Things of this sort.

My best advice is do the things that make you agoraphobic incredibly often. Make it your favorite things. Tell your mind these things you fear are your new favorite activities. Get into a drama class and/or a school play. It will help.

If you're not satisfied, consult a psychologist. They will diagnose you properly, but try and fix it yourself before you try medicine.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Is your school counselor there during the summer? If not there are many counseling services out there that will base payment options on income. I went to Catholic Social Services for counseling and they charged me $15 per visit. Try to call around for services in your area. You need some type of support and I found that councelors worked well for me. It wasn't like going to the shrink. Maybe try to find some support or chat groups for agoraphobia online. People who have been/are in your situation would probably give better advice.

Answer 5

Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder which primarily consists of the fear of experiencing a difficult or embarrassing situation from which the sufferer cannot escape.

It is okay to feel anxious sometimes however you may want to try old fashioned herbal remedies which can help to calm your nerves. They actually work very well and help to calm you down. You may want to try treatments in a bubble bath or find a good book that can help you escape your problems at home. An ipod with calming and relaxing music may help your problem. I am a doctor and there is no real medical treatment that is not expensive to help this. Throughout the course of the day in my proffesion I enoucnter many sights that I do not like to see. This always helps me. I have patients who suffer from this same condition and this is my first reccomendation.

I hope this helps!

Answer 6

You need to find a school counselor or other trusted person to talk to about this, before it gets worse. I understand this can be a devastating condition. I've suffered from it most of my life, but have been lucky that it has not gotten as severe as yours appears to be. If you speak to a counselor at school, or a minister or such at church, you may be able to find FREE help with a clinic or some other ways to help you deal with this. If there are no counselors right now (due to summer) and you don't go to church, try to find SOME adult other than your parents that you trust and can confide in and ask them to help you find some kind of help group.

Answer 7

there are alot of free mental health places to go get help and if you need medication have your mom get you on the state medical plan and the plan will pay for you doctors and medications and also you might be able to get on SSI and that could help your mom out on paying for some of the bills in the house and put some of that money into a savings account for you. As far as you not going to school I cannnot help you my advice is to go and learn as much as you can

Answer 8

Agoraphobia can be pretty bad....and i think everyone suffers a mild case of it every now and then. All you can do it just lift your head up and not be afraid. Embarrassing moments happen to everyone. Don't let it take over your life! :D

Answer 9

You can always go to free clinics. Your health is more important than your pride.And the treatment would only be temporary.Please consider it. Good luck and God bless. I'll pray for you. You're to young to lose your childhood.

Answer 10

During summer school , you can talk to a councelor or someone in the office.
I hope it works out!
Good luck
ps. summer school does suck