Agoraphobia

Question: Does Agoraphobia effect the Chinese and the Japanese in big cities? The cities in China are very populated and crowded. So I wondered if Agoraphobia is heard of over there. If anyone knows if it is a problem like in the Western Countries.

Answer: TKS might be a good term to look up. It is a psychological term used in Japan that generalises type of psychological syndromes where people becomes phobic to crowd or people. According to some statistics (sorry, couldn't find a link...), the relative population of people suffering from TKS is extremely high in East Asia compared to most of the Western countries for teenagers and early 20's. Such social background led to invetion of a terminology such as TKS, which you hardly hear in Western countries, but is almost a general knowledge in Japan.

Question: What work can someone suffering from agoraphobia do to earn a living? Even someone with agoraphobia needs to earn money to live on.But How can they earn a living when they have problems going out,socialising etc.Home jobs don't pay enough,But would be ideal if they existed.All the jobs i find working from home are a con.What jobs exist that a agoraphobic person could cope with and live decently and happy.

Answer: I suffered from agoraphobia for a couple of years & understand your dilemma. Fortunately for me I can go out now, however, I still get anxious. I've looked in & tried most of the 'at home' positions & yes, the majority of them don't bring in more than a few dollars here or there. What does work is eBay. You can become an affiliate & sell people's products for them. This means you don't have to ship any stock from your home. You can also buy bulk stock for cheaper (like digital cameras) & sell them for a profit, this does require access to a post office, do you have a partner or a friend who could make your deliveries? I'm sure you could 'hire' someone to drop in twice a week to forward your packages. Maybe opt for child labour & call the neighbours to see if they have kids who want some extra $$$ Another top seller on eBay is plus size clothes for women. If you google something like "plus size clothes wholesale" or "wholesale products" or affiliates, you might find some interesting info. Another idea that I looked into was the breeding of burmese cats, or any popular breed of pet (do your research). These days there are mobile vets & potential purchasers will come to your home, so there's no need to go anywhere. You can also baby sit pets of owners who are travelling, I'm not sure of how you would set it up, or how much money you'd get, but it might be worth a look. I guess the above ideas would be no use to you if you hated animals!! I found that when I was agoraphobic, my two cats were my best friends! Another idea I've played around with is proof reading. You have to do a small course from home. This can lead to editing manuscripts/ads/books etc. You can also write poems for Hallmark cards and get paid. Google it for more information. Finally - and you might not want to hear this, but -, unfortunately, there's little to no jobs out there that don't require you to invest some sort of money initially before you start earning. This, I found, was the biggest downfall to being an eager agoraphobic employee. I wish you the absolute best of luck, I know how frustrating it is!! If all else fails, contact Centrelink & ask them for their advice. Don't forget to remind them that an agoraphobic can't leave the house, ever, never, not at all, regardless of the circumstance!! I had one lady book me an appointment at one of the Centrelink offices??!!! Some people just don't get it do they!! GOOD LUCK HONEY!!! xxx

Question: How do I deal with agoraphobia from benzo withdrawals? I have had agoraphobia for almost two months now making it nearly impossible for me to leave my home.It all started when I was Detoxed from xanax to quickly. I am 25 days benzo free and still have bad agoraphobia. I cant even walk to the corner of my street without freaking out.And I do not want to go on anti depresants.So how do I cope or overcome this?

Answer: Go 2 www.benzo.org and you will find all the info u need on there including forums with people suffering the same problems as urself.. Detoxing of benzos will not happen overnite and you will probably have these feelings of anxiety/agrophobia 4 a little while yet.Your body/mind is readjusting slowly. xanax supresses adrenaline so when you stop taking them your body works overtime 2 produce more of it than is needed.This is why u r feeling anxious.2 much adrenaline=anxiety i went through the same as u and the way i dealt wiv it was 2 first go in2 the garden.wen i felt ok wiv this i slowly worked my way further a field avoiding crowds at first until i got my confidence.It tuk me a few months but i got there in the end. Also exercise as much as u can as dis uses up ur adrenaline naturaly slowly puttin ur bodys hormones back in balance. Congratulations on comin of benzos as this is by far the hardest drug 2 come of.Uv taken ur first step now you wil have 2 take things slowly and at your own pace.one step at a time.i promise u fings wil get better just b patient. make sure u check out the website and also discuss this wiv ur doctor as counselling mite b of benefit 2 u 2 show u ways and techniques in dealing wiv ur anxiety. all the best rich

Question: What is the impact agoraphobia has on society? Agoraphobia: the fear of an embarrassing or difficult situation where one cannot escape.

Answer: I have social phobia. When it was bad I couldn't leave the house for fear of embarrassment or a difficult situation where I couldn't escape, causing me to have a panic attack. Agoraphobics will not leave the house for general fear of a panic attack in public. Translated from Greek, it means "fear of the marketplace". As for society, I have very little impact - only welfare until I can return to work. My doctor has ordered me to choose work carefully or I could end up in hospital. I know it doesn't help much, but I wanted to clear things up a bit

Question: How can I be treated for my BPD and agoraphobia without money or insurance? Because of my agoraphobia I have been unable to work, but I have been denied Social Security benefits. I would like to get better, but I have no money, no current doctor, and no health insurance. Help!

Answer: I really feel for you. I have a friend who is going through a similar situation where his mood disorder will not allow him to maintain employment. Please give yourself time to get better. I’ve read that the average time it takes to properly diagnose a mental illness is over eight years. In the sources section below, I’ve included some links that might be useful. Needy Meds is an information clearinghouse on programs (private, state, and federal) that help people pay for medical care. You can search for medication programs, programs by state, and programs by medical condition. Mood Garden is a site devoted to people with bipolar disorder and other mood disorders. A community like that might help you figure out what to do next. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has offices throughout the country. Local members should be able to provide some guidance. The next link goes to a free clinic search page, and the following one is a search form for free medical care through the Bureau of Primary Health Care. If you find that you can manage insurance, try MostChoice.com. You can find quotes on health care plans and speak to health insurance agents without charge and with no obligation to buy anything from anyone. HMO plans are really affordable and offer behavioral health services at very reasonable rates. You can visit MostChoice here: http://www.mostchoice.com/health-insurance.cfm Good luck and I hope you get help soon, Barnes@MostChoice

Question: How to lose weight when I have agoraphobia and anxiety? Hi. I am 16, 6ft, and weight about 235 pounds. I am very fat, and I am desperate to lose weight, to build confidence. I have agoraphobia and anxiety, and it is very hard for me to go out and exercise or join the gym. Is there anyway that I can lose weight then in the house. All I have are light weights. So, is there anyway to lose weight. Or could I lose weight walking around my park for an hour four times a week? Thanks

Answer: you can lose weight by just walking my sister did and she just watch her parsons of food she was eating. she didn't really go on a diet or anything and she lost a lot of weight.

Question: How well does agoraphobia respond to treatment? I had it when I was younger and it somehow became managable in my early twenties. I am 38 now and it has come back, I will have treatment this time and was wondering how it is treated and how long it will take to respond to it. I was diagnosed with ptsd about 10 yrs. ago and recently was diagnosed with the agoraphobia also social phobia, panic disorder and anxiety disorder. Is all of this just different aspects of the ptsd? Please help, this is horrible and lonely, if you have experienced this I would like to hear from you. Thanks.

Answer: Honestly speaking it may be an imbalance from thinking in certain ways over several years due to stress or other situations... Try this even when alone and you will see a world of difference - smile, laugh in the morning for 2 - 3 minutes even if seems silly it effects the chemicals in your brain... good luck

Question: Have you tried EFT for panic attacks or agoraphobia? Agoraphobia because of panic attacks are ruining my life and i'm wondering if any of you have tried using EFT as a cure. Thanks for any responses and any information as to natural remedies.

Answer: I tried EFT a while ago for my anxiety and paranoia. It cleared my thoughts for a while, but then I came to realize it was all just mind over matter. But, if it works great for you, then keep on going with it! =]]

Question: Does anyone else have agoraphobia ? How long since you left the house ? I was wondering if anyone else has agoraphobia and how long it has been since you left the house? What do you do to fill in your time?

Answer: I had depression and anxiety years ago and it lead to agoraphobia. The doctor came to the house to see me and prescribed anti-depressants and referred me to a community psychiatric nurse who came to my house on a weekly basis for 6 weeks. If it hadn't been for the meds and the therapy i would probably still be house bound! I took it slowly and after a couple of weeks would leave the house for a couple of minutes and come back, gradually increasing the amount of time i left the house for. i was taught coping mechanisms for anxiety and panic attacks and also was given lots of info on why they happen and what happens to your body/mind during an anxiety attack. It took about 6 months to feel ok about being out but i was still uncomfortable for awhile after that. When i was ok to leave the house i saw a psychologist and went to a weekly support group for people in a similar situation. As for things to do- i was really too depressed and anxious to want to do anything!

Question: Does anyone know if hypnotherapy can be used to treat agoraphobia? I was diagnosed with agoraphobia over a year ago. I have tried Cognative Behavioral Therapy but that didn't work and am on anti depressants. While I have started to improve slightly, taking my daughter to school with the help of my dog, I was wondering if hypnotherapy was an option. If so, does anyone know how to go about it?

Answer: Sure it works. It takes some time though- it doesn't happen overnight in most cases. Walking with your dog is a great step. If you do hypnotherapy, you change your thought pattern,. So when you're walking, you don't think "Ok I'm doing ok.. I'm nervous.. calm down. I'll be home soon" No. Your brain is program to think "I love being out!" and you don't even consciously think about it. You can get a program like The Linden Method http://www.panic-anxiety.com/ You can download to MP3 a single session http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/downloads/phobias_fears/agoraphobia.html Or you can record your own script (you'd need a script) http://www.llewellyn.com/bookstore/book.php?pn=K358 has a 2-script combo specifically for agoraphobia. You could also see a professional if there's a good one in your area, but if you do it yourself, you can do it every day.

Question: Agoraphobia? Hi can somoene help me find some sites or groups even better, just some place online that I can join and talk to other with Phobias such as Agoraphobia, and OCD things like that please? I need to talk with people, get help, listen to stories of people who have over come Agoraphobia! Thakns, please help!

Answer: http://www.ocfoundation.org/ http://www.paniccenter.net/ http://www.peaceofmind.com/home.htm http://www.ocduk.org/ http://www.ocdonline.com/ http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/ http://www.ocdcentre.com/ http://www.denveracademy.org/ http://www.childadvocate.net/OCD_in_chil… http://www.semel.ucla.edu/adc/researchst… http://www.swlstg-tr.nhs.uk/services/beh… http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obses… Enough?

Question: How do you get an agoraphobia, arthritic cat to exercise? She is 15 years old and is becoming extremely overweight. She used to like going outside but for the past year she is extremly scared of going outside. She is having problems walking now because of her weight. Help!

Answer: Hi there...generally, it's first recommended to discuss an appropriate weight loss guideline with your vet. Sudden changes in dietary requirements can be distressing to a cat and could contribute to other health problems especially for a senior cat. Cats who have dramatic caloric intake can suffer from something called fatty liver disease (hepatic lipidosis) which shuts the liver down and is fatal. Therefore, before beginning any weight loss plan, please be sure to get approval from the vet to make sure this will not cause any other un-necessary health problems for your cat. Senior cats are prone to diabetes if they are overweight and need special considerations for weight loss and management. Some cats can be overweight as a result of thyroid problems so this should be checked as well. In the wild, animals will naturally eat what they need and no more. The task of searching for food and other basic necessities involves lots of exercise and so wild animals remain naturally fit and healthy. The food available to them in their natural habitat is perfectly designed to meet their needs in an environment that has not been tampered with. Domestic animals are provided with food which they do not have to hunt for and which is not always suited for their bodies. Cats who are free fed as well as given table scraps are more noted to have obesity problems because they eat out of boredom. In addition, they are often exposed to a lifestyle which contributes to sluggish metabolism, underactive thyroids and livers which are not able to remove toxins or eliminate unwanted fat from their bodies. Most commercial grade cat foods contain corn, corn meal which are fillers (carbohydrates) that bind the dry food together as a way of keeping foods lasting longer. Try finding cat food products which are devoid of these ingedients. The first ingredients should show chicken, chicken meal, etc. Most show the first ingredients as corn on the ingredient labels. IAMs, Science Diet, Purina, Whiskas, Friskies ...all have corn listed as the main ingredient. Cats who eat these tend to always feel hungry because the carbs don't metabolize fast enough and cats are obligate carnivores so they need a diet devoid of these types of carbs. Products such as Innova EVO, Nature's Variety Prairie, James Wellbeloved (UK), are premium brands. Most cats who eat these find that they do not eat to eat as much because their appetite is better satiated. Additionally, it's important to schedule feed a cat so you can monitor servings taken in during the day. Each product lists the recommended servings based on a age and weight. For an overweight cat you would be reducing the intake gradually by 10% each week that the vet recommends is an appropriate caloric intake. Cats who are switched from a free-fed diet shoudl be fed multiple times a day (if permittable) such as once in the morning, mid-day, and then evening before your bedtime. When switching to a new brand of cat food it is also important to note that sudden changes can cause sever bowel distress. Cats have very sensitive digestive systems so the quick change will cause bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting. Any vet can confirm this fact. Cat food should be changed gradually by mixing the current brand with the new brand over the course of several weeks. For example you would take 3/4 servings of the old cat food to 1/4 servings with the new for one week...then the next week 1/2 to 1/2...then following 1/4 of the old to 3/4 of the new in the third week before completing the switch in the final week. Furthermore, some cats can take off the weight faster by feeding a canned food diet. For some reason the hydration in the canned products helps metabolize food better and are also completely devoid of carbohydrates, which is more optimal for the feline's body. When cats eat raw meat in the wild they get hydration from the fresh meat juices as well as some roughage from the animals who are natural herbivores. A mixture of canned and dry are always best for cats in the long-term, which many people are unaware of. We are have been exposed to so many commercial ads regarding dry food for cats, but in reality it's the manufacturer's who benefit rather than the cats. Cats are not naturally designed to eat dry--the products were designed for convenience for the owner. Here's an article about commercial cat food; dry vs. canned, proper nutritional needs, etc: http://www.consumersearch.com/www/family… Finally, most cats become bored with toys quickly. It's important to rotate them by hiding them and then bringing them back out again so the appear to be like new toys. Interactive toys are the best ones to use to get a cat moving such as a laser light. Most cats love chasing the light. The goal is to get the cat to move back and forth at least for 5 minutes to begin as some tire more easily than others especially if they are overweight. You can increase play time more if they enjoy it. Some cats love chasing feather teasers tied on a string too. Experiment to what gets your cat moving. Just please remember most overweight cats tire easily so keep the sessions short and fun. Interactive toys are the best ways to get your cat to exercise rather than leaving toys for them to play with. They only bat at those and really don't move enough. Not only does the interactive toys work better, but it's a bonding experience for both of you as well.

Question: What causes a person to develop agoraphobia and panic attacks? I am not referring to the trigger of the attacks but rather things in a persons past experience that would cause someone to develop the condition later in life. I ask because my friend who I have known since childhood has developed both conditions. She had a very privileged up bringing as her parents were wealthy, I do not think she was bullied at school (I was in schools with her) and her family were kind to her. Her father was an alcoholic however, but I don’t know how that would have impacted her. She does not talk about her feelings. She has suffered from low self esteem and had bulimia when she was a teenager, however I do not think she has ever really recovered fully. What can I do to help?

Answer: my cousin got it after he was mugged

Question: Can generalized anxiety disorder be accompanied by agoraphobia? It's common for a panic disorder to be accompanied by agoraphobia... but if a patient does NOT have a panic disorder but has GAD and agoraphobia, what would the Axis I diagnosis be?

Answer: they aren't the same thing. but you could have both.

Question: What are the symptoms of agoraphobia? I ask b/c I know I am displaying some of the symptoms. I just want to know if my symptoms are severe enough to discuss them with my Dr. One symptom is, I cannot leave the grounds of my home without going into a panic attack. Also, I feel terrified if I leave something terrible, like another 9/11 will happen. So, is this agoraphobia or paranoia?

Answer: Agorophobia is a fear of the unknown.It could be where you are terrified of leaving your home.Some people cannot even go out their front door to get the newspaper or mail.They feel fear and anxiousness and panic. I will describe mine and see if you have any or some of these symptoms.I am unable to leave the house unless i take medication.This is important for me for my doctor appointments. My husband goes everywhere with me,as i cannot go alone and i have been such a burden on my family.They have to make sure i get to my doctors appoinments and my phyciatrist appointments. I would rather just not think of going because i lose sleep and i pace at night thinking of having to go out the next day.I sometimes have to open a window as i fear i can't breathe due to panic from worrying about having to go to an appointment.I have had panic and anxiety attacks while out and usually my husband or daughter will realize this and take me out of the situation and take me home.I can't breathe,i feel as though i am dying and that this the end,it's over.I can't control these attacks but i do try the breating exercises.I breath in through my nose ,hold it and count to five,then breath out through my mouth.My thoughts are racing all the time as i'm always trying to find my comfort zone.Which is in bedroom with the door shut and nobody around.This is a very serious problem and i feel that you cannot be diagnosed unless you see a doctor and he will help you.But it is alot of self talk that you have to do with yourself and be strong.

Question: How do I get help for Agoraphobia if I can't leave the house? I've suffered from Agoraphobia since I was a child. Up until recently it was manageable with a range of distraction techniques, but I was taken ill, and after 2 months of complete bedrest I am now completely unable to face the outside world. I am normally a level headed person, but I have found myself experiencing anxiety attacks, palpitations, uncontrollable shaking and dizzy spells, when only thinking about going outside. I know I need to see a GP, but I just can't face leaving the house, what can I do??

Answer: Get help and support online! Try these sites: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estat… http://www.agoraphobia-support.co.uk/ind… Hope this helps!