I just want to go into the wilderness, where the hum of civilization can fade into a distant memory. A therapy that no doctor could prescribe and the only life that could give me any feelings of worth anymore. Everything I have seen in people throughout the years has decimated my belief that truly good people exist in substantial enough capacity to ever trust them again. I've worked with alligators, been right up on bears, caught venomous snakes, swam with sharks, and none of these have rattled me like humans. Hell, I'll run out of a store because the feeling of being trapped is overwhelming, but if I see a black widow I'll pick it up without a worry. The only place I feel at home is where no people roam. I just want to disappear so I can finally heal..

I put a post the other day that I had been housebound at one point but had recovered enough to actually take a solo flight alone from Australia to San Francisco. A bucket list trip even before panic and agoraphibia.

I landed in San Francisco, felt amazing, walked around, had dinner at pier 39, people watched.. enjoyed myself. The next day I got up early, was ao excited, got out early and walked about the city.. headed to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Immediately, at the start of the bridge i wondered if it was a good idea.. it was much higher than I ever thought it would be..

I got to the middle.. it was crazy windy, there were so many cars whizzing past, there were people everywhere..

Had a panic attack, my first one in about 9 months.. kept going to the other side, was terrified.. turned around and walked back across and the whole time feeling panicky and then in my head..

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN OF YOU FREAK OUT AND CANT GET ON THE FLIGHT BACK TO AUSTRALIA???

I kept telling myself I had 5 more days and id be okay, but the voice kept getting louder and started to tell me that I was only going to spend the next 5 days spiraling..

That was fucking terrifying!

I took a benzo, got back to the hotel and changed my flight and went back home the next day.

I feel so embarrassed.

Now im back home lying in bed riddled with agoraphobia back to being scared of getting into the shower.

What to do and where to go if I have no friends to meet up with, I dont like taking walks in my neighborhood, not currently employed, and my grocery needs are met.

I could go out in my backyard but its very exposed and when I do I feel just feel like im alone in a field with nothing to do

The only time it felt organic to take a walk was when I was in exposure therapy and then when it snowed so the vibes were much better in the neighborhood.

I think im dealing with a paradox of isolation, I don't talk to anyone alot of the time because no one is approachable to me so I end up going no where and doing nothing but I still crave socializing and it makes it very overwhelming to try it casually.

I don't want to live like this, this lifestyle is not my goal. I want to meet people I just hate walking to places alone and I dont want to and can't drag my safe people with me everywhere forever, I miss out on so many things because I'm comprising on the places and things I do bc "I have to" take someone else with me.

it's so hard to be independent when it feels like I have no life to start.

I just started taking pregabalin for severe social anxiety and had a few questions. What is the typical recommended starting/maintenance dose for social anxiety, and do you take it daily for it to stay effective, or as-needed?

I’ve been dealing with severe social anxiety for almost 20 years (I’m 41 now) and it’s taken a huge toll on my life. My daily reality is waking up afraid of being around people, staying isolated inside, and wondering why I’m like this.

Over the years, I’ve tried CBT, TMS therapy, and around 14 different medications across almost every class—including MAOIs like Nardil—without finding real relief. I’m truly hoping pregabalin can offer some help. (I am very blessed to have a strong support system, or I’d be completely lost).

For those of you who have had success with pregabalin for social anxiety: what dose works for you, how long did it take to kick in, and do you take it daily? Any advice or hope would be greatly appreciated!

Shawn

I took out the garbage, helped my mom lift the groceries home, went with my mom to vote in the elections of my country.

What about you?

just a ramble.

i have spent my whole life being diagnosed as claustrophobic until I switched therapists.

The media always displays agoraphobia only as not being able to leave the house.. and while that is the case for a lot of people, I didn’t realize that agoraphobia can also be the inability to be in confined spaces, such as crowded grocery stores or tight parking lots, or concerts, etc. I feel a lot of relief knowing what I am suffering from so that I can take steps forward to recover and heal.

Ça fait maintenant plus de 6 mois que je suis en arrêt pour grosse attaque de panique suivie d'agoraphobie

J'avais un contrat de 1 an, il prend fin en mars.

J'avais trouvé le boulot que j'aime, à 10 min de chez moi, super équipe.

Et cette merde est venue tout gaché.

Comment je vais faire pour retrouver aussi bien, et surtout est ce que je vais pouvoir retravailler?!!

Ça me bouffe...

fui abandonada pelo meu namorado lutando contra agorafobia, alguém já passou por isso? poderia me dar dicas ou conversar comigo, estou pensando em desistir

I’m 21 and I struggle with panic disorder and agoraphobia, especially when it comes to driving alone.
I really want to become more independent, but driving by myself is extremely difficult. I get anxious just thinking about it, and sometimes I feel like my fear is holding me back from living a normal life.
What’s been bothering me lately is feeling like the people around me are getting tired of having to help me get places. I understand that everyone has their own responsibilities, and I don’t expect anyone to constantly accommodate me. But it still hurts feeling like I’m becoming a burden.
I see people my age driving wherever they want, and I wish I could do the same without feeling so afraid. I genuinely want to improve, but it’s been a difficult process.
I’m wondering if anyone here has experienced something similar. How did you gradually become comfortable driving alone? Did you start with short distances?
I’d really appreciate hearing other people’s experiences because sometimes this feels incredibly isolating.

32M with severe agoraphobia/OCD. My partner set a deadline to leave if I don't show real recovery progress.

I haven't left a 3-mile radius in 11 months due to severe agoraphobia and OCD (terrified something bad will happen to me or the house). I live with my partner (34F) and two roommates. My partner has been incredible, but she’s burned out and gave me a deadline: if I can't show concrete progress by Thanksgiving, she’s leaving.

My current situation:

Progress: Started psychiatry, taking 2.5mg Propranolol (huge help physically), started college and doing well, and actively doing therapy

Current limits: I can handle very short walks/drives within 3 miles without panicking.

Life baseline: Financially stable with savings for a couple of years, starting a small business, but I've slacked on household chores and daily upkeep.

I love her deeply and I want to fix this—not with empty promises, but with real action.

questions:

If you've overcome home-bound agoraphobia/OCD, what daily steps helped you break the cycle?

What's the best way to show a partner tangible progress when recovery takes time?

What daily steps helped you break a severe agoraphobia/OCD cycle?

Hello!

I’ve gone so far that I can leave my house, drive my car, be in supermarkets etc. BUT I still have trouble driving more than 30km - instant anxiety. So far I’ve taken anxiety meds and managed to drive 180km.

But my biggest dream is to travel again. And for that I need to get on a plane and not have a heart attack. Is it possible to do exposure therapy with fear of being on a plane?

I’ve done lots of therapy, tried differenr SSRIs etc but yeah my fear of being away from home, driving long distances and PLANES are still horrible🫣

Have someone experienced something similar? I want to travel the world but I am so afraid :(

This feels like one of the dumber things that makes me anxious but I think its related to my agoraphobia and anxiety. I don't know why it makes me anxious maybe I spend too much time indoors but I don't like being outside on bright days because it makes me anxious. Like I don't really feel anxious just being outside on my property if its night, or just cloudy its the very nice beautiful days that I am anxious outside on my property. Even just being in the shade makes it go away pretty much

using voice to text for this. so sorry if the grammar is kind of weird. I have an important endodontist appointment tomorrow that I won't be able to reschedule, probably until after the new year if I miss it. but this is the first time in years I've had to relapse this bad and in fact it's my first relapse at all so I don't really know what to do.

I keep trying to do the things I did that help me get over my first few years and listening to advice but I'm still sitting here on the bathroom floor trying not to throw up because my stomach hurts so bad and everything is just spinning with how bad my anxiety is for leaving the house on this 30-minute trip tomorrow. the appointment itself is probably going to be up to 3 hours.

I'm just so worried that the anxiety medication they gave me won't actually help the gut anxiety and that I'll just be in the car. feeling just as sick as I am now trying not to have a panic attack and turn around and miss this thing before I even have the chance to start the appointment. I really don't know how I'm supposed to last 3 hours in a chair without moving.

somebody else will be driving me because I can't drive myself on these medications but it's my mother and she always gets really upset at me when I start getting nervous and ask to pull over or go find a bathroom somewhere because I really struggle with gut agoraphobia, in fact, it's one of the main driving factors as to why I'm so anxious, which just makes me even more anxious which makes my stomach hurt even more.

I'm just really frustrated and scared. I don't know why this happened. everything has been going so well these last few years and even these last few months nothing really happened to set this off. I just hope it gets easier. I just hope it doesn't take as long as it did last time

Hi everyone! I'm a US-based therapist who works with agoraphobia, and I'm hoping to better understand people's experiences finding and accessing appropriate care.

I've noticed that relatively few therapists in my area specifically identify agoraphobia as a specialty, which got me wondering how people are searching for support.

If you've looked for a therapist, how did you go about finding one? Did you use Google, Psychology Today, referrals, or something else? Were there particular search terms you used?

I'm also curious about barriers you've encountered beyond simply finding someone with the right expertise. For example, have things like insurance coverage, cost, appointment availability, telehealth versus in-person sessions, or the expectation of attending appointments outside your home made treatment more difficult to access?

And if you've found a therapist who feels like a good fit, what helped you feel comfortable reaching out or getting started?

I'm not looking to promote my practice or solicit clients. I'm genuinely interested in understanding what makes finding and accessing therapy easier or harder for people living with agoraphobia.

Thanks to anyone who's comfortable sharing their experience!

Hey everyone, so a little context. My 18 year old daughter has agoraphobia and has for years. She’s getting counseling and therapy to help her and now that she’s an adult she wants a job. Her fear of the outside world is making it difficult and I can see the frustration in her eyes. She has a high school diploma after being homeschooled since the pandemic but nothing higher than that. Does anyone know of some things she can do? She’s a great artist and enjoys drawing any chance she gets but that’s about the only thing she enjoys aside from her pet pigs. Thank you for any and all help.

Most of my time is spent on my computer, working with AI or talking to it.

Social media has always been full of shit, to be fair, but now it's flooded with AI-generated content and people claiming AI can solve every problem in your life.

It used to give me hope, now it's just driving me insane.

I try to use AI as a creative tool, almost as a form of therapy, but I keep ending up with things that feel completely soulless. It kills creativity. And the more I try to fix them, the more I question whether these tools were ever really designed to help people in the first place.

It reminds me of social media. It was supposed to bring people together, but instead we ended up with algorithms designed to provoke reactions, keep people hooked, and encourage everyone to fight and insult each other.

I guess I'm just exhausted by the whole thing.

Just wanted to vent a little and see how you guys are dealing with this

Sat in my dads car alone for 5 minutes. Scared asf but I fucking did it.

I haven’t been properly outside since July - I’m hoping to make this a daily thing.

Just wanted to share that with someone.

The loud noises and bright lights nearly made me pass out with anxiety but I managed to buy what I needed to buy and get out without having a full blown panic attack. I can't remember the last time I have been to a store...Its been literal months since I have went to the store and went that far by myself. I was shaking and anxious the entire time but the cashier looked like she couldn't care less and idk why but that calmed me down somewhat...My heart was pounding the entire time I was walking. But I'm glad I was able to do it. I am so happy but terrified I won't be able to do it again next time.

Hello everyone!

We made a support group discord server last week and I jusy wanted to leave the link here if anyone is interested!

Was made for those who want something a little more tight-knit from your support group on our road to recovery with positivity and healing. If you would like to meet new people who are also going through agoraphobia and anxiety, this is what it is for! :)

https://discord.gg/JY4rSzddQx

Idk this is hard to ask, but really want honest opinions. I'm trying to do my exposure therapy but everytime I leave the house I start thinking about what if I panic and do something stupid. Its really as simple as that I think. I don't know what could happen, I don't know how bad panic attacks can get. I don't want to jump out the car driving down the road or try to do a u-turn over the median or do something stupid trying to get back home asap. The physical symptoms don't even scare me tbh. So honestly how bad can one be? Am I just going to try to escape the car or run back home and possibly get myself hurt somehow one of these days or does that not happen? Have any of you guys ever done too much or went too far during exposure therapy

PTSD has made me have great fear of public. Since I started working from home It’s been really bad. Starting therapy soon, making that appointment wasn’t easy. Has anyone had a good outcome using EMDR?

Hi all,

I have severe agoraphobia. I have flown my entire life, but at 30, when my panic attacks started, I suddenly became afraid to fly. As most here know, it’s only the worry of being trapped in the sky and having a panic attack.

This is because of a complex trauma. When I was home bound, I would hyperventilate so badly my hands would seize up and one time I was admitted bc my heart rate was so high.

I got off of two flights, then with support from friends, successfully flew again. Was fine for a few years but recently it came back. I have gotten off my last two flights.

I have done SOAR, DARE, and tried benzos. I do not like the meds so usually don’t exceed a full low dose (.5mg being the strongest I’ve ever taken). The issue is, it makes me not care - but it makes me not care about getting off the plane lol. Rather than, “ok cool I don’t care about my panic attacks,” I think, “I don’t care what happens I’m not doing this.”

I know that doing this reinforces the behavior and inconveniences everyone involved on the other end of my trip. I am so ashamed and embarrassed but I know if I can get over this relapse I will be back in the sky.

My question: Benzos obviously don’t have the right effect. Should I try beta blockers? I was prescribed Propanolol but I have low blood pressure as is so was cautioned against it. I do well with Benadryl. Does anyone have experience with Benadryl?

I sound insane and this cycle of booking trips and bailing cannot continue. My thought is “I better get off before the doors close or I’m going to inconvenience everyone and have a medical emergency.”

Maybe I should just give up. Thoughts???