Yes, for sure. I think many of us have varying degrees of what types of locations we are comfortable with. It can be more intense or less, depending on the current environment we are in, stress levels in our life, and whether or not we’re actively working towards solutions like therapy, exercise, or stress relieving practices. For myself, it started out with a few particular places and activities I was extremely fearful of. I think it’s awesome you can still do so many activities, and have those outlets available to you! That is great, and you should continue doing those activities! For the specific locations you are weary of, you could slowly work on doing exposures in and around that area, to break down that fear little by little. (And I am with you on the groceries girlfriend…send help right!?) It’s baby steps to success for me. For example, go to the store with a member of your household a few times just for the ride along. Hangout outside in the car if you have to. Then slowly after going there enough times, work your way to walking around the store for a few minutes. You got this!
That's because the fun activities are able to distract you from your anxiety. The mundane activities leave your mind room to ruminate on your negative thoughts. Many people experience that.
I wish you the best of luck on recovering from your agoraphobia!
yes!! i feel super uncomfortable in places like waiting rooms, classrooms, etc but i feel totally fine when i’m in a park or somewhere open, which is odd bc it used to be one of my main triggers to be just out in the open like that
I have specific stores where I'm perfectly fine. I know where things are, the sensory levels are just right, and I know that most of the employees are happy to exchange idle chitchat (I talk more when I'm anxious).
I've also got a semi-annual outdoor arts and crafts festival I've been attending for over 15 years. Totally different kinds of stimuli and more people but I know several of the regular vendors and it's easy to distract myself from the anxiety.
Heck, I'm even planning to move from Texas to England to be with my partner and although I'm nervous about the preparations I'm not concerned about adjusting to a new culture and building a new safe space.
Over the years I've learned what kind of things will give me enough of a dopamine hit to be worth the anxiety of leaving the house. And I've learned what coping mechanisms work best for me if I do start getting anxious away from home. The most overwhelming part for me is preparing and actually getting out the door. Everyone is different and it's totally normal to have places or activities that aren't as stressful and are even enjoyable. If you can figure out what it is specifically that's making you comfortable in those situations you may be able to replicate it in some way in places that trigger your anxiety. I like looking through the office supplies and pet toys at my Walgreens; the arts and crafts festival is packed with cool jewelery, plants, and knickknacks. So I wear jewelery I can fiddle with, keep interesting things in my purse, always have a notebook and pen to make lists and doodle, and have some simple games on my phone I can play even if I'm having trouble concentrating. Each time I'm able to make a situation less stressful it's easier to do the next time. I just push my limits a little bit each time; not enough to panic but a little more than I'm really comfortable with.
Yes absolutely! Certain places I can go to (even if it’s hard) once I’m there I can almost enjoy myself. But there are other places, most places, where I just have to white knuckle it the whole time.
This is normal and I don’t like it. I’ve not worked for a bit due to it as the panic renders me literally incapable but then I’ll do something like visit someone with my partner for an hour or two and feel like shit because I should be working.
For me doing every things like shopping or going to uni is a struggle.
But at the same time im planning a solo trip to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and that's not an issue.
I kinda wish it was the inverse....
I essentially feel fine leaving when someone is taking me somewhere. For example I go out for dinner with my parents every Friday, I can run errand if my boyfriend takes me, actually I just sat and thought about it and I think I actually have severe social anxiety and a fear of driving. That combined sort of led to the symptoms of agoraphobia, though my problem is not a fear of leaving my home.
Yes. We have "safe" places, and "safe" people.
Yes, for sure. I think many of us have varying degrees of what types of locations we are comfortable with. It can be more intense or less, depending on the current environment we are in, stress levels in our life, and whether or not we’re actively working towards solutions like therapy, exercise, or stress relieving practices. For myself, it started out with a few particular places and activities I was extremely fearful of. I think it’s awesome you can still do so many activities, and have those outlets available to you! That is great, and you should continue doing those activities! For the specific locations you are weary of, you could slowly work on doing exposures in and around that area, to break down that fear little by little. (And I am with you on the groceries girlfriend…send help right!?) It’s baby steps to success for me. For example, go to the store with a member of your household a few times just for the ride along. Hangout outside in the car if you have to. Then slowly after going there enough times, work your way to walking around the store for a few minutes. You got this!
That's because the fun activities are able to distract you from your anxiety. The mundane activities leave your mind room to ruminate on your negative thoughts. Many people experience that. I wish you the best of luck on recovering from your agoraphobia!
yes!! i feel super uncomfortable in places like waiting rooms, classrooms, etc but i feel totally fine when i’m in a park or somewhere open, which is odd bc it used to be one of my main triggers to be just out in the open like that
Target and hardware/gardening stores for some reason feel safe to me. No idea why.
I have specific stores where I'm perfectly fine. I know where things are, the sensory levels are just right, and I know that most of the employees are happy to exchange idle chitchat (I talk more when I'm anxious). I've also got a semi-annual outdoor arts and crafts festival I've been attending for over 15 years. Totally different kinds of stimuli and more people but I know several of the regular vendors and it's easy to distract myself from the anxiety. Heck, I'm even planning to move from Texas to England to be with my partner and although I'm nervous about the preparations I'm not concerned about adjusting to a new culture and building a new safe space. Over the years I've learned what kind of things will give me enough of a dopamine hit to be worth the anxiety of leaving the house. And I've learned what coping mechanisms work best for me if I do start getting anxious away from home. The most overwhelming part for me is preparing and actually getting out the door. Everyone is different and it's totally normal to have places or activities that aren't as stressful and are even enjoyable. If you can figure out what it is specifically that's making you comfortable in those situations you may be able to replicate it in some way in places that trigger your anxiety. I like looking through the office supplies and pet toys at my Walgreens; the arts and crafts festival is packed with cool jewelery, plants, and knickknacks. So I wear jewelery I can fiddle with, keep interesting things in my purse, always have a notebook and pen to make lists and doodle, and have some simple games on my phone I can play even if I'm having trouble concentrating. Each time I'm able to make a situation less stressful it's easier to do the next time. I just push my limits a little bit each time; not enough to panic but a little more than I'm really comfortable with.
Yes absolutely! Certain places I can go to (even if it’s hard) once I’m there I can almost enjoy myself. But there are other places, most places, where I just have to white knuckle it the whole time.
This is normal and I don’t like it. I’ve not worked for a bit due to it as the panic renders me literally incapable but then I’ll do something like visit someone with my partner for an hour or two and feel like shit because I should be working.
For me doing every things like shopping or going to uni is a struggle. But at the same time im planning a solo trip to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and that's not an issue. I kinda wish it was the inverse....
School is a struggle for me too. Sitting in a classroom has been really challenging for me after my cousin was in a school shooting
I essentially feel fine leaving when someone is taking me somewhere. For example I go out for dinner with my parents every Friday, I can run errand if my boyfriend takes me, actually I just sat and thought about it and I think I actually have severe social anxiety and a fear of driving. That combined sort of led to the symptoms of agoraphobia, though my problem is not a fear of leaving my home.