Agoraphobia

[kitkats09]

I have agoraphobia/panic disorder. too scared to take any antidepressants/anxiety meds such as lexapro had horrible experiences in the past. Its gotten worse as i'm becoming more and more of a recluse. i don't know what to do anymore been sick for a couple months now its just constant panic attacks.

[Paxiled]

Pass on the Cymbalta for now -- and if you do want medication see a psychiatrist, not a general doc.  Cymbalta is a stimulating antidepressant, not a treatment for agoraphobia as a first resort.  Doctors just throw out the latest thing the pharmaceutical company reps told them about too often.  It's unlikely an antidepressant such as an ssri, which is more for anxiety, will alter your mind, but you're right, it might.  The above was right -- go see a CBT therapist and the therapist should counsel you on whether or not he or she thinks you'll need medication or not.  As for the suggestion to use magnesium, be careful here -- I know of no evidence that suggests it alone will cure anxiety, though it can be helpful with some of the symptoms of it and some of the side effects of medication.  Anyone who takes magnesium, and i do to counteract muscle cramps caused by antidepressant, needs to know that these meds use the same pathway as magnesium to get to the brain, and if you take them at the same time of day you will block both of them from working.  It is true that these drugs, benzos and antidepressants, adversely affect magnesium absorption, and that the average American gets too much calcium which leaches out magnesium and eats too few green leafy vegetables balanced in both calcium and magnesium -- we're propagandized to get our calcium from dairy, but dairy, besides being problematic for most people's digestive systems, contains little magnesium, creating a further imbalance.  So please become informed before doing this.  

[kitkats09]

I've been taking Ativan as needed.  I hardly take it though.  My Dr wants me taking cymbalta but I just can't take something that alters my mind. I don't like not feeling different or not myself.  I wish I knew more ppl that go through what I go through. My husband has ptsd and I seem worse than he is.    

[Reimagining]

Kitkats09.  I too has suffered of panic attacks for many years.. Now I am looking at all the people getting rid of them with magnesium.. Look it up..I just started my journey.. See if it would help you.. We hate this condition and we fight until we win this battle..I wish the best to you.

Blessings!

[cj29]

For me, counseling gave me the tools to confront the anxiety and panic.  Initially, I also had an unpleasant experience with medication, however, I  currently take an SSRI, which helps me.  Medications can be a little trial and error...what is good for one person may not be good for another.

I know that panic and anxiety is extremely challenging, especially in the beginning, but you will get through this.  Just as with any challenge we face, as you learn more about it and gain the knowledge to confront it, it seems much less daunting.  Keep us posted!

[asailorswife]

you sound just like me. 32 years old and i have panic disorder along with agoraphobia. i leave my house but only within a 3-5 mile distance. and now, we're moving 655 miles away to virginia [husband is military] and it scares the ba-jeesus out of me. :(

[vedadhar]

Have you undergone any sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

This should include Systematic Desensitization or Graduated Exposure Therapy by Congnitive restructuring and Relaxation Techniques when you feel so panic or anxiety when you are in such situations.

Systemic Desensitization/Graduated Exposure Therapy through Cognitive Restructuring works effectively on majority of subjects who suffer from Panic Disorder/Agoraphobia.

There are many methods used in cognitive restructuring, which usually involve identifying and labeling distorted thoughts, such as, "all or none thinking, disqualifying the positive, mental filtering, jumping to conclusions, catastrophizing, emotional reasoning, should statements, and personalization." The following lists methods commonly used in cognitive restructuring:

Socratic questioning
Thought recording
Identifying cognitive errors
Examining the evidence (pro-con analysis or cost-benefits analysis)
Understanding idiosyncratic meaning/semantic techniques
Labeling distortions
Decatastrophizing
Reattribution
Cognitive Rehearsal
Guided imagery
Listing rational alternatives

Benzodiazepines or other medications works in association with the CBT. But when these treatments fail, some subjects will be suggested Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a form of Psychotherapy to alleviate symptoms of Post Exposure Stress Disorder or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Please talk to you Psychotherapist and Psychologoist or Medical Psychiatrist about these treatment options.If you have further questions and need detailed explanation refer to every hyperlink present in article-"Agoraphobia" in wikipedia.