Agoraphobia

Anxiety manifests in so many different ways, at times manifesting into new phobias which can make your condition seem worse.

One of which being Agoraphobia which is extremely common.

Agoraphobia is the extreme or irrational fear of entering open or crowded places, of leaving one’s own home, or being in places from which escape is difficult.

There are many reasons as to why someone develops Agoraphobia, however in most cases it can go away with sheer will power, for others it may require therapy and medication.

The strange thing is, when having Agoraphobia with a pre-existing mental health condition, often the worry about the outside world isn’t even the thing that is making you anxious. It’s more of a vicious circle of worrying about the impending worry!

Symptoms of Agoraphobia, again, differ from person to person but generally it presents as anxiety or experiencing panic attacks. Lightheadedness, difficulty breathing, extreme dread, nausea and many more physiological sensations may occur when one finds themselves in a situation outside of the comfort of their own home that they aren’t settled with. 

Speaking from personal experience, I often found when my anxiety worsened, so did my Agoraphobia. I didn’t even know I had it, or it was a thing until very late into my healing journey. I seeked places of refuge to diffuse the extreme feelings of anxiety I felt when I left my house.

There are many things people with Agoraphobia fear, from public transport, to shopping centers, to even outside your front door! All these things are easy to avoid when going through an anxious spell, retreating to safe spaces because they feel comforting. However, wrapping yourself up in that blanket of comfort and warmth may not actually be helping. Easy to say but sometimes pushing through that fear can minimize later effects of Agoraphobia. At the root cause it can stop it from becoming a massive thing adding another layer on top of the thing you were originally worrying about. Of course when you feel anxious, depressed or even if you’ve just had a long day, the last place you want to be is in the midst of a busy train station or a crowded shopping Center. But when using it as a constant source of comfort, it becomes the new norm. Habits are easy to build but can be unbuilt! But it requires more effort the more you hide away at home. Think of it like smoking. If you’ve only had a few cigarettes you can easily stop smoking, however, if you are smoking 20 a day, chances are it will take a lot more effort and will power to quit.  

Most of what people fear when they have Agoraphobia is actually the fear of the panic rather than the outside world itself. It could even in some cases be categorized into social anxiety. The biggest thought could be “what will people think of me if they saw me have a panic attack in public”. Situations could be changed, getting on empty train carriages, going to the shops early in the morning or late at night but at the end of the day, who the fuck cares?

I’m sure whoever is reading this has seen someone cry on the tube, run off the train in a frantic manner. But can you really think back to that moment and see the person’s face vividly? The answer usually is no. Chances are you will never see these people again and so what’s the problem with feeling anxiety in front of them? Just think about it for a moment, because it may even soothe you to know that no one cares and certainly you shouldn’t care. You may even find that most of the general public are kind and helpful and if they aren’t, someone will be. Once you get over that worry, it may be easier to tackle Agoraphobia.

Nothing will hurt you, and there is no real threat. It is imaginative, just like a story made up about monsters under your bed. And if it is imaginative, give it a go to imagine things going well! Keep trying until you can see for yourself that things get better hour by hour and day by day.

Try not to push yourself to a breaking point if you are experiencing Agoraphobia. But don’t consume yourself in isolation. If it means walking to the postbox 300 yards from your front door and back everyday then do it. Someone said to me that if you found that you lost your eyesight completely and lived by the beach and wanted to walk to the sea, the chances are the first few times you would get lost. You wouldn’t be able to find your way back. And so with this analogy, take your time learning the way, acclimatize to the outside until you find yourself strong enough to go further and further by pushing your boundaries just that small amount. Eventually, these achievements will lead to bigger outings and smaller worries. 
If you have any questions or need advice please drop me an Instagram DM or email me on mind0vermatter@gmail.com