Agoraphobia treatment

[Dandelionplease]

Hi all,

I wondered what the best treatment is for agoraphobia?

Do you think flooding can work? Or does it HAVE to be gradual exposure?

Anyone?

I personally have found that the graduated exposure works to an extent but find it very hard, sometimes impossible to push myself to do more. You have to push through the fear to get anywhere.

I've found that there is the most incredible high right on the other side of our fears. I've had to do this several times in my life & again now for a new difficulty. I've learnt that fear really is something inside of us that we project out. It can feel impossible when we identify with our scared parts but there are other parts to us too. I needed a bucket-load of therapy to untease my situation. Choose whatever feels right for you. If you feel you might be able to do flooding witht the right person then go for it. I found this video fun & inspirational:

Trying exposure therapy now, it's bloody painful and fraught with setbacks.

The gradual expose worked for me but it took 6-12 months of pushing myself every day for it to get better (and I’m still not 100% comfortable with being outside).
I started off really small, such as standing at the end of my driveway for 5 minutes whilst doing deep breathing exercises. Once that didn’t seem so terrifying after a couple of weeks I would push myself to walk to the end of my street and stand there for a couple of mins before walking back. Having the distraction of listening to my favourite music with headphones would help a bit too.
Every couple of weeks I would push myself a bit further to do things that I was terrified about (going into a supermarket to buy one thing quickly. I can now walk around a supermarket on my own for ages and do a full weekly shop). I would also do things like stand in a queue at the bank (the first time I tried this I felt close to having a panic attack but I forced myself to stay by deep breathing and telling myself over and over again that I was safe and nothing was going to happen). Getting on a bus on my own for the first time was also terrifying and I felt dizzy and sick. The more you do something (even if it feels so uncomfortable) and the more you realise nothing bad ever actually happens you’ll start to regain confidence. Good luck x

Sorry I didn’t reply yesterday. Thankyou everyone for your comments.

I suffered with agoraphobic symptoms to varying degrees for about 4 years. I had my DD and knew it couldn't go on. I did the DARE method and within a few months I was out and about locally, this was the end of 2016. By 2017 I was going to shopping centres, new places on my own, classes with baby, driving by myself, UK holidays. Come 2018 I got married, big castle wedding, moved house, got a job & flew for the first time abroad! I don't not feel anxious or panicky, I just have a whole different relationship with those feelings. So please have a read of the dare book, its small chapters & easy to follow, and see if it's for you.

Dolly- thanks I will check it out. What type of things does the book recommend?

It's about pushing out of your comfort zone & allowing yourself to feel those feelings of discomfort. It deals more at the core of changing your perceptions of anxiety and panic, so that when you practice e.g go to shopping centre or walk down the road (whatever point you're at) you're 'daring' at the same time.
D - diffuse 'so what I'm feeling/thing X, I've felt it many times before and I've lived. 'So what this queue is taking ages, it's just a queue, I can leave. Etc. for whatever sensation pops up for you.
A - acceptance. None of the physical or mental sensations you are feeling are dangerous. At all. In fact, they're designed to do exactly the opposite. 'I accept and allow these anxious feelings, I accept and allow these anxious thoughts' what we resist, persists. If we accept and allow the feelings, we put ourselves back in the position of power 'okay anxiety, you're making my heart race, fine I allow you to do that, I know it's nothing my body can't actually cope with'
R - run toward. Try and get excited. The bodily reactions of excitement and panic are the same. So flip the narrative. 'I'm excited by these feelings' if it's particularly bad 'come on then anxiety, give me the worst you've got. You want me to have a panic attack, do it right now. I demand it. Otherwise you can come with me & we're carrying on.'
E - engage. Really engage in whatever you're doing. Having a conversation, really get into it. Doing housework, really get moving & shake the feelings off.

There's much better YouTube clips than how I've explained it here but whether you've chosen gradual exposure of flooding, changing the thought process whilst doing it will help.

Gradual here too. I spent 3 months inside, not leaving except for GP appointments to get my meds, did that via taxi.

Then 3 months leaving the house for CBT appointments as well as GP.

Over the next 6 months I was able to do school runs again, nip to the corner shop, nip into my local town.

It was another 6 months before I could go on buses.

This was 2013/14.

I’ve managed okay but do get really anxious and plan things and have back plans and back up back up plans for how to get to places.

Recently had a major relapse which is proving difficult.

I figure I’m going to feel anxious no matter where I am so I may as well get out the house.

Will check out the DARE method too, thanks for that.

Also medication has helped.

So flooding does work for some people. For example: im really scared of spiders, thus ill hold a trantula, realise nothing terrible happened and this helps me rationalise the next time i see it.

However what can happen is the following: im scared of dogs, i attempt to flood myself. I have lots of physical symptoms of anxiety eg am sick with anxiety. this reinforces that anything to do with dogs leeds to feeling completely horrible and will lead to me linking the feelings of anxiety with dogs and vice versa. The dog might sniff me or do something etc due to my anxiety which confirms the negative thoughts eg. I reinforce the belief that dogs will definately sniff me. In the context of agoraphobia a failed flooding might mean you dont complete it and you reinforce the feelings that you cant cope out side of the house

In

This is why flooding is generally not recommended as it can make negative associations stronger.