Hi Murrough, Just wanted to say I really understand how you feel, both the trip with your friend and the job situation, and your anger at missing out on things. Although looking for a job and the interview situation etc can be really scary, once you've got a job you'll feel so much better. Maybe looking forward to how good you'll feel once you have the job can help you overcome the fear of the interview. I find I can better cope with situations that scare me if it's "worth it", ie if I really really want what's on the other side. Eg I could probably face a flight if I had to in order to meet someone I love. However, flying in order to meet some relatives I have mixed feelings about is unthinkable. To me my workplace is a safe place. I enjoy my work, it is stimulating and rewarding, and I love the feeling of achievement when the salary comes in. Try to look forward to having a job, and you'll find the interview situation a lot easier! Let me know how you get on. Marianne

Hi Murrough, I have social phobia and one of my very worst fear-inducing situations is a job interview-type thing... I was so scared of having to look for a job that I wouldn't register for unemployment because they were going to make me do it. My psychiatrist persuaded me otherwise - he told me that I could get medical exemptions, and I really needed the money, so I managed to do the signing up. Anyway, I do not have a job, I am not looking for a job, and I do not intend to look for a job because I know I just can't cope with the stress of it. Since I got the money coming in and had that stress removed I've been doing MUCH better because it's one less thing I've got to worry about. I've been assured that I'll keep on getting paid as long as my psychiatrist will keep on signing the forms for me (we had a long talk about it because I was terrified that Centrelink's patience would run out, or they'd decide that if I was well enough to leave the house to go to the office then I was well enough to look for a job). If you can get money without stressing yourself too greatly, then do it. Your condition probably won't be permanent - if you're working on trying to get better then the odds are that you will. In the meantime, if there's something you can do that will make things easier for you then I'd go for it! Good luck! :)

Hi Murrough, I'd been keeping an eye out for you hoping you'd be back and let us know how you're doing. Sounds like you had a tough time of it, but you survived - as you did the social security office. I'm often told by a good friend, "practice,practice, practice" sometimes it just takes a lot of practice to become more comfortable with these sort of things. I think a support group is an EXCELLENT idea! Not only does it get you out of the house, but will help you become comfortable around others and give you an opportunity to build a support group in your area of people who can relate to what you experience..... Although you didn't feel you got much out of it this last time, I'd suggest to keep going, because all meetings are not the same, try a few more, see if it might help you....... (just a suggestion) as for the financial assistance - that's for you to decide, you certainly could talk to your doctor about it and he(or she) would probably have some valuable input to offer. Best of luck with whatever you decide - please do stay in touch, let us know how you're doing....... lot's of good advice here, so keep looking around, read other people's posts and if something strikes of interest to you, ask about it :) luv, SCBB

Hi all, Murrough, 24~m~from Ireland here. Sorry I have not been posting in a while. Last Monday - exactly a week ago, a guy from an anxiety and agrophobia society who I had got in contact with a while ago phoned me up and asked me would I like to go to the beach with him. I haven't really be leaving the house in a while as I've been scurged constantly with anxiety attacks increasingly since I've finished my masters degree. This of course was very overwhelming the thought of driving down to the beach which is proabably about 20 miles away, so as soon as he was off the phone I took 5mg of diazepam (which I get prescribed by my doctor) and half inderal la (propranenol. I asked the guy if he wanted to meet up with me down in my house, as I was frightened about leaving the house incase I got an anxiety attack. It was a lovely sunny day, which I don't erally appreciate these days, especially when u feel imprisoned in your own home. By the time he had reached the house the diazepam had started to work, so I thought I'd take the plunge into the deep-end and go to the beach with him. -A really big step for me at the minute! I was fine in the car on the way down, but when we got to the beach with his 2 children, he decided we would should go for a big walk. About half way down the very long beach, I felt an anxiety attack coming on, which was upsetting as I had taken 5mg of diazepam already and was feeling my heart beginning to race, my skin turning white and my hands starting to shake. I told him that I was getting an anxiety attack when we reached the water, because I wanted to achieve walking to the sea before I turned back to the sand dunes were his children were. He tried talking me out of it as he suffers from them too, but it was horrible. I made it up to the sand dune where his kids were, and felt so anxious. I jsut wanted to be home. At the same time I didn't want to sound selfish as he was out in the beach with his kids, so I just suffered it. I was so glad when we were going home though. When I got home I felt as if I acheived something, but if I be honest with myself, the thing I was looking forward to most was going home. I went to my first support group meeting that night along with him. I'm not sure that I got anything out of it, but at least I c