I've gone through a relapse of sorts during the past year and a half, where I'll feel good towards the end of the week (around thurs) and feel like total craap on Mon-Wed. During these times, i can't bring myself to be motivated about anything. Anyone else go through these kinds of weekly cycles? any ideas how to break 'em? I'm also a people pleaser, so if anyone has any techniques/mantras to offer, please let me know. Thank you

Hi griff, Agoraphobia is a fear of being in places that are usually public and crowded where escape may feel difficult, for example a busy street or department store. Casey _____________________________ The Panic Center Support Team

Lolita/Carol, Thanks for all the feedback. Carol, I hope that dinner goes well for you. I think talking about these issues definitely helps me. Just putting these fears in words makes me think about alternative (i guess this is where the CBT comes into play) ways to perceive my fears. I am a substitute teacher, and had a good day today, partly because i had the chance to vent my feelings out on this support group board the night before. on bad days, the kids can get on my nerves like nothing else. i will definitely have to check into the panic program. Also, what is agoraphobia again? i've heard this word all over the place and i've forgotten what it means. i'll probably just go look it up or something. Well, best to all of you, and I look forward to talking more with you! (can you tell i'm a newbie?) Grf

Hi Griff Thanks for sharing. I too am a "pleaser" and so far with my therapist we are just starting to address whether or not that has anything to do with my panic/agoraphobia. It should be interesting to see what we come up with. I am always afraid in social situations... feeling as though I am being judged by those around me. The panic program on here as well as therapy has made a big difference in my life already and it's only been about three months! Sure, I think it's going to be a very long process but even the tiniest little progress can be so encouraging. I hope you find the same thing. Cheers, Lolita

Hey Carol, Thank you for sharing your similar experiences with me. I am always shocked by how much better it makes me feel to know that I am not alone with this. Yes Carol, I have started the CBT and exposure steps. It is scary, true but I find that if I can just take the first step and begin it, it gets much better. Sometimes I try to go too far... I will do something that is too "risky" for me and my level of anxiety will be overly intense. Then it will make me too scared to try something new for awhile. But for the most part I have found it extremely helpful. Also, I have started going to therapy and my therapist says we should start what's call "narrative" therapy. We shall see if that helps. Carol, you are so brave to push yourself and go out for dinner. That is something I have not been able to get around yet. Please let me know how you do, I'm sure you will be great. Take Care. Cheers, Lolita

Hi Loilta & Griff I can relate all too well. I have social phobia, my P/A are the worst when I'm with other people (except my family). I have a fear of being judged but it turns out that I am quite often judged because I'm so quiet and keep to myself. If people only knew how anxious and uncomfortable I feel inside. Loilta...I hope you are giving yourself lots of praises going around the park even though you were anxious. Are you practicing CBT and staying in the situation until the anxiety goes down a little bit. I'm on the 2nd week of the program. I'm scared to death to start exposure therapy. But I've had this disorder since I was 13 years old and I'm so sick of it. I'm going to a neighbours house for dinner with other neighbours. Thats very high anxiety provoking for me. I'm going to try to talk my anxiety down and stay there until I do. Having it for such a long time, I'm 37 years now, I know that this is the only way we are going to get better, I've done enough avoiding over the years. It's time to get exposing, (not literally). I'm talking this way because I'm try to cyic (wrong sp) myself up for this dinner. Wish me luck. Sorry if I was rambling. Carol

hi lolita! yeah, i have the same kind of avoidance problem... sometimes, i'll feel very adventurous and productive, but other times, when i'm feeling anxious and down, i just feel like avoiding everyone. I don't even pick up the phone in fear of not knowing what to say to people. so i've taken to reading some books to try to get over this fear of people and situations. i have lucinda bassett's program and one of the things she preaches is to go through the anxious situation, and feel the anxiety. It's usually not as bad as I think when i just sit there and try to let the anxiousness pass. when i'm feeling anxious, around people my mind goes blank, and i can't think of anything to say. but by just sitting there and being in an uncomfortable situation itself is an accomplishment. Sometimes, i need to remind myself that i don't need everyone to like me (i can go on about that too since i'm one of those people-pleasers) or that i don't need to be the life of the party. this helps me through things as well. sorry for the ramblings... griff

Hi all, Just wanted to share a recent experience. Yesterday, I was having an extremely anxious day, I'm quite convinced it was brought on as a result of giving in once again to "avoidance," which is my worst tendency when dealing with panic. I have become increasingly agoraphobic over the past few months and after not really leaving the house for almost a week, my symptoms were peaking. I was very dizzy and nauseated, also a little dispondant and disassociated. I was having tunnel vision and hearing everything around me as though it were coming from miles away. Suddenly I was breaking down into unprevoked sobs about every 20 minutes. Anyway, I do not generally have a fear of dying so much as a fear that I will feel this way forever. As though I will continue to feel an overall sense of anxiety and vague illness endlessly. I am 28 yrs. old and I have always been very ambitious and a "risk taker". Now, everything has changed, I went from a person who could travel half way around the world on my own to someone who suffers major anxiety even going to the corner store. The bottom line I guess is that although I don't have a fear of death, I feel like my life is passing me by, like I am missing out on all the wonderful things about life. I hardly recognize myself anymore. I tried to go for a walk around the park after it got dark last night because I didn't want to feel like I was giving in to the avoidance. As soon as I arrived at the park, I felt a sudden surge of anxiety. I thought for sure that I was going to vomit or faint and I began shaking and sweating. I refused to turn around though and I made it around the park. Sorry for the length of this but I have a question for everyone. If over the past two years, despite feeling like I was very ill, I have never vomitted nor fainted, why do I continue to become so convinced that I will? And also, just like walking around the park, instead of saying "Wow, I did it and nothing bad happened" my brain just seems to register the same panic over and over regardless of how many times I have proven that there is nothing to fear? Does anyone else relate to this? I would appreciate your thoughts very much. Hope everyone is well. Cheers, Lolita