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hi
I don't normally go on forums or anything especially since in the last few years, i''ve been terrified of having outside contact even online.
I began having problems with agoraphobia since prob before 2008. There would be periods when i was fine to go out but at other times, it was impossible. it got mmore and more difficult until i hit breaking point in late 2009. I gave up,couldn't do it anymore
I stopped going out altogether, even refused to go out with family members. I didn't trust anybody, didn't feel safe outside the house. worried about panic attacks happening in public and because i was beginning to break down a lot, i worried about crying in public and all sorts of things.
I didn't like crowds, cars . any of the outside world, as said i even cut myself off online.
it's been a tough few years, i haven't seen anybody apart from drs. mental health team and family members since 2009.
I'm beginning to recover, have managed to go out by myself for brief walks, can go out with family members without arguing too long over it, can go out at short notice with them sometimes.
I'm still cannot enter shops on my own, crowds unnerve me because i'm so unused to them now. I still struggle to go out on my own and although I feel better about going out, i do manage to talk myself out of it far too often.
I would like to talk to people who are going through the same problems, who have advice to give. I don't know if this is the correct place for this but be kind.

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Congratulations on all of the progress you have made, that is fantastic. I wish I had some awesome advice to give, but I still struggle to get out myself... I think the important thing is that we work on keeping challenging ourselves to go out and keep giving ourselves praise when we manage to do so and also that we make note of the times when it is a success and we didn't have a bad, panicky reaction to going outside...

I hope you stick around and talk about your experiences and that you continue to make improvement as you have been...