Hi, I have had agoraphobia really bad for the last 3 or 4 months. As I think about it, I think I had it for the last 2 or 3 years, but very little. I could controll it. If that makes sense. I go to the corner store, and to bring my daughter to school a mile away. That's it. It pretty much sucks, zoloft doesn't touch it, the zoloft only works for my anxiety. You can email me anytime take care

Hi anxietygirl, The funny thing is that my parents say they do understand. My dad went through all this with my mom when she had PD/agoraphobia. I guess I just have it more severely than she had. I think they're just angry because it's infringing on their lifestyle. I ask them not to leave me alone or I come with them when they go out and just sit in the car and wait for them to come back. I still do talk to many of my friends on the phone but some have just stopped calling me. Like I said, you find out who your friends are. Out of curiosity, how long have you been agoraphobic for? Sarah

Hi My dad is the same way. I grew up with no mother. He thinks its all in my head. He wanted me to give him a ride somewhere a couple of weeks ago about 20 minutes one way, I said I can't. He gives me that look, just give me a ride, he says. Try this, this is what I did. I take zoloft, and it comes with a booklet describing how people with anxiety/depression/panic people feel, like their symptoms. So I gave him the booklet, and he went outside and read it. I think he understands more now from reading it. His girlfriend also has tried to explain it to him I am 32 and he is 60, so back then, I doubt anyone ever heard of anxiety. It is hard to explain it to an old fashioned person. I don't know how old your parents are, but that might be one of the problems. You can still talk to your friends on the phone, that's what I do, or over the computer. If you don't have a booklet to let your parents read, let them come to this site, so they can see how many people REALLY have this. Or go to google and type in anxiety and let them read that. good luck

Now you got a laugh from me. I dream that ALL the time that somebody will tell me you don't have panic disorder it's been your thyroid .......I'll take ANYTHING as an excuse!!!!!the whole time & I'll all of a sudden feel normal. I wish somebody could hypnotize the hell out of me or like I saw someone post just zap my brain or something so I could function again.

Today my dad said he is not going to accomodate me anymore. He thinks I just have to be tough and this will go away. Even my psychiatrist said at this point, exposure therapy wouldn't work for me and that I needed meds to bring down my anxiety to a more managable level before anything else could help. The meds seem to be helping a bit, but I wouldn't say my anxiety is near managable yet. Steve, I know how tough it is with friends. I have been agoraphobic ( nearly housebound) for 4 and a half weeks now and in that time I have already lost a few friends. It's all good when you're up and having fun but when you get into rough shape and things aren't easy anymore, they're not around anymore. At least you get to find out who your real friends are-I know I definetely have a few true friends who would never desert me, sick or not. Also, I have had thyroid issues in the past too and as I'm sure you're well aware, hyperthyroidism can cause some of the symptoms of anxiety. When I found out I was hyperthyroid, I was so happy like finally I have a reason for this madness. My thyroid levels soon returned to normal on it's own and unfortunately my state of mind stayed the same, so in my case I guess thyroid didn't cause the anxiety. Sorry to go off in so many different directions here. Sarah

Hah. Sarah you sound very much like me still having to depend on our parents, My mother threw me out a couple days ago. She's a little psychotic to say the least & even my sister agrees with me & alot of other people in my family that she could really care less about us & that she feels obliged.......I've been living back & forth with my father & mother ever since I got out of the hospital. I used to get into tons of trouble & was EXTREMELY wild too when I was younger. I am straight up flipping the hell out right now obsessed with this disorder too & just going staright NUTS. Now I'm back in the old neighborhood I grew up in I always think to myself those same kind things you do. Everybody knows me here I used to be an extremely outgoing & fun person to be around.Now I feel like everybody around here must think I'm stupid & losing it. I was even gonna get an apartment with one of my old friends who lives across the street & I changed my mind..... I kinda felt like I was on top of the world at one time & had so much to look forward too going to school for music production but I kept putting it off.... This really ruined my life. I hate this. I still can't get over that I went to college. I din't tell a single person there that I had this or I was on medication & all that. It was like I was living a big lie to everyone. I know this sounds absolutely stupid too but now I'm even more agoraphobic because I'm gonna run into some of the people I went to school with. (I did a couple times already) I am absolutely paranoid & worse then I ever was. I never thought ever my life would turn out like this. It SUCKS!!!! Even when I'm watching movies now seeing peole take medication & all this I freak out,My mind is totally going crazy... I can't even concentrate on hardly anything .I am just really losing it big time & I'm starting to hate myself for being this way. I keep remembering how much fun I had when I was younger until all this. I can't even remember the last time I laughed lately. I remember all the times I cracked on people....that's one of the biggest reocurring thoughts I'm having right now is Who's laughing now?! Now look at me. AAHHHHHHHHHHH this sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Paula, My parents and I have had issues in the past. I was a pretty wild teenager getting into all kinds of trouble and I think they feel like they've gone through enough hell with me! I think they feel like I've taken enough of their time, sanity and strength and now that they're nearing retirement they expected this time to be theirs, not have to be constantly burdened by me and my problems. I have said before that I don't even know if I should have kids because I would HATE for this disorder to be passed onto them. I could not watch my own child suffer through this hideous illness! My mom is not really a warm person who is easy to talk to. I've always kind of had the feeling she didn't like me or resented me for some reason even before I was a teenager. I wish I had the kind of mom who was warm and open and wanted to talk to me. My mom would do anything for me, don't get me wrong, but it feels like it's out of sheer obligation most of the time, not love. Or maybe she just has a different way of showing her feelings. Who knows. Anyhow, thanks for replying. Sarah

I know how difficult it is for you living with your parents. I was in the same position at about exactly your age and found them "less than helpful." Now that I'm a parent I can understand that it must be difficult for them, particularly your mom. I'll feel so horrible if my daughter develops panic disorder, etc. Guilty is actually the right word. Sometimes parents just don't know what the best thing is to do. My daughter now is in her first year of college and not very happy. I don't know whether to make a big deal about it, or whether to just wait for a while, or what! Mostly I let her take the lead and talk to me about it when she wants...except for those times when I open my big mouth with some sort of stupid advice. As a parent you want your child to never, never have to suffer from anything. But life just doesn't give anyone that sort of break. I guess I'm just trying to say that this is a difficult situaion for both of you. I'm sure that you're not irritating them. It's just that they're worried and don't know the best way to help you or relate to you. Have you asked your mom to sit down and listen to you? Ask her how she feels, etc? She's probably feeling pretty bad. Try to have a good, open conversation with her. My parents and I had a lot of other issues at that time. Do you and your parents? If that's the case, scratch my previous advice and just try to get your own apartment as soon as you're able to.

So frustrating! I'm staying with my parents and I'm really super needy right now. Like I can't be alone and they just totally don't understand. I think they are starting to resent me because I am now really interfering with their lives. I would go and be with friends but I really don't want them to see how desperate and pathetic I've actually become. They know me as fairly confident, strong and fun, not the weak, needy, fearful person this disorder has turned me into. I don't really want them to change their image of me. I feel totally stupid-26 yrs. old and living at home again, can't leave the house without my mom, can't be left alone at home. God, I wish I could just hire a "safe person" who didn't know me before and they could just be helpful and reassuring to me all the time. If I had the money I just might do that. No matter how much my parents irritate me I still need them desperately. A couple weeks ago, I tried to move back into my apartment. I lasted about 6 hours and I just sat on my bed shaking the whole time afraid to even move! It's funny because my mom suffered from panic and agoraphobia and I swear she's probably the least understanding of anyone! She says she understands cause she's been there but maybe it's just been to long and she's forgotten the hell that it actually is!