Agoraphobia is the fear of open spaces or of being in crowded‚ public places such as shopping malls, grocery stores, train stations, restaurants — really anywhere that is out of a person’s comfort zone such as their home.

The spectrum of Agoraphobia is very broad. There are extreme cases where a person will become dizzy the moment they step foot out the door. Also, many people are unable to drive due to this condition. These cases can completely immobilize the Agoraphobic.

Fortunately, my level of Agoraphobia wasn’t to this extreme. It did, however, interfere with my day to day activities.

My Panic Attacks in these “open” situations were perpetual.

Leaving the house was miserable, yet at the same time I was afraid of the condition worsening.

Ironically, the thinking behind agoraphobia is one based on a feeling of isolation, despite being out in public.

It’s a feeling of “all eyes on you” You feel of separated from those who are “normal”. It’s a feeling of being exposed.

When I’d walk out my door, I couldn’t help but think…

“If a Panic Attack occurs‚ who’s going to look after me?
How will I get the assistance that I need? What will people think when I freak out in front of them? How will I get to a hospital if I pass out? How will I get home if I feel too anxious to drive?

The emotional rollercoaster would spin round and round until I decided going out was just not worth the worry.

Also, my feelings of vulnerability would escalate the farther away I got from my home.

Similar to my “regular” routine of Panic Attacks, the anticipation of a Panic Attack outside the home led me to have the attacks. This cycle of anxiety enforced my agoraphobic tendencies and the fear of leaving my house began to take hold a majority of the time.

Sure, I would force myself to go to the occasional party or event. However, my time away from home was always laced with anxiety and I could never fully relax.

In my experience working with Agoraphobia sufferers, I’ve encountered “victims” (that’s really what they are) who have been housebound for numerous years.

If you suffer from Agorophobia, there is good news for you. Whether you’ve suffered from this condition for months or years, this is by no means a hopeless situation.

It doesn’t matter if you haven’t driven a car lately due to the condition. I don’t care how impossible you think your condition is. You will get over it. You will conquer this anxiety and start enjoying the world around you again.

I say this all from personal experience.

My battle overcoming Agoraphobia was long, but I did it — and you will too.

Find Confidence in Your Safety Anywhere

To start with, you’ll need to work on changing your thinking in terms of what is and what is not a “comfort zone”

Most Agoraphobics believe their home is their safe zone. They know it well.

The truth is, anywhere you are is equally safe. The anxiety in your mind is the only thing that distinguishes a place as bad or good, fun or miserable, happy or sad.

Controlling the anxiety will change your perspective on the world around you and you will see all places as being equally comfortable.

Your mind will come up with reasons why it believes only a certain area is safe and another is not. Those reasons range from being near the phone or people you trust to having familiar physical surroundings to reassure you.

The reality of anxiety is that there is no such thing as a safe zone. There is nothing life threatening about a Panic Attack‚ and therefore sitting at home is the same as sitting under the stars on a deserted island.

Of course‚ your mind will immediately rush to tell you that a deserted island is a completely dangerous place to be as there are no hospitals‚ no tranquillizers‚ no doctors‚ NO SAFETY NET.

Take a moment to think about your previous experiences with Panic Attacks. Aren’t you still here‚ alive and well‚ after all those attacks during which you were convinced you were going to die?

The bottom line is a Panic Attack will NEVER kill you. You are healthy and you will live a long happy life.

This moment, when you are reading this article is a great time to meditate on this belief. You can not make rational decisions when you feel overly anxious. Take the time right this moment, while you feel a bit calmer to understand that there is a 99.9% chance you will live a long healthy life and NOTHING BAD WILL HAPPEN TO YOU.

I know that can be a hard concept to grasp. If relying on statistics is comforting to you, know that the odds are completely in your favor to live a long life. That means, if you spend your days worrying about random accidents and happenings that will interfere with your health, you’re just wasting thoughts.

The fact is you’ll be fine. I can say that confidently, knowing that freak accidents happen to far and few between. Sure you’ve heard a story from a friend of a friend of a friend.

Don’t focus on the minority of things, focus on the fact that a majority of the population will live a long long time. Life expectancies are growing everyday with new breakthroughs in medicine and science. The truth is… you’ll be around for quite some time and nothing bad will ever happen to you.

Focus on the positive. Thank the universe for bringing you this far and be grateful for the health you DO have now.

There are people out in the world with REAL medical issues. Have gratitude to the world around you that you are physically healthy and yes I’ll say it…

You are LUCKY!

Believe this with all your heart.

Throw Out ALL Superstition

I don’t mean to sound harsh or abrasive here. I know first hand the terror that you are going through. The point of this article isn’t to give you some kind of lecture or guilt trip. Certainly, there’s nothing to feel guilty about.

My point is to help you see through the myths that our minds can so easily create.

For example, at 26 I used to fear relentlessly that I would have a heart attack. I would get anxious just saying the thought aloud. The truth was, I was exercising regularly, eating well, had excellent feedback on physicals with my doctor every year and had healthy parents in their late 50s who never had heart problems.

Even though all logic told me otherwise, my anxiety convinced me that I had heart problems. Obviously now that I know and am thinking differently, I’m much more relaxed about my health.

I’m giving you this example to illustrate how easily our minds can build prison walls around our logic. Without sensibility, it’s hard to enjoy yourself anywhere that doesn’t fit into your anxiety’s made-up rule system. It’s like living your life according to superstition. There’s no sense to it and it will only drive you crazy.

Throw superstition out the window. There’s never EVER been any evidence to back any superstition. That’s why it’s called superstition.

Learn Patience

Patience is a virtue. You’ve heard the expression over and over. But have you started practicing it yet?

I know it can be hard to find patience. You feel stressed and anxious and you just want to feel calm RIGHT NOW. Anxiety can make you feel rushed and unsure. Practicing patience is a way to gain control over your panic.

and…

I’m not just taking about having patience with your anxiety. It’s important for you to learn to have patience for others.

If an individual such as a partner or family member has not had a similar anxiety issue‚ that person may often find it hard to understand and empathize with what you are going through.

I am sure you have been dragged out of the house numerous times against your will‚ kicking and screaming. This can then lead to tensions and arguments and is upsetting as it can make you feel less understood by those around you.

People around agoraphobics are often simply trying what they feel is best. They don’t understand the feeling and it’s completely NOT their fault.

If you can see that their intentions are well meaning (although often misguided)‚ then you will be able to relate to them better and help soothe any potential conflicts.

Noone is “out to get you”. Believe this. Know that paranoia in the company of others is all in your head. Truth be told people are waaay more concerned about themselves that your own actions. Find confidence in knowing that everyone is looking for the same acceptance and take comfort that we are all just human and only want happiness for one another.

Love everyone you meet. Help and do right by everyone you meet.

If along the way you meet some people who don’t love you back, that’s okay. The love you have for them is yours. It’s yours just as every experience you have is yours.

Savor every feeling and experience as a different flavor in life. THINK positively.

Take the Next Step

There is one thing I am sure you will agree with‚ and that is that the only person who will get you out of agoraphobic thinking is yourself.

These are your thoughts‚ and only you can begin to change that pattern. Dealing with long term agoraphobia and Panic Attacks is a slow process to begin with‚ but once the results start happening‚ it moves faster and faster until you reach a point where you will find it hard to believe that going out was such a difficult task.

Have you ever felt anxious about stepping outside your door only to feel immediately vulnerable to death or germs. Agoraphobia is the abnormal fear of being in crowds, public places, or open areas, sometimes accompanied by anxiety attacks.

It’s only of the MOST disabiling forms of anxiety because it completely immobalizes you. No more visiting family and friends during holiday time. No more walking your dog. No more seeing your child at their first little league game. Nope! With Agoraphobia, stepping outside your door just doesn’t seem worth the risk.

Now, I know – if you don’t suffer from this form of anxiety (consider yourself lucky) this concept can be difficult to comprehend. A lot of OCD sufferers can relate to Agoraphobics because essentially, Agoraphobia is the next level of superstitious or obsessive behavior. The fear is so gripping that the person believes death, pain or disease is just outside the comfort of their own home.

A lot of Agoraphibics experience symptoms like dizziness, nausea, panic attacks and overwhelming fear the further they get from their home. The moment the step outside their threshold, panic ensues. It can be incredibly traumatic.

How is agoraphobia diagnosed?

Agoraphobia is diagnosed primarily through a psychological evaluation. In most cases, your doctor or mental health professional will pose some questions, and ask you to describe the symptoms and signs that you are experiencing.

Some aspects include relating scenarios to your physician, time when the symptoms occur, the intensity of the symptom, and the duration when experienced. In addition, you might be asked to talk about how your life has been changed due to the symptoms felt. Places or situations you usually avoid would also be asked.

Agoraphobia is also diagnosed through a physical exam. Physical exams diagnose agoraphobia through spotting the same signs and symptoms found in lung, heart, and other similar conditions. Doctors generally look for reactions similar to a panic attack, while posing questions and even pushing the patient into situations they normally find uncomfortable. It’s essentially the same as the first step a psychologist would take when inducing cognitive behavioral therapy.

To be fully diagnosed with agoraphobia, you must meet the criteria specified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM. This is a manual that is published by the America Psychiatric Association, and mental health professionals use this to diagnose mental conditions. It’s pretty much the manual for this disorder. At a minimum, for you to be diagnosed with agoraphobia, you must meet the following criteria:

• Avoidance of situations or places where you feel you might have a panic attack or have great anxiety when placed in those situations.
• Anxiety about being in situations or places where you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed to escape.

If you think you’re going through denial or are just flat out unsure whether you suffer from Agoraphobia, ask a trusted friend or family member if they have noticed changes in you.

If they say that you are reluctant to leave home without company, or if they say that they have noticed that you always find reasons not to leave the home, then it may be time to seek professional help,. That way, if you do have agoraphobia, it can be diagnosed properly and at an early time.

Once agoraphobia is diagnosed, it doesn’t mean you’re out of options. Actually, it’s just the beginning for you . The recovery is LONG and hard but the reward is your independence and freedom.

The “Panic Away” program on the next page has had thousands of Agoraphobics naturally recover from their panic and anxiety in incredibly short periods of time. Check out the program here and see how you can improve and end your agoraphobia for good with a proven, NATURAL solution that’s already been shown to start working in days.

OCD ran my life. Really, it controlled every aspect of the day. I would constantly check the door knob when leaving my house just to make sure the door was locked. Of course that was after already checking it 5 or 6 times.

It’s not the easiest disorder to describe to someone. OCD effects everyone differently. Utlimately though, I think it comes down to worry. You worry about whether or not your alarm clock is set. You worry about whether or not you left the stove on. You worry about the slightest germ or miniscule piece of dirt on anything you own.

Sooner or later all this worry builds up and leaves you feeling helpless and victimized by your own obsession with perfection.

OCD has innocent victims as well. Your co-workers, family and loved ones around you all suffer from your problem. They’re all affected by your quirks. It could be as simple as making them late for meetings, dinners, outings or special events with time consuming compulsions to quadruple check things around you.

You may avoid physical contact with those you love out of your own discomfort towards germs or uncleanliness. It’s possible you’re losing touch with friends and family around you due to your fear of driving. Perhaps your work is suffering due to your inability to stay focused on anything other than your own OCD tendencies.

These are just a few random scenarios that OCD can create. Whatever degree of OCD you suffer from, you NEED help and the fact is the only one who can save you is yourself.

The good news is… you’re not alone.

Did you know that Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects 2.2 million Americans or 1.0% of the U.S. population from ages 18 and older?

OCD is one of the anxiety disorders that is SO difficult to understand. To get a better idea of the definition of OCD…

OCD is characterized by unwanted, recurring, disturbing and uncontrollable thoughts called obsessions and/or repetitive and habitual behaviors called compulsions.

Among the most common obsessions are fear of being contaminated with germs, sexual or violent images, excessive orderliness and excessive attention to superstitions.

On the other hand, symptoms might be milder like repeatedly washing hands, obsessively worrying if doors are left unlocked, counting and silent repetition of words, etc.

If you have any of the above signs, it is necessary to take action now. You may think these innocent habits aren’t such a big deal but their longterm effect becomes degenerative. Once you think it’s ok to obey one particular superstition, your mind will create all sorts of new rules to follow. Make the responsible decision to nip this problem in the bud now.

The fact of the matter is that there is no cure for OCD. It’s not like you get a shot in the arm from some doctor and your obsessive habits cease to exist. A habit is both broken and created within 90 days. Some people will argue that you can create and break a habit every three weeks, but honestly – I’ve seen this theory in action.

In order to break your OCD habits, you’ve got to engage in “normal” behavior and responses for 90 days. That kind of habitual training conditions you for a permanent solution.

Effective treatment of OCD anxiety may or may not widely reduce the repetition of your obsessions and compulsions. You decide whether or not this works. There’s no one to blame but yourself. Let me give you a little example to illustrate my point.

My Totally Embarrassing Nail Biting Story…

When I was a younger I bit my nails terribly. Really it was quite gross. This was long before my OCD really became prevalent in my life. I was about 16 or 17. BTW – I don’t consider nail biting OCD. That is, unless of course you meticulously bite your nails in a compulsive or repetitive nature. However, for the sake of this story nail biting is just a bad habit.

Anyway, I was a young, shy guy in high school and a very significant time was right around the corner.

Prom was coming up and I really really wanted to look great for my date. She wasn’t a girlfriend or anything. I was just going to prom with a really nice girl that I liked for a while.

So, anyway…

Here I was about 3 months before prom and I had these disguisting bloody fingers from all the terrible biting. I REALLY wanted to make a great impression on Jill (my date), so I swore off the nail biting and proceeded to try every remedy under the sun to end the habit.

I tried using that nail polish that tastes terrible – I just bit them anyway and cringed everytime. It didn’t work.

I tried putting strings around my wrists to remind me that I was specifically trying not to bite them. This tactic failed quickly. I just ignored the rules whenever I felt stressed and started chomping away.

Then I put bandaids on all my fingers. I must have looked so silly. For weeks I showed up at school with ridiculous bandaids on my fingers. It was just as well. At the time I was a very shy kid and didn’t have many friends anyway.

This worked for the remaining 8 weeks (mainly because I never took the bandaids off long enough to go at it.) and when Prom came around, my hands looked great for Jill. I remember feeling so proud of myself.

Now the few days following were fairly good. Afterall, I was out of the habit. I didn’t need to bite my nails right?

Not quite. Can you guess what happened the week after prom?

I was so ravenous for nail biting that I chewed my fingers worse than ever! Eventually I learned to control the habit with a combination of the bandaid treatment for a couple more months and some SERIOUS conscious effort but this lesson isn’t so much about nail biting.

Any habit can be broken on the surface for a short period of time. However, you’ve got to really WANT to resolve a problem permanently to put forth the effort it takes to extinguish subconscious tendencies.

You can avoid OCD habits for any length of time but until you monitor yourself nonstop for an extended period of time (and I mean 90 days or more), you’ll never be able to train your brain away from these damaging compulsions.

If this doesn’t sound like it’s for you, that okay. There are more conventional ways to get relief.

Conventional OCD Therapy

Among the known procedures that help in OCD anxiety relief are behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy.

Psychotherapy

The first line in OCD anxiety relief is behavioral therapy. With the assistance of your physician, you will undergo an exposure treatment and response prevention. The doctor will expose you to the source of your obsession and/or compulsion and you must prevent yourself from engaging the repetitive thoughts, ritual or habit you usually do under such circumstances. This method as an OCD anxiety relief has in fact found to be effective by 75% of patients who underwent this therapy. Cognitive therapy is also another way to relieve OCD anxiety. This approach will let you address the source of your compulsion and/or obsession and challenge them. When cognitive and behavioral therapies are combined, it is more effective as an OCD anxiety relief and is called cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Pharmacotherapy

Pharmacotherapy or the use of medication is another common method used as an OCD anxiety relief. Medication prescribed for patients with OCD anxiety helps in the reduction of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Among these medications are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) such as include Celexa, Luvox, Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft. Another group of medicines, which was declared by one university as more effective is called Clomipramine like Anafril.

Support

For you to have effective OCD anxiety relief, seeking support is a must. Your family is instrumental to the success of your treatment so it is best if you make them a part of your recovery. Families and relatives, in most cases, do not understand the plight of patients with OCD anxiety when they are forced to deal with the patient’s obsessions and compulsions and your family may be the same. To minimize this, it is best if they come with you during your consultation with your doctor so that the latter may explain to them your predicament. If you do not have a family or live far from them, you can engage in support or self-help groups, talk to a trusted friend or seek spiritual advice from your church minister or priest.

My favorite solution is the well known “Panic Away” program and has been getting a LOT of attention from Psychotherapists these days.

It’s by far the easiest way to engage in solving your OCD problem because it not only shows you step-by-step how to overcome numerous anxiety disorders, it also puts you in touch with a support staff that is there for you whenever you need extra help overcoming a particularly rough day of anxiety, panic and OCD.

Take the next step to ending your OCD today with the “Panic Away” program on the next page. It’s guaranteed to cure your OCD using natural techniques and CBT therapy. The step-by-step approach has been proven over and over again to work wonders on ALL types of anxiety including OCD. Check it out here.