Because of the work I do, I speak to many people with agoraphobia, or fear of the street, and life just passes by without being able to enjoy shopping alone or going on holiday, for example. My experiences, tips and treatment methods have been listed for the person or environment with ”anxiety disorders, panic attacks, palpitations and hyperventilation”. You have many phobias, but agoraphobia, or fear of the street, can have a huge impact on someone’s life.
It always starts innocently with some tension and then combined with palpitations and hyperventilation (tingling in the fingers, accelerated heart rate, dizziness), and then the fear of going out on the street is actually born and very difficult to treat because it is severely underestimated. . Do it my way; you often hear; but that way can last 20 years. What is also typical is that when someone you trust is present, people dare to go out on the street. Then the person feels that if he or she faints, he or she will be helped by the person he or she trusts.
Tax for the partner and loved ones
Many people who are afraid of the street just leave it at that, because they feel great at home.
Don’t forget that it can be an enormous burden for the partner or loved ones to, for example, pick up the children to and from school, do the shopping after work , and it can be at the expense of social contacts because you still have to preferably in your own environment. You feel ‘safe’ at home and outside you feel extremely tense. Just the thought! You would say.
Treatment methods
You can get rid of it, that’s for sure, but you also have to be fully committed and ‘don’t just give up’.
It is important not to rely too much on someone you trust, as you will never get used to the idea of being able to do it alone. You have to build something like that step by step. You can start by moving so far down the street that you keep the familiar front door or back door in sight. Step by step and then build up the idea that when you eventually no longer see your familiar door, remind yourself that you will be home again in no time, should something happen, because palpitations and hyperventilation are caused by, among other things, incorrect breathing. Also ensure regular breathing and try not to pick up so many stimuli outside. If you are going to practice, preferably practice in the evenings. It is then a lot quieter than during the day and that can make a difference. Also try to check the supermarket first to see if there is a long line and if you are going shopping alone, do it just around closing time, because it is very quiet and not on Saturday mornings. If there is no other option, let the confidante stand in front of the supermarket, but do not let him or her come with you. Get it into your mind that the person is outside and is with you or you are with that person. Most importantly, relax!!!!! And be confident of the fact….
Don’t delay, make a start
Don’t postpone it, because you’ve probably had this for years and your life will soon pass and you won’t get back the lost years. You can be helped with all phobias as it is all in the mind and nothing physical. Try my treatment method, but also be sure to read the forums and reports of psychologists and social workers, etc. Don’t forget one thing; you can read thousands of reports; but ultimately you have to do it for the sake of yourself, but also your partner and especially often the children, because they also miss that social element and will often be susceptible to all kinds of phobias later on. After all, they experience it every day. If things don’t work out for a while and you feel like you’re falling back, just start over, but keep doing business, that’s my advice! Because otherwise you will be hopelessly lost and no longer in charge of your own body and mind.
Comments more than welcome
Reactions from people who suffer or have suffered from this are very welcome for other fellow sufferers and I wrote this article because I notice that it is a terribly difficult phobia to treat, often due to underestimation, although you can quickly get rid of it with good guidance . That must be a strange sensation for you, but it is really possible! Many others have proven this and will prove it in the near future, together with you.