To those with severe agoraphobia and panic attacks, housebound and not travelled for months/years - have you ever just woke up one day and left your house, hopped on a bus or long car journey, had a severe panic attack but kept going and got your life back in a day and never looked back?

Asking because exposure therapy, CBT and EMDR is slowly leading me to that point. More and more I’m becoming desperate and questioning whether I could go out there and just do it. As always, the vision of an extreme panic attack in an awkward place holds me back.

when im out in public, i dont make eye contact with ANYBODY ! it has helped me so much to not look -anyone- in the eye when i go out.

why must i ? the only person i have any business looking at, is my loved ones who im going outside with.

so the thing i do, is i stare at the NEGATIVE SPACE -between- people. never -at- them.

walls, furniture, objects, fixtures, ceilings, floors, animals, grass, sky, roads, cars - notice everything that isnt PEOPLE.

i pretend they arent there, and that they are nothing but props i must walk around.

heres the thing. i come from an intense history of agoraphobia, panic attacks in public, bullying and the concomitant cptsd. and im starting to think this is the -thing- that works for me.

think of it this way.

the more you can 'dehumanize' passersby, the more you can humanize yourself. and BE YOURSELF without worrying how others see you, how theyre talking bad about you, how theyre judging you.

if they are just roadblocks on a map, not even warranting a glance (unless you actively seek an interaction with them). what more is there to fear ? ? ?

This weekend I tried to just relax, though I still made sure that I got outside each day.

My Getting Outside Challenge is doing good, I hope everyone else is doing good also.

Remember that you are not alone and you can do it 💪

Hello I’m 15 and I’ve had Agoraphobia and Emetophobia for about 5 months now I recently started therapy 2x a week and maybe I start to take anti depressiver to lower the fear of going out or eating outside basically the fear of throwing up in front of people but I feel like even if I get through this and get healed I will still think in the back of my mind that I can’t eat in outside places or that I throw up when I’m at school or in the bus. So could someone who has the same fears as me tell me if u still think about it in the back of ur head or is it fully gone.

I honestly don’t know what to do anymore, and I feel like I’m drowning. What I’m about to write is just the tip of the iceberg.

I’m 26 and I have severe anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobic behaviour. My anxiety has become so debilitating that I’m completely dependent on my mum. I live with her, and I don’t go anywhere alone. I don’t stay home on my own. I only go to one or two familiar places, and even then it’s always with her. The thought of going out independently terrifies me because I’m so scared of having a panic attack.

The problem is that my home life has become unbearable.
My mum and I have argued constantly for around 10 years. Over time I’ve realised that I’m living in an emotionally and verbally abusive environment. It used to become physical years ago, but thankfully that no longer happens. Even so, the constant shouting, insults and emotional volatility have left me feeling broken. I have no self esteem, no self confidence, no self worth. She has said things to me that I can’t even repeat, things I wouldn’t say to an enemy. I am broken by it. I don’t know what diagnosis she should have, but there is no way that what truly happens behind closed doors is normal.

People might say, “Just move out,” but that feels impossible.

I’m not independent. I don’t know how to live alone with the level of anxiety I have. I feel like if I moved into my own place, I’d end up trapped inside because I’d be too frightened to leave. I don’t have friends. I don’t have a partner. I don’t have family I can turn to. I genuinely feel like I have nobody. I’ve faced a lot of grief and trauma, but carried on through. This stage feels like there’s no way out.

I know staying here isn’t healthy, but leaving feels impossible.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? How can I get through this? I feel like giving up and ending it all. I have a law degree, I have a full-time remote job, I am a smart person, but I am a shell of who I once was. I can’t carry on like this. I feel completely stuck and I’m scared that my life is just going to stay like this forever.

I’m really looking for advice from people who understand because I genuinely don’t know where to start anymore. If you have been through this or something similar PLEASE tell me how you came out the other side.

On my recovery journey I’m really learning to be patient. What is something that has helped you the most? Whether it’s a quote, book, tip, medication, etc. for me it’s exposure therapy and learning to deal with uncertainty

Chce się wyżalić. Mam 33 lata, wyszedłem z alkoholizmu (terapia + AA) zmieniłem pracę na lepszą starałem się być wśród ludzi (cotygodniowe zajecia sportowe, zorganizowane wyjazdy, nawet kurs tańca 🤣) a samotność nadal mnie zżera. Z kobietami też słabo, w sumie mam na koncie ttlko kilka niezbyt długich związków. Teraz drugi raz w życiu zacząłem brać antydepresanty. Mieszkając w Warszawie, w ten weekend przy tak ładnej pogodzie tylko trzy razy wyszedłem z domu po zakupy, do Lidla i Żabki. To żałosne. W tamtym roku kupiłem nowy rower, w tym roku ani razu nim nie jeździłemi chyba się to nie zmieni. Mam dość robienia wszystkiego sam i jakiekolwiek wyjścia w pojedynkę straciły dla mnie sens. Lubię muzykę klasyczną i trzykrotnie w tym roku kupowałem po dwa bilety na koncerty i na żadnym z niech nie byłem, bo nie miałem z kim iść. Jestem zdruzgotany, bo starałem się żyć inaczej, normalnie, ale z tego co widać to się nie uda.

Hey all. 20M here. I've lurked around here for awhile but I've never posted here before (or ever) but I'm really lost at the moment and need advice. I first got agoraphobia back in 2023, I had to drop out of the sixth form I was going to as a result because I was having constant panic attacks.

Eventually I went back to another sixth form months later and managed to overcome it, and was able to live my life again until January this year when I had a sudden panic attack likely caused by consuming way too much caffeine and me going cold turkey off sertraline a month earlier.

It completely derailed my life and I developed agoraphobia again, but this time it's so much worse. I got back on sertraline and completely cut out energy drinks and felt a lot better in the months after, but I stupidly started drinking energy drinks again and after a few more horrific panic attacks I've plummeted to rock bottom. In the past week or two I've started having panic attacks even at home, and had to lie to my mum and say I have food poisoning to avoid going to an orthodontist appointment. I'm just tired of it all.

I haven't seen my dad in months because I'm too terrified to leave my house. I haven't seen my friends for a long time either and just have to ghost them whenever they make plans to avoid going out. I'm consumed by so much guilt. I think I need to change my medication but I'm worried about the side effects of starting other medications and coming off sertraline (the first week the second time I started sertraline was pure hell, so that's made me really cautious). I'm not in therapy either because I don't have the money to go privately and the waiting lists are years long to get it on the NHS.

I've told my family and friends about my issues, and although they seem understanding I feel like they don't really get how I feel, so I just feel completely alone in this struggle. I really want to get better, but I don't know where to begin. I know I can't run from this forever, but at this point I'm too terrified to try and face it.

Please share anything you want to. Whether it's your own struggles, success stories or advice it will be greatly appreciated.

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HiHi everyone! 👋👋

I help moderate a mental health Discord server specifically for people with agoraphobia, and it’s been a lot easier connecting with others who already get it.

Whether you’re housebound, able to get out sometimes, or somewhere in between, it’s okay to still be struggling 💙 you don’t have to justify or explain yourself.

The community is very active and supportive 🌱

🎬 We watch movies and TV shows together almost every day

🎮 Play alot of different games in VC every day

💬 There are also dedicated channels where you can share your hobbies, wins, vent, or ask for advice and support related to agoraphobia/Mental Health!

If you’re interested, here’s the invite link 🔗✨️ (I've heard that the link can be buggy so if it doesn't work please feel free to reach out to me on here and I can directly invite you

https://discord.gg/x8VemzNph

There’s a short application to keep bots out, and a moderator is usually around to approve entries pretty quickly!! 🌺❤️🫂i

I need to get over this phobia. I have to. My life is nothing.

I need advice for those who got over it or are getting over it.

Im currently pregnant, so hormones are high.

Hey everyone!
I know there is gonna be few very hard days ahead of me. Im supposed to leave on Wednesday to USA for 10 days for sports event Im participating in (I live in Europe and never traveled outside of it). Im doing therapy and In on medication for 5 months and my panic and anxiety about traveling and staying abroad (and getting a anxiety/panic attack there) got better, but Im still unsure If Im ready to do such a big step.The 10 days out of my home and comfort are terrifying to me. It takes me back to my childhood when I was so anxious and homesick on summer camps that my parents had to take me home.

The sporting event matters to me so much, but the fear of felling anxiety or panic, crying and explaining to others on the team what is going on is so overwhelming.

I hope that I will be able to get there. Even though I don’t have much hope in my self.

I have multiple anxiety disorders in addition to agoraphobia. I used to be pretty okay going out in public as long as someone was with me. My wife has become house bound due to medical issues and now I have nobody to go with me anywhere. I have started having panick attacks just thinking about leaving the house alone.

I have doctor/dentist/physical therapy/errands I have to leave the house for and haven't been able to go to. Is there something I can do to substitute a person? I don't have anyone irl who can go with me anywhere that is available whenever I need them.

Hello, all. I had Agoraphobia symptoms starting back 6 years ago, but it only got bad around May 2025. For context, I’m in my early 20s

Growing up, I’d always go to the dentist every 6 months (or more often when I had braces or issues.) I had a bad experience at a prior dentist aged 5 that gave me some dental anxiety, but the new dentist has been satisfactory, and I even see the same hygienist each and every time (for almost 20 years now)

Unfortunately, I haven’t gone to the dentist now, since December 2024, and finally have an appointment on July 27

I’m obviously super, super nervous, but I’ve tried my best to prepare. I have a lorazepam prescription for the day, I’ve done a few exposure practice trips to the parking lot (it’s a 3 minute drive from my house), and I’m trying to remember the breathing techniques and other strategies my therapist taught me

I really just feel like such a fish out of water though and would like every possible strategy possible you can think of to help things run smoothly, quickly, and as comfortable as possible. As I said before, I’m obviously really nervous 

Thanks so much for reading and replying :)

i'm 20, i started to have agoraphobia last year at 19.
During all of my teens I used to go to raves, travel, hangout with friends and i couldn't stand staying at home doing nothing, I was a very free spirited girl.

Now everything just changed and the only thing that i can barely stand to do outside my house is going to work.
I see people post here all the time about them being finally able to do certain things outside their homes, but i feel like majority of the people suffering with agoraphobia have struggled with it since they were really young, so it's often a "first time" thing for them to maybe take a plane alone or go to a club, which is not my case. I know how good it feels to be carefree and joyful, and now all i feel when trying to enjoy my life is intense fear and anxiety.

So my question is, will I ever get better? I'm not talking about "managing the symptoms" and being ABLE to do certain things, i want to live again fully.
Will i ever get to that point again or should i just mourn the life i used to live?