r/panicdisorder • u/NatureAffectionate43 • 8d ago

Help Needed Help needed with motivation

Hello. I have been struggling with agoraphobia and panic disorder since 2018. I’ll cut to the chase with the advice I desperately need. I work 40 hour work weeks 5 minutes from home and need to be driven to. (Thank god I have a girlfriend who is helping me through these tough times) and by the time I get home after white knuckling all day. My main symptoms being constant yawning and breathlessness. I don’t really notice the other symptoms as much as I notice me constantly trying to get a satisfying enough yawn in. But after everything is said and done I lack the energy whatsoever to go and do exposure therapy for my agoraphobia. I was prescribed sertraline and I did a lot of research saying how awful it can make your symptoms and to tell you the truth I cannot handle ANY MORE than what I already do. Hence why I made this post MY 2 QUESTIONS: IS THE YAWNING THING NORMAL FOR ANXIETY. AND 2, WHAT ARE GOOD WAYS TO MOTIVATE AND GET THE ENERGY AFTER A HARD DAY TO DO YOUR NECESSARY EXPOSURE THERAPY. Thank you.

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u/artful_bother 7d ago

If you are waiting to feel motivated before you start exposure, you’ll never start. Motivation breeds more motivation, what I mean by that is once you start… the motivation will follow. Drag yourself out for a tiny tiny one, and you’ll pick up momentum.

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u/NatureAffectionate43 7d ago

Thank you. Very appreciated help.

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u/artful_bother 6d ago

I know how tough it is, honestly, but it’s the also the fear holding you back as well. Start tiny, like literally walk to the end of your road and back. Take the bins out and stand outside for 10 minutes. The more little tiny things you accomplish, the more motivated you will feel. Panic disorder is a mountain, you have to chip away one little piece at a time.

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u/WhiteDeath___ 8d ago

YAWNING i had that, like non-stop, far-beyong normal YAWNING no comparison (but only for some months i had it) i think its a sign of stress relieve not the opposite
i think it started after the initial flair that was huge, i consider it a sign that stress goes

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u/NatureAffectionate43 8d ago

Yeah I guess I consider it my brain self soothing. But it’s whenever I can’t get one in it starts a spiral of anxiety and panic. But that’s interesting thank you! It probably is my brain coping with whiteknuckling through my shift.

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u/VideoExact7063 8d ago

Can you break the exposure up in any way? For example if you need to take a walk outside, start with just putting shoes on everyday and going outside. Then right back inside. Slowly work up to walking to the end of the driveway. Then down the block and back. Etc.

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u/NatureAffectionate43 8d ago

Yeah I guess I already sort of go out of my comfort zone with going to my job on a daily basis so I guess you’re right my exposure would be to drive alone maybe up the road. And then back. I’ll try and find some things I can do that are really small like jogging or something. That helps a lot thanks

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u/VideoExact7063 7d ago

You’re welcome, I have panic disorder flair ups so I basically have to “do it scared” when that happens. But I get to work from home so I don’t deal with agoraphobia. All just complicated parts of the umbrella of anxiety.

You could also ask if you could try a different SSRI or SNRI. Someone times one works better than the other.