Try this...

Hi everyone

This post is aimed mainly at agoraphobics but it may be of interest to general anxiety sufferers.

Do you ever find that when you try to go out for a walk, you get to a point where the fear just comes over you and all you can do is walk home as fast as you can? You can't stop, you can't focus on other things, you've just got to walk straight home?

This is the point where you slip into your habitual behaviour and adopt your subconscious tried-and-trusted mechanism to get you to safety.

Do something to break that habit. at that point when you are marching home, turn around and walk backwards for a few steps. Not only does it interrupt your habit, it gives your brain a little more work to do and helps to distract you.

Don't just take my word, try it...

Best wishes to you all

Chris

PS. I know this goes without saying but I don't want to end up in court so PLEASE MAKE SURE THERE IS NOTHING BEHIND YOU THAT YOU CAN WALK INTO OR FALL OVER.

Trust me, this works....


Get a bike.... Yes!


Get a Bike. Simple. Agoraphobes (as i once was) hate being outside and overcoming this obstacle is painful because of this and that but with a bike if you ever want to turn back homewards.... turn back homewards! your anxiety will be equelly matched with the energy needed to power the bike home.

I know how much you want to get back home but, when walking you don't want to look like a nutter (ok... a anxiety sufferer) because your desperate to get home, because of the irrational thoughts, because.... well look at you!! Your sweating, you look pychotic, your rigid... you want to run but what will the neibours think???


I honestly think it worked for me and played a huge part in my getting back onto the straight and narrow in all aspects of life. Walking around was a real drag, i hated it because it demanded too much. I was always thinking the 'what if' scenarios typical of the anxiety sufferer but it's all counter-acted when cycling.



Think about it....

Hi Booby

I must admit I feel safer when I'm out with my bike than when I'm out walking.

Chris

Safer is fine. Your making headway just being outside. The cure for agoraphobes is outside


...... theres no harm in feeling better when using a crutch, espeically a 'good' crutch.

Medication, alcohol, other drugs, people, etc. offer a crutch, something but don't kid yourself. I've used alcohol (lots of), i've tried the meds (detest them!), i've used people to accompany me to and from here and there, i've not used other drugs but hearing from others... sounds like a bad road.


If you cycle daily, remember little by little (nothing to strenous), you get the fitness/workout thing which i'm sure we've all heard about. It's good to sweat a little. You don't have to stop to talk to people too! Your on a bike afterall... You can have a good look of whats around as well. On a bike i can cover 9 miles in 35 mins. By foot your lucky to get 3 miles in 45 minutes!!


...It opens alot of doors

hi i know this is an old post but booby that must be some sort of record 9 miles in 35 mins chrissy

you feel safer on a bike because it's a quick getaway. I love going out on my bike now. When walking i get half way to my mothers house 20 minutes away and start gasping heart beating fast, but tell myself, your not backing out, its awful, i have to have a bottle of drink as get thirsty and airwaves chewing gum and a mobile phone, once nearly there fine, and then get very proud of myself for acheiving getting there.
When you havent been out of the house for a while your legs dont get the exercise and i have found that i was getting pain in the top of my leg, so cycling has been great in building up the strenght in my legs.

I know what you mean when you say pushing yourself through it is rewarding because you get all worked up and then you reach your distination and cool off.

It's certainly rewarding but these sort of efforts must be made frequently and from what i can remember it's absolutely exhausting emotionly (as is anxiety in general) and sometimes you don't even make it outside the front door from worrying so much - I think in these circumstances a bike is essential. The moment you decide not to go out after hanging around the front door for 10+ minutes brings relieve but not fulfillment. The botched attempt at the outside leaves a void for a long while with no obvious ways to overcome the nagative thoughts and feelings usually felt after - you've decided not to go and although you can try again later the feeling of hopelessness lasts long and anyway, why would you want to put yourself through that again??

This was the kind of thing i went through daily until i started coming up with alternatives. Firstly, i started taking walks around the local area just after nightfall. This was easy because my main fears were being seen whilst suffering an attack, not composed, sweating, etc. and also being recognised by someone i knew and having to 'stop & chat'. I managed to get quite far without any problems and i never really felt bad, only if there was a group of little shits/yobs approaching or just generally whatever anyone else would be wary of. Next came the cycling. During the day there was nothing to do really so i started out on the bike. Nothing special at first, just round the block. In a way it maintained my avoidance of being seen and the stop & chat thing too. If anyone saw me it would only be for a few seconds with no option to chat. Bingo!!

That whole phase lasted quite a while, probably because i was so pleased with having gotten over the definite agoraphobic period.

Anyway, i know it won't be to everyones liking and i know some of you won't be able to do it for other reasons BUT if you do have a bike lying around and are capable physically and are struggling in the progression from agorophobic to semi agoraphobe then give it a try.