You are Not Alone with Agoraphobia

Most people who get agoraphobia feel like they are the only one. Unless you have looked into the statistics, it is easy to feel like you are the only person going through what you are going through. You may feel like no one else experiences the kind of panic or anxiety that you do or that no one could ever understand you.This belief can be isolating and work against your recovery. It can lead to hiding your problem, not sharing it with anyone, and not getting the support or help you need to get better.

I will admit that my case of agoraphobia made me feel like some kind of a freak for a while. I felt like I must be the only person in the world that couldn't leave my house without hyperventilating and getting weak and dizzy. I felt alone and isolated in my suffering, as though no one else has experienced the type of things I was experiencing.

Going to a support group didn't help these feelings of isolationat all. Though the people at my support group all said they had anxiety disorders and some even said they had agoraphobia, they could all sit through the whole group session without leaving. I, on the other hand, could only stay about five or ten minutes without being overwhelmed with panic and walking hurriedly to the door – and I was on lots of valium.

So I felt like the freak, even among a support group of other people with anxiety disorders. The truth is, you are not alone if you suffer from agoraphobia. In fact, you are in good company. About 3.2 million Americans suffer from agoraphobia at any given time (Anxiety Disorders Association of America, 2005). That's a lot of people who share your experience!

They are not necessarily losers or societal outcasts either.

There are some pretty big names among these 3.2 million agoraphobia sufferers, too. Former NFL football star and Heisman Trophy winner, Earl Campbell, has suffered from debilitating agoraphobia at times, as has Oscar Award winning actress, Kim Basinger.

I said all of this to say that if you have agoraphobia, it might be helpful to find someone else who has been through agoraphobia and recovered. The best support and help may come from someone who understands your disorder from their own experience - and can share what they did to get their life back.