Dealing with Agoraphobia- What Not To Do!

Dealing with Agoraphobia can be quite challenging as the constant anxiety and fears about going places can consume your life. There are many ways that you can make your life better and to do this you need to know what not to do! It is important to know what you may be doing that it making your anxiety problems worse.

 Here are some of things that you can cut out of your life to help you deal with Agoraphobia.

Caffeine

Although a strong coffee or two may help you become more alert, it is usually for a short period of time and then it wears off. Coming down from a caffeine high can increase anxiety, restlessness and fatigue. Caffeine withdrawals occur when you miss your morning coffee and end up feeling irritable or get headaches. None of these symptoms are good if you are already anxious and dealing with Agoraphobia. Caffeine can also interrupt your sleep, making it more difficult for your body to relax and allow you to fall asleep. Try to limit your caffeine intake on a daily basis.

Alcohol

Alcohol is a depressant and even at moderate levels can worsen your mood and leave you feeling gloomier about life. It also contributes to sleeping difficulties, with sleep onset okay but staying asleep and quality of sleep is disturbed.

Isolation

Withdrawing from family and friends is a huge problem if you suffer from a mental illness like Agoraphobia. Having a healthy and accessible support network is valuable in dealing with anxiety and encouraging you to get better. Friends and family are a big motivator for improving your emotional health and can help you feel better on the days that are really tough. Try to catch up with friends as much as possible and be part of social activities that get you out of the house.

Sleep Deprived

Lack of sleep can have a serious impact on your mental health. Sleep deprivation leads to irritability, low energy levels and concentration and memory troubles. It can also run down your immune system and make you more vulnerable to illnesses and infections. It is crucial to implement a regular sleep pattern to boost your emotional health. Make sure you get up at the same time every morning and do not try to make up for lost sleep if you have had a late night. Try to unwind and engage in mundane activities for thirty minutes before bed so your body starts to see the signs that it is bedtime.

A Sedentary Lifestyle

An inactive or sedentary lifestyle can be detrimental to not only your physical health but also your emotional health. Low activity levels can have you feeling fatigued and lethargic, even when you haven’t been doing anything. Exercise has been associated with improved mood, sleep, energy and overall wellbeing. Try to aim for thirty minutes of exercise on most days of the week. Include activities that you enjoy such as walking, gardening or swimming. To combine exercise with social contact, join a walking or gardening group in your local area.

Avoidance

Avoidant certain places and situations for fear of having a panic attack is one of the main symptoms of Agoraphobia Disorder and can actually reinforce its continuity. It is important that you consider the circumstances that increase your anxiety and which you tend to avoid so that you feel less anxious. Rather than avoiding them, it is more helpful if you gradually start to confront some of these situations. This exposure helps you to become desensitised and in time you will feel less anxious. Start with the least feared situations and work up to the most feared situations. Help from friends, family or a professional may be required.

Denial

Pretending like there is nothing wrong when you know that something isn’t quite right is not going to improve your situation. It can be difficult to come to terms with having a mental illness but this is the first step towards dealing with disorders such as Agoraphobia. You can empower yourself with knowledge about the disorder including symptoms, causes and treatment options to make it a little less scary. Talk to friends and family, as they are usually more than willing to help and encourage you to get help.

Negative thinking

Negativity can undermine your self-esteem and prevent you from improving your emotional health. It is important that you focus on what you do well at rather than the things you don’t do so well. Having unrealistic expectations often sets you up for failure as they were not achievable goals to begin with. Try to challenge your negative thoughts and replace them with something more positive.

So now you know what not to do to help you deal with Agoraphobia, but this won’t help you overcome the disorder altogether. Follow this link to beat Agoraphobia totally without medication or any alternative therapies - just a psychological technique that has been proven to work again and again!

Overcoming Agoraphobia