Overcoming Agoraphobia Anxiety Disorder: My Success Story

By: Oula Onyango

At the age of 21, I survived a dreadful bank robbery incident and subsequently felt like I neither wanted to get out of my house nor venture into places I wasn’t familiar with. Little did I know that, for more than a year, I would experience intermittent terrible feelings of nausea, abnormal heartbeats, choking sensations, profuse sweating, dizziness, and breathlessness whenever I left my house. 

Then one day, a friend invited me to accompany him to a wedding, in two weeks’ time. I shrugged off my rising fear of getting out of the house and going to unfamiliar places, ignored them as if they were of no consequence, and accepted his invitation.  

On the fateful day, my friend picked me up and we drove for an hour and a half before reaching our destination. The moment we arrived at the venue I immediately lost all my self-confidence. It was like I dreaded something I couldn’t actually visualize.

My heart rate increased suddenly, and I started sweating profusely. I felt like something was choking me, hellbent on cutting off my breath. My nausea increased and I became dizzy and fell on the ground.

Photo by Francis Odeyemi on Unsplash

Getting Diagnosed

Two days later, I woke up in a hospital bed surrounded by family and friends. Upon asking, they  told me I had fallen ill while at the wedding and was rushed to the hospital. 

Interestingly enough, I was visibly sick, but the doctors, after running a series of tests, failed to diagnose any physical sickness. I felt disappointed!

Not satisfied with the report of the doctors at the hospital I was taken to, I visited two more hospitals of repute, but the results were the same.

Only on my visit to the third hospital did I come away with any useful clues. The doctor who attended to me confessed that he suspected I had a mental health issue. He suggested I see a mental health specialist and referred one to me.

I contacted the specialist and he booked me. Two weeks later, I visited the clinic. I was received by a warm, friendly, and calm fellow. After a brief introduction and chit chat, we got down to why I was there.

I narrated how, for the past one and half years, I’d had to endure negative and uncomfortable feelings like anger and frustration with myself, feelings of solitude and consistent boredom, while feeling powerless to do anything about them. I explained how I had become averse and indifferent to any activities outside my home. I no longer enjoyed socializing or even walking in nature. How the shame I felt about having these feelings had damaged my self-esteem. And, how I had tried to cope by drinking alcohol, with no success.

I concluded by explaining how a friend had taken me to a wedding and the horrible and dreadful feelings I developed upon arriving at the place which rendered me unconscious in the hospital. How all  the tests that doctors had run on me in the hospitals I was taken to, came back negative, which led me here, to see him.

The specialist listened carefully and after a few questions, he informed me that I was suffering from a type of Anxiety disorder known as Agoraphobia Anxiety Disorder (AAD). And that the feelings I experienced on the day my friend and I went to the wedding were the symptoms of an anxiety disorder that has been with me for a while now.

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What is Agoraphobia Anxiety Disorder?

“AAD is a type of Anxiety where the victim is afraid to leave environments they know or consider to be safe. And that the victim considers their home to be the only safe place,” the doctor explained.

Upon further research, I came across an elaborate article about AAD by Better Health Channel. 

According to the article, “ Agoraphobia usually begins with a stressful event – for example, a person loses a job or a relationship ends. They feel distressed and limit their contact with the outside world (this is called ‘avoidance behavior’). As time passes, they may consider more and more public places as ‘out of bounds’ until they are eventually confined to their home.”

“In other cases, a stressful life event triggers a panic attack. Since panic attacks are so unpleasant, the person may avoid any situation or place that they think might trigger another attack until many situations and places are eventually feared and avoided.”

I must admit, I was shocked by this diagnosis! The doctor revealed to me that I would have likely slipped into a severe depression eventually!

It was now very clear that I had a serious anxiety disorder that had been with me for some time, and needed to be dealt with. Thus began my journey to overcoming Agoraphobia Anxiety Disorder.

Photo by Fernando @cferdophotography on Unsplash

Healing from Agoraphobia

Before I continue, let me assure you that Agoraphobia Anxiety Disorder can be managed and responds perfectly well to treatment. In addition, there are several treatment options that can be suggested by your therapist or expert, depending on your circumstances.  

They include: instruction in self-help methods, cognitive behavior therapy and exposure therapy, support group systems, relaxation training, anti-anxiety medications, and counseling and talk therapy.

For my case, my therapist first prescribed an SSRI called Sertraline which I took for six straight months. Unfortunately, one month after finishing the dosage, the feelings were back as if nothing had happened! I was extremely devastated and felt hopeless!

It was clear medication wouldn’t solve everything, and he next prescribed a series of self-help methods, counseling and talk therapy sessions, and formation of support groups, in addition to my dosage of Sertraline.

I attended counseling and talk therapy sessions twice a month. I followed a series of self-help methods, which included changing my lifestyle. I limited alcohol consumption, avoided coffee, and eventually stopped drinking alcohol. I also engaged in regular exercise (to burn stress chemicals and reduce anxiety) in the mornings and evenings, each day.

I also engaged in deep meditation once a day, where, in a private chamber of my house, I lay on bed, as soft music that provided a soothing effect played on the background while I completely shut my mind out from the external world and the condition I was in at the present.

The doctor discovered I was hyperventilating ( breathing too fast and too shallow), so he prescribed a slow breathing technique, where I would consciously slow my breathing while expanding my abdomen with every inhalation. This I did as many times as possible.

Moreover, through the guidance of my therapist and with the support of friends and family, I was first exposed to less crowded places and gradually to more crowded places. Over the course of  this practice, I discovered that these external environments were actually safe and friendly. I also went out for a nature walk, where I covered two kilometers in the mornings and evenings.

The combination of these techniques changed me completely. I also read several books and self-help guides on Anxiety and AAD which equally played an important role in my recovery. One such notable book I read is; “Free Yourself  From Anxiety: A self-help Guide to Overcoming Anxiety Disorders” by Emma Fletcher and Martha Langley.

It’s important to note that it took me roughly a year of intense focus and concentration on healing to have my AAD under control. Additionally, I was privileged to have the unwavering support of my therapist, family, and friends, which played a crucial role in helping me achieve this objective.

However, understand that my healing journey can never be the same as yours. Yours might be less or more than a year depending on the support system around you and how you adhere to the healing therapy prescriptions. My hope is that my story inspires you in your healing journey. Agoraphobia, and many other mental illnesses, are treatable when you find what works for you!

Oula Dauglas Onyango is a mental health survivor from Kenya, passionate about helping other mental health victims overcome their mental conditions and live normal lives. He currently reads and reviews books about mental health and writes content for the web. You can connect with Oula online at his LinkedIn and on Twitter.

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