One of my family members has panic disorder with agoraphobia. She's been to therapy and the doctor, but does not want to take pills. She's housebound, and seems to enjoy being domestically helpful and content being at home. She doesn't seem to show much interest in the outside world. But, I do want to see her get better and regain her independence. How do I help get her out of the house and interested in life without forcing her to take pills?
Answer:
You can't make her do anything she's not ready to do or doesn't want to do. You can only control your actions, not hers. If she's content to be a homebody, then why mess with her happiness? She'll have to deal with it sooner or later.
Personally, I just wouldn't go out of my way to help her if she's needing something outside the home but is too fearful to go get it. This will force her to have to do things without the help of others and she won't become co-dependent on you.
Get her into yoga. She just needs to become involved with something calm and soothing.
My daughter-in-law had the same issues until she began doing yoga.
I personally think you take him or her to the doctor and keep them very calm.simple
You can try by finding something that is not to crowded with people that she could go to and that she may have had interest in, in the past. Or you could just start by bringing new things in to her home and making her want to try new things and let her know that there are so many new things out there to do or invite a friend over to visit with you and her and have a game day or just talking could be a start!
just be there for her. the best thing for her you to help her get out of the house is to slowly do it. it will be a long process trust me I know because I have the panic disorder. first try and make her walk around the block, then slowly have her drive around the block with her and then after awhile she might be able to go on her own but it will take a long time. so just be patient with her and always be there for her and be supportive. she is going through a very though time. also telll her not to be scared to take the pills. my panic attacks used to be so bad where iwould go to the hospital, but now that i am on my meds (prozac very low dose) I havent had a panic attack and I am able to be alone and drive around. I hope that this helps
I also suffer from extreme agoraphobia %26 social anxiety %26 have taken probably every med available. To answer your question I agree with the person who said "Be there for her" %26 eventually she'll hopefully come out of it on her own. I know I'm going through a phase. At least I HOPE I am. I wasn't always this way %26 don't want to be forever!
I used to get panic attacks in my 20's that lasted for a few minutes several times a day for a few months.
It felt like my heart was fluttering for no reason and I had difficulty falling asleep in case I died during the night.
I went to the doctors for a full check up as I thought it was a bad heart problem, the doctor said I was fine.
I started doing research and found out that the fluttering was due to stress and I also got similar symptoms if I ate dry food, toast, crumpets, dry biscuits without drinking a good amount of water afterwards.
When the flutterring in my heart came I used to tell myselft that it is the dry ffod I had earlier and the fluttering would stop immediately as I was not getting stressed out about it. When the symptoms first came I was going through a lot of stress because of a 6 month period of unemployment.
My brother who is in his mid 30's used to get the same symptoms, he had been off ill for years with a bad back but then started work driving a huge Semi truck (articulated lorry UK) he stopped drinking alcohol and as he gained experience driving the problem dissapeared.
I am in my mid 40's and have not had the problem ever since that first year of panic Attacks.
The problem is definitely related to stress, in your families case the fear of going outside, the more you can pacify her and get her to go out more gradually she will become confident and the problem will subside.
I think that it is the actual fear that she may have a heart attack outside because of the fluttering and no one will be there to save her or she will be embarrassed, that is the reason she does not want to go out. she is not frightened of going out she is frightened of getting the fluttering in her heart.
That is my experience and how I and my Brother overcame it.
There are lots of info on yahoo searches as well as cure books.
http://www.cureforpanicattacks.com/...
Good Luck
take it easy
introduce them slowly to a limited enviornment
take it easy
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