Carbonglacierveirs_small
Reputation: 19
Follow 0
Follow 1

Does anyone know anything about agorophobia?

I am beginning to think that my brother is developing or already has agorophobia. I have been worried about his well being since he was he was discharged from a sober living environment for relapsing on drugs, but its not drug use that worries me. He is living with my parents now, and hasnt used drugs since November 2008, and has only left their house a handful of times in the last year and a half. I always thought his drug use was a way of coping with underlying issues, but I never thought he would isolate like he has been, and his health(physical/mental)and appearance seems to be only declining. He has told me he is scared to leave their house...

I feel very powerless, and my parents just think he is lazy. Not sure if this is a nervous breakdown?, but I don't know what to do, how to approach him, or how to help. Any advice?

bradkin asked in Whatever about 1 year ago | Report

Answer this question or share it with a smart friend:

Avatar_default
Type your answer here…

Asker's Favorite

  • Photo_on_2012-01-03_at_17
    Reputation: 628
    Follow 3
    Kristin Bell

    I think you should get him to a therapist. I'm not saying that to be snarky. I'm just saying that it is an issue that needs therapy. That said, if he is afraid to leave the house, then you might have to find a therapist that specifically deals with agoraphobia in some way that can help him actually get to therapy.

    You might want to ask him what he is afraid of about leaving the house too.

    Sometimes people think I'm agoraphobic, because I don't leave the house much, and I find that it is kind of a downward spiral that you can get into if you consistently don't leave the house. In other words, the less you leave, the more you don't want to leave. Sometimes I feel agoraphobic!

    For some people, the outside world can be a scary and anxiety-provoking place. I think people largely become agoraphobic to avoid anxiety and/or panic attacks. It could be that in the past your brother dealt with his inner anxiety and other feelings by self-medicating with substances. I'm sure that tied up in his agoraphobia is a fear that he will relapse if he leaves the safe and relatively controlled environment of home.

    I don't know what kind of place he lives in, but I would say he could probably start with baby steps...you know, like go over and visit him and just sit with him outside of the house, but right near it...maybe on a porch or in the back yard. It may not seem like much, but it can be huge just to be outside of the walls of the house!

    I imagine that what a therapist might do is have him do some kind of cognitive-behavior or just plain old behavior therapy which would involve increasing exposures to the outside world and having him work through his anxiety.

    One thing that is definitely NOT helpful is your parents calling him lazy for not leaving the house. They should stop that immediately. I would say you should send them some information about agoraphobia either through email or print something out for them to read. People often don't understand mental health issues until they are more informed about them. Anxiety can be especially confusing for people who have never experienced it.

    Oh yah, I doubt that it is a nervous breakdown (whatever that might mean). People can have agoraphobia and not be going crazy in other ways. You might want to talk to him about the possibility that he has agoraphobia. Maybe he doesn't know anything about the disorder and maybe he thinks he is completely weird for feeling the way he is feeling.

    Kristin Bell answered in Whatever about 1 year ago | Report
    2 comments by bradkin and Kristin Bell…
    Share this answer with a friend:
Latest Greatest

4 Other Answers

  • Lookalikes_small
    Reputation: 2589
    Follow 2
    Geni

    Sounds like major depression to me. When mine was uncontrolled, I was afraid to leave the house, even to take the trash to the curb. Someone might SEE me and TALK to me! I got to the point where I was actually sitting in the dark because I was afraid someone might see the lights on and knock on the door. That degree of social phobia, combined with the comment about his appearance, really rang some familiar bells with me (when my situation was particularly bad, just showering was more than I could cope with).

    People often think someone in the grips of major depression is "just lazy" because a depressive often cannot muster the emotional energy, let alone the physical, to get out of bed. This attitude can kill.

    I would strongly suggest that he see either a therapist or a physician (preferably both) and get on antidepressant medication as soon as possible. Whatever the side effects of the medication, they're better than major depression and possible suicidal ideation. Do whatever you can to help him find a doctor soon. You can't make him go, but you can help him. You might even have to make the appointment for him and go with him.

    Depression is not a terminal illness, but it sure as hell feels that way when you are in the middle of it.

    Geni answered in Whatever about 1 year ago | Report
    4 comments by Kristin Bell, bradkin, and Geni…
    Share this answer with a friend:
  • Cat-duck-2_small
    Reputation: 1560
    Follow 0

    1) I wouldn't focus on labeling the disorder, first of all. Agoraphobia is a symptom, not a disease. If he's scared of leaving the house, asking if he "has" agoraphobia is sort of like this: "I keep getting irregular heartbeats. Do I have arrhythmia?"

    2) He's not just lazy, and you would be a good person indeed if you did whatever you can to convince your parents of this fact, and to convince him to get counseling and any other needed help. Fear of everyday life is a problem that impacts on his ability to do anything he wants to... so, yes, it's a problem.

    Lee answered in Whatever about 1 year ago | Report
    2 comments by bradkin and Geni…
    Share this answer with a friend:
  • Madmen_small
    Reputation: 579
    Follow 1

    Evergreen has an In-Home Mental Health Program that you might speak with--even if it's just to get some professional advise and/or leads.

    If he qualifies for the program, and your brother is open to it, a therapist will meet with him in the home. This might be easier on him than leaving the home to see a therapist. I know that Evergreen also works with a lot of older adults in mental health crisis and they are pretty amazing.

    http://www.evergreenhospital.org/landing.cfm?id=528

    Marconia answered in Whatever about 1 year ago | Report
    1 comment by Geni…
    Share this answer with a friend:
  • Sacri_ordines_by_charism_small
    Reputation: 3723
    Follow 1

    It's entirely possible given the info provided that he's suffering from depression.

    Get a mental health specialist on the phone asap and ask them for the first step.

    (Not enough is known about this phobia: it ends up being a sort of "misc" file for a lot of other issues. And researchers can't even agree half the time - example: some experts say it's a social disorder, some claim it can't be. Some say it's tied to panic attacks, others don't make that connection.)

    Hmm. did he use benzodiazepines as part of his treatment...? they've been linked...

    Rev.Enant answered in Whatever about 1 year ago | Report
    Comment on this answer
    Share this answer with a friend: