Steely
Active Member
Wow - Matt just opened up, and pretty much caught me off guard, over his battle with agoraphobia. I was getting on him, and mad, because he is not making steps towards a job, or classes - and he just exploded. After about 20 minutes of seething rage, he turned the conversation back to being self reflective and started talking about his overwhelming fear of "the world".
I have known this about him for awhile, probably since he was 16 he started struggling with it. Sometimes I now wonder if that is one of the reasons he got in so much trouble in elementary school, he just could not take the constant interpersonal stimulation. He has NonVerbal Learning Disorder (NVLD), which I have read can cause agoraphobia as they lead into adult hood.
Just the torment he goes through to even go to the corner store really surprised me. Not to mention actually shopping at a real store - that has him in lock down right now. I mean, I knew this problem was there, but not to this extent. He is really in agony and so mad at himself. Soooo much self hatred because in his mind he is such a 'wimp".
I told him he had to do an outing every day to start to desensitize himself to the feelings that arise when he is in public. That is the only thing I can think of at the moment, since he refuses counseling. He also cannot tolerate any of the anti-anxiety or SSRIs because of his bi-polar. He goes ballistic. So he feels really at a loss, and hates himself, and of course keeps saying if this doesn't stop he will kill himself.
God - it makes me sad. He has more challenges in his brain than 10 people combined. But this agoraphobia is a dealbreaker, because if he can't get out to get help and meet people - he will just dry up and be lost forever.
Any ideas on something that might help? Anybody else out there struggle with this or know someone who has.
I have known this about him for awhile, probably since he was 16 he started struggling with it. Sometimes I now wonder if that is one of the reasons he got in so much trouble in elementary school, he just could not take the constant interpersonal stimulation. He has NonVerbal Learning Disorder (NVLD), which I have read can cause agoraphobia as they lead into adult hood.
Just the torment he goes through to even go to the corner store really surprised me. Not to mention actually shopping at a real store - that has him in lock down right now. I mean, I knew this problem was there, but not to this extent. He is really in agony and so mad at himself. Soooo much self hatred because in his mind he is such a 'wimp".
I told him he had to do an outing every day to start to desensitize himself to the feelings that arise when he is in public. That is the only thing I can think of at the moment, since he refuses counseling. He also cannot tolerate any of the anti-anxiety or SSRIs because of his bi-polar. He goes ballistic. So he feels really at a loss, and hates himself, and of course keeps saying if this doesn't stop he will kill himself.
God - it makes me sad. He has more challenges in his brain than 10 people combined. But this agoraphobia is a dealbreaker, because if he can't get out to get help and meet people - he will just dry up and be lost forever.
Any ideas on something that might help? Anybody else out there struggle with this or know someone who has.