Agoraphobia Short Story

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A look into the life of someone suffering from agoraphobia A day in the life of an agoraphobic Edher Baranda Western Illinois University-Quad Cities I wake up a little earlier than usual. My parents asked me to run a few errands for them. I get dressed and head out the door. “So far, so good.” I think to myself. I get in my car and start driving to the supermarket. I park my car and wait a few minutes. “You can do this.” I tell myself, giving myself the usual pep talk routine. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I get out of my car and start heading in. Almost immediately my heart begins racing. It’s 75 degrees out, but I feel like I’m freezing. I’m sweating and I’m beginning to get dizzy. I’m not even at the door when my legs give out under me and I have to support myself against a stranger’s car. I’m nauseous, I’m sweating and I feel like on the verge of having a heart attack. A few people have seen me and are asking me if I need help, but they’re just making things worse. It takes every ounce of willpower to get up and head back to my car. The rest is all a blur, but I vaguely remember getting in my car and peeling out, almost …show more content…

You avoid them because you feel trapped and unable to get help if something does go wrong. Most people associate agoraphobia with the inability to leave your home. That isn’t entirely correct. Being housebound is reserved for the most severe form of agoraphobia that only a minority of agoraphobics suffer from. Another misconception include the fear of crowds, while some agoraphobics fear them, others prefer because they feel that crowds provide a degree of safety. While some agoraphobics suffer from the so called “stereotypical symptoms”, not everyone is the same. Symptoms of agoraphobia include sweating, trembling, shaking, breathing problems, nausea, diarrhea, chest pains, dizziness and panic

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