Hi there... I just ordered this program and I was wondering if it was really helpful to anyone with agoraphobia that came from IBS-D. Mine started at 17 and 4 years later I've spent almost 2 years at home and I'm getting real tired of it. I spent one full year afraid to go out my front door because the constant attacks. I've gotten myself out of alot of it after my stomach finally settled down and I got somewhat of a grip on what I can and can't do, but I still have alot of agoraphobia to get over. For the last year the only time I've left the house is to go to doctors to have every test under the sun. I can do what I have to do... but am still terrified of everything else even though my stomach has been ok for quite a while now. I just can't get it out of the back of my mind which makes me panicky, which my makes me sick. It's a never ending cycle. Is this program really helpful for breaking that? I'm running out of options because it's mostly mental now, and medications don't work.. besides being scared of them, I always have all the horrible side effects that make me so much worse that I just can't handle it. Thanks in advance for any replies.

One more question : Has anyone ever gotten the IBS to finally calm down.. and then get hit with hypoglycemic type attacks? With alot of feeling spacey, dizzy, shakey, nauseous, and hungry... with less tolerance for heat? All tests negative but it started soon after the IBS-D significantly calmed down. I can't say which condition has been worse

Jeanne,
I thought i had IBS-d for quite awhile to and i attached it to anxiety. IT always seemed worse when i was anxious, and having a bathroom whereever i went was a necessity or i didnt go. Have you been tested to be sure its IBS-D. Because i finally was, and found out, i have Microscopic colitis. But,,, many people with anxiety to have IBS, either constipation or diarreha. IM sure you have checked with your doctor, if not its wise to do that. And it would m ake you feel better to. If it is IBS-D many times adding more fiber and calcium to your diet helps. With lots of IBS patients, that helps tremendously, when i realized it didnt help me, i went to the doctor. Ibs wont cause other disesase or anything, but a doctor can help you out if thats what the diagnosis is. I wish you only the best of luck, and try to calm yourself with self talk and follow the skills of the program they help alot to...Take CareNelly

I can relate to your being agoraphobic and also going through IBS because I experienced IBS for over 6 years and it is not pleasant. Neither is the agoraphobia. I became agoraphobic by 1995 so I know just how debilitating it is. Though I have got alot better I still have alot of distance limitations though --- I would love to talk with you more about this if you want to.
For years now I have been overcoming this and it is extremely difficult but with consistency and committment to change your life from the way it is now to slowly getting better you can do it!!!
If I can see light at the end of my tunnel so can you!
Just remember that Little by little you made your world smaller and smaller most likely unknowingly like I did through avoidance behaviors and its little by little that you will make your world larger and larger the more you do not avoid situations that make you uncomfortable. so it is with much repitition that you will recondition the way you think and do things.
All the best and I hope to talk with you soon

Thank you guys for the replies. To Nelly's : Thanks and yeah I have been checked to make sure it wasn't anything more serious... I've had about every test they could do from the bloodwork, to mri's, to the more invasive and not so fun tests I had alot of them done for my own peace of mind and finally found out that it wasn't a serious disease or anything like that. But thanks for the suggestion..

Spree~~ Thanks for the reply... Although I don't like that anyone has to go through these things.. it's kinda nice to know I'm not the only one. Agoraphobia is definitly very crippling and I could use all the help I can get on getting over it. I would love to talk more about it with you and maybe you can help me out. I was doing really well until the hypo type attacks came on and it just threw me ten feet backwards. I'm working hard but I'm never sure what to do next. But thanks for offering to help me If you've worked through alot of it.. were you able to do it without medications?

Hi, everyone, first time posting on here, actually i have a fear like Jeanne03 i think, in the sense that it's a never ending cycle, between feeling nervous so then my stomach starts hurting or my stomach starts hurting and then i feel nervous, so sometimes it's a cycle. And i think that's where most of my anxiety stemmed from, i would have an embarrasing moment like i farted once or something lol in front of a lot of people and that's honestly when it started can u believe it one damn stupid fart lol. anyway slowly i noticed (in highschool about 10 yrs ago when i was a freshman) that since i would feel anxious at one place or situation i would want to get out of it and then through out the years my world got smaller and smaller. for example if i had an anxiety attack or felt sick (stomach) on a bus then i would be scared to go on the bus. but now i want my life back. I want to go do everything i want to go do because i want to be free and happy. i obsess over it a lot if i go somewhere whether i can get to a bathroom and stuff like that, i mean everything i do rotates around that fear, that one day i mite just mite crap myself lol. i was just wondering if anyone else had these fears and phobias like me. i know i've seen posts on here already that there are people like me, i guess i just wanted to talk to someone on here that experiences what i experience so if u do, please talk to me we can help each other out thanks for listening