i need a drink before i can leave the house

[I_Was_Punished]

This has been going on for a while now. I don't like leaving the house, i get very nervous and i feel physically sick so i have some alcohol first to relax me. Then once i've had enough to drink to feel relaxed i leave the house. But i rarely go out before having a drink and i only really go out when i have to for shop or to get cash from the cashpoint or if i really feel i have to get out to the woods or the park. Occasionally i will go out sober but i never relax, i always feel edgy and nervous. I don't know what the answer is. i know drinking a lot of alcohol has health consequences but sometimes i don't care, we all have to die some day and i feel like i don't even see the point in living a long time if i am going to spend my whole life feeling anxious and depressed all the time. i definitely have avoidant personality disorder and agoraphobia, they aren't diagnosed but i know i have them, this has been going on a long time. This last year has made it worse

 

[Hopefullyuselful]

Hello,

I'm sorry to read that, it must be so frustrating to always feel nervous/on edge whenever you go out. So many unpleasant things at once, I understand it's very difficult to navigate through life with those kinds of challenges. You say it has been going on for a long time. Do you mind giving us an idea of how long? Did something trigger your anxiety a couple of years ago or has it always been there, getting worse with time.

I'm guessing that the covid restrictions did not help at all :/ it's hard to maintain ''social anxiety resilience'' once we are encouraged to stay away from people, restricted from going to work, etc. It keeps us in out comfort zone and our social anxiety only gets worse when we have to actually see people again. Trust me, I noticed some climbs in my social anxiety in the last year too. You are not alone!

 

[natalie]

I do realise what you are saying and I hear you; I have szchiophrenia, based around hearing voices, intrusive thouighs, and paranoia, sometimes not all the time delusions. I'm very well, at this time.

I can never leave our property, house, not without listening to music and kniting, which I find, always helps to keep me calmer, queuingX!


And certainly in time for t ravelling to, in and from volunteering, i only hear a small amount of music on buses, on a particular day of volunteering.


I can sympat hise.

 

[PurplePrinny80s]

Slow exposure therapy. Start by thinking about going out and going places. Measure your anxiety. Expose yourself to thinking about it until your mind starts to normalize it as okay. Move to putting your hand on the door handle, repeat until your anxiety is tolerable, open the door and close it, step out on your porch and back in, stand outside, walk further and further away from the door, until you can make it to somewhere. Do not move onto the next step until you can tolerate the anxiety. Take your time. It's okay if you backstep. Keep going. You can do this!

 

[Ladyfair]

This has been going on for a while now. I don't like leaving the house, i get very nervous and i feel physically sick so i have some alcohol first to relax me. Then once i've had enough to drink to feel relaxed i leave the house. But i rarely go out before having a drink and i only really go out when i have to for shop or to get cash from the cashpoint or if i really feel i have to get out to the woods or the park. Occasionally i will go out sober but i never relax, i always feel edgy and nervous. I don't know what the answer is. i know drinking a lot of alcohol has health consequences but sometimes i don't care, we all have to die some day and i feel like i don't even see the point in living a long time if i am going to spend my whole life feeling anxious and depressed all the time. i definitely have avoidant personality disorder and agoraphobia, they aren't diagnosed but i know i have them, this has been going on a long time. This last year has made it worse

Hi! Im the same I get terrible anxiety when I have to go out. I end up canceling appts,I've never been told I have agoraphobia but I think I must. I'll continue with my response.

 

[I_Was_Punished]

i think its been going on like this for at least the last 10 years and in the last 5 years particularly i have become a lot more reclusive. i just don't really want to be around people or deal with people. I always found it tiring and toxic, dealing with people and their nonsense, and one day i just shutdown and didn't want to expose myself to it anymore

 

[celticlass]

I was prescribed Pregablin last year for severe anxiety. It does seem to help although I would like to try a lower dose, I am a recovering alcoholic. I did not, to be fair, take a drink to get out the door but on many occasions I was out of doors under the influence. This was usually to go try get another bottle. sometimes it was refused me, which was both annoying and very embarassing. Eventually my life became the bottle and I became much more insular. I always drank on my own. Ah memories. Not good ones.

 

[Ladyfair]

i think its been going on like this for at least the last 10 years and in the last 5 years particularly i have become a lot more reclusive. i just don't really want to be around people or deal with people. I always found it tiring and toxic, dealing with people and their nonsense, and one day i just shutdown and didn't want to expose myself to it anymore

Hi Sorry I didn't finish my comment above. Yes, I'm the same I can't even get to a doctor. No one understands the fear I don't know what the answer is unless meds or therapy. I have been all through both and here I am.