| Samantha has struggled with agoraphobia for | | | | an anxiety disorder. However, when this was |
| years. It started simply enough with a panic | | | | happening to Samantha over a decade ago, there |
| attack that shocked her by its presence and | | | | wasn't the same kind of proliferation of |
| overwhelming power. She was so frightened by | | | | information as there is now. |
| this occurrence and so confused by it that she | | | | Samantha was in the dark and terrified. Finally, a |
| felt like she was in shock. | | | | doctor, which a family friend referred her to after |
| She went to the doctor, describing her symptoms | | | | her latest attack, told her that these terrifying |
| convinced that something was seriously and | | | | episodes were panic attacks and that she |
| terribly wrong. The doctor didn't have any | | | | suffered from an anxiety disorder. This diagnosis |
| answers for her and after giving her an | | | | was such a relief at first. She finally knew what |
| examination and some blood tests sent her home. | | | | was wrong. |
| This didn't seem like a sufficient explanation to | | | | While Samantha took great comfort in knowing |
| Samantha and she became convinced that the | | | | that her death was not imminent and that she |
| doctor was hiding bad news from her or worse, | | | | had a real condition and these episodes were not |
| was incompetent. The heart palpitations, the | | | | just a figment of her imagination, it didn't solve |
| sweating, the tingling sensations, the difficulty | | | | the problem. |
| breathing all meant something was physically | | | | In fact, Samantha's problem grew worse as she |
| wrong with her. | | | | sought to avoid activities, situations and |
| She worried that her heart was giving out but | | | | encounters that might spark a panic attack. While |
| that also didn't seem possible, she was only 31 | | | | her doctor reassured her a panic attack wouldn't |
| years old. She worried that her teenage smoking | | | | kill her, it didn't feel good and she wanted to avoid |
| habit might be coming back to haunt her. Why did | | | | them at all costs. |
| she even care about looking cool when she was | | | | Suddenly she was avoiding crowded places, noisy |
| young? | | | | places, places she associated with prior attacks |
| What if it was some rare condition or even | | | | and people she associated with those attacks. |
| CANCER! The C word terrified her, her mother | | | | When you avoid situations because of a fear that |
| had died from cancer when Samantha was just 8 | | | | you might have a panic attack then you are |
| years old and she was now terrified that the | | | | probably suffering from agoraphobia as Samantha |
| same young death awaited her. | | | | was. As her fear of the panic attacks became |
| She went to several more doctors and none | | | | more pervasive, the changes she made to her life |
| could find anything wrong with her. Her anxiety | | | | became more destructive. |
| worsened during this period because without an | | | | Many phobia sufferers avoid their fears to such |
| explanation, she was left to only imagine the | | | | an extent that it can have a profound impact on |
| worst and several more panic attacks had | | | | personal and business relationships as well as their |
| occurred. | | | | own self esteem and happiness. Samantha was |
| If Samantha had done some research and read | | | | suffering and she needed help to regain her prior |
| some articles online like you are doing now, she | | | | life. |
| might have realized that she was suffering from | | | | |