Faith

At our worst, its impossible for us to believe that we will ever recover. It all seems so large and overwhelming. Fear is ever pervasive in every aspect of our life. Restricting us in so many ways that its hard to truly have faith that it can get easier.

It does. Once you begin to take the truly brave steps towards recovery. Once you begin to change thought patterns, stick to good eating and sleeping patterns. Once you begin graded exposure and begin to gain an understanding of our reactions to physical sensations, you will begin to recover lost ground.

Its a very slow process. Patience is so hard to grasp when we have so much that we want to do in our lives, so much freedom that we wish to regain, but patience, endurance and faith in a happy free future are our greatest weapons.
People DO recover from agoraphobia. I have spoken to many. They listened to the help offered to them. They slowly practised exposure to their fears. They undertook cognitive behavioural therapy to learn how to deal with panic and therefore ease the fear of them.

Talk to other agoraphobics. I was lost, looking at professionals telling me what to do and thinking "how will this help?....I am going mad, you don't understand!!!" That all turned around for me when I first spoke with a lovely soft speaking recovering agoraphobic, Suddenly it felt as though I wasn't floating alone in space, she knew exactly what I was experiencing. I had a sense of calm and true trust that if this beautiful woman too had fought being roombound and had experienced the same as I had, and was now travelling out and about and was happy, then I could too
I wish I could tell you that recovery was easy. That there was a magic cure which will make you feel "normal" tomorrow. There isn't. There's a great deal of work, a long journey of self discovery as you face your fears and learn through endless practise how not to live in fear. But staying as you are now, holds more fear. May as well move forward while suffering.

My agoraphobic friend is still about 2 years ahead of me in her recovery, and when I get tired of all the work and all the tears, I still use her as my example to keep my faith in my own recovery. I know that as she once knew what it was to be nearly housebound and terrorised seemingly out of our senses......she remembers too, what its like to try to get out there and live life again.

That is faith. Looking at those ahead of you and knowing just as they were once as you are now......you too will be where they have reached through their own recovery.


Have faith in your own recovery. It does happen if you work hard. I really believe that.

Becki
2001