I love the outdoors.....

[Homicidalheathen]

I just don't get this, agoraphobia....have a friend with it.

How do you live???

[Homicidalheathen]

He says it only effects him in the outdoors in crowds like Reinfair and Fuze which I want to take him too......I wonder if I should just get him drunk. LOL

[Head Wreck]

that could possibly make it worse.

i had an agrophobic kitten once.

[sass_in_the_pants]

I have a friend who is like this, but he's afraid of people rather than just the outdoors in general. I don't understand it at all. I've always been an outgoing person, so people like him are like martians to me. But, if he's around people he sweats, and his breathing become erratic, and he just wants to get away from them. They make him so nervous. What has helped him though is actually going to really big parties. He still has fun, but he sits alone on the corner, and occasionally someone will come over to his corner of the world and they'll chat and then they'll drift off and someone else will come by. He works okay with that, I think because he's in control of the situation and though there are people around him, he still has a big enough "bubble" of security.

I can't imagine how he lives his life and he can't imagine how I live mine.

[Lilith]

I would find out what his limits are, things that are like what was mentioned by Sass, Find his limits and figure how you could incoperate those elemnts in to the functions you want hims to particiapate in. IF he does not like people bumping in to him or being out doors with allot of people close to him remind him that there are areas at Fuse and Ren Fair where he could enjoy the action but be some what alone, Tell him at Fuse that most people crowd the stage and the under ground but there are spot near the river front where he could go and sit and enjoy the music and such, if he goes early in the day it is less crowded. I think to get him invovled with your activites you will have to make adjustments to how you enjoy those things till he can tolerate the fuller experience. Make him feel safe and confertable in your care make sure he knows you are not going to push him beyond his boundries.....

I dont understand allot of this but i can sympthasize with the fear of people in general, allot of them suck and being around people can trigger allot of horriable memeories that casue physical reactions that just upset a person so much they cant handle those types of situations any more.

[Homicidalheathen]

Its wierd, he is only effected by crowds outdoors. It is starting to effect him indoors too....He plays in a band and this could become a issue with gigging.

I hated to do this but I told him to go get on meds not just meditate.

I have another friend and a couple months after taking her meds her 'people, crowd' phobia got allot better. Her hands don't shake now but she still cannot eat in public.

God I am so glad I don't have this. It seems real hard to deal with. The phobia actually gives you physical symptoms you cannot overcome with just thought alone.