IS AGORAPHOBIA A MENTAL ILLNESS?

Do Agoraphobics do this to themselves? Do they exhibit this behavior so they don't have to leave the house? So they can get rid of their friends and family? Can they get over this by proper thinking and putting themselves out there every day?

Some say they can. Most can't just get over it. Most would give anything to get rid of it.

According to the Wikipedia definition on mental illness it quotes the World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association. According to them the word mental illness and neurological disorder are tossed about. The words Mental Disorder and Mental Illness are a source of contention. They can't figure how to apply them and to what.

At one time homosexuality was listed in the DSM  as mental illness but was removed when the American Psychiatric Association officially stated that homosexuality per se implies no impairment in judgement, stability, reliability or general social or vocational capabilities.

We have been told we need a psychiatrist to talk about our childhood and what was done to us. Lets face it everybody had something going on in their childhood. Some more traumatic than others. With this theory you fall into the victim mentality and never get better. It's so much easier to blame someone else.

The medical community gets out their machines. The MRI, the CAT SCAN, and any other contrivance they can think of. But the end result is always the same. Can't find anything wrong with you.

The people at Vision Specialists have found a lot wrong with you. They call it VERTICAL HETEROPHORIA. This is a condition where one eye is higher than the other.

Why don't we know about this? Because it has been uncommonly diagnosed and a poorly understood disorder. This is due in large part to the inconsistent performance of the current tests used to identify the direction and amount of VH which makes diagnosing, treating and researching this condition almost impossible.

I took my son to a vision doctor 3 months ago and asked that he be specially tested for VH. She passed a black spoon like device across his eyes and said no his eyes look perfect. At the Vision Specialists office it take 2 to 3 hours to diagnose this condition.

The only way desentization will work is if this problem is corrected first. Now you have to start taking baby steps back into the world you knew and loved.

Its in your eyes not your head.

Hugs to you all, Yolanda

SEROTONIN LEVELS IN THE BRAIN AND SSRI'S

I looked up some information about the serotonin levels in the brain. You can tell what your levels are by a blood test. But who does those? I also found out that most serotonin is made in the gut. Found that interesting. Also found this article.

It's

 important to remember that SSRI drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, Ect.... Do not raise the level of Serotonin in the brain. Rather they work by Inhibiting the reuptake of Serotonin that already exists in the brain, Thus resulting in a slightly higher build up of Serotonin to remain in stasis between the billions of receptors in the brain. this inhabition of reuptake allows for improved brain fuctioning as it relates to mood and well being because more Serotonin is left in stasis between the receptors of the brain that rely on this presense of Serotonin to properly fire. Think of it like a tiny bit of fuel in between two slightly spaced apart receptors. The receptors need this Serotonin as a kind of bridge to fire data back and forth. When the Serotonin is artifically (with meds) prevented from being absorbed by the brain, more of it can stay in the little places between the receptors to do what it does best, act as a bridge for firing data to different parts of the brain. 

To take any drug that is designed to increase the amount of Serotonin in the brain is very dangerous. These drugs do exist. For example the drug Ecstacy does this very well. 
The problem with taking a drug that directly pumps Extra Serotonin into the brain is that eventually your body will do what it does best..... It will stop naturally producing Serotonin because it is getting it artifically. For this to happen would be a nightmare scenario and could result in eventual brain damage. 

I also have a question for you. Do you think Agoraphobia is a mental illness? I will try and find out what the so called experts say about that next time we talk.

Another thing I would like you to think about is, those of us who have or had Agoraphobia have different personalities than before we had it. We can't really relate and talk to people who don't have it. After losing most of my symptoms with my new glasses I found myself talking and relating to people differently. I felt more like one of them and not an outsider. I had to get used to this feeling. It was really nice but different. Dr. Debbie calls it the New Normal. She sure hit the nail on the head with that one.

Next time I will try and answer the question are "Agoraphobics mentally ill."

Remember it's not in your head its in your eyes!

Yolanda

I ASKED FOR A BOOTH!

Hi everyone, Happy Mothers Day,

Well yours truly was out for breakfast this morning. I usually get to the restaurant early because I still need a booth to really feel comfortable. Even though a lot of my symptoms are gone I still have a hard time sitting at a table in a restaurant. I imagine that there is too much empty space around me. A booth is more defined as to the space and easier to cope with.  

Guess what, there was no empty booths! The placed was packed because of mother's day. I told the hostess I would wait for one. My husband and I are now trying to keep out of the way of the incoming customers. I am thinking maybe I should just see if there is a table by the wall ,this will also work. I have never been to this restaurant so I don't really know what was there. But to be truthful I was feeling that old feeling of embarrassment because everyone is being seated and we are just standing there. So I started saying to my husband maybe we should look for somewhere else to sit and he said no we are going to get a booth and be comfortable. That made me feel a lot better. It wasn't long after that,  that the hostess and by now the owner were getting the dishes off the table as fast as they could after their customers left  so we could sit down. They didn't think it strange that I asked for a booth. They even apologized for the wait. When I left the owner gave me a yellow carnation even though there were customers everywhere.

Yep, this thing called agoraphobia makes us a little nuts. I chided myself for not believing what I want all of you to believe that this is truly a disability and nothing to be ashamed  of. I am learning along with you. I hope you enjoyed my story. Leave me a comment and tell me a story of your own or just a thumbs up would be nice.

Hugs to you all. Yolanda