Can a “home” away from home really help with anxiety, IBS, agoraphobia, etc?
August 7th, 2010
Missy A asked:
For the past fifteen years I have been under a doctors care, on a different variety of medications and have had numerous counseling sessions with an array of psychiatrists/psychlogists/etc all in hopes of finding an answer to overcoming my extreme social anxiety. So far, though, nothing has helped in the least and I am now at wits end. At one visit to my doctors (quite a few years ago, mind you) he suggested to me that, perhaps, investing in a motorhome (yes, a “homes-on-wheels”, of all things) might be a great option for me as I could use it as a “gateway” for getting myself out of my house and slowly into the world outside (while never really having to leave my comfort zone [ie: "home"] until I felt ready to do so). Well, thinking he was completely off-his-rocker I blew his suggestion off altogether without any consideration whatsoever and now, all these years later, I am wondering if I may have made a big mistake. Coincidentally enough, while browsing the net recently, I happened to stumble upon a site that deals specifically with anxiety disorders and, lo’ and behold, the motorhome idea that my doctor suggested to me so many years ago is of one that is also recommended through this particular website. I was stunned; how the heck can a motorhome possibly help anyone learn to overcome ANY anxiety disorder? Anyway, curiosity got the best of me so I went ahead and did some more research and, to my disbelief, found that not only is this….idea…recommended by my own doctor or by this one particular website but by many other sources as well. According to what I found out, motorhomes can be very beneficial when used as “tools” for those who suffer from disorders/ailments such as social anxiety, agoraphobia, panic attacks, IBS (and more) because, while one is learning to cope with being outside in the world, they are, in a sense, still in the safety of their own “home” while doing so. Supposedly, this “technique” (when used as a form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy [CBT]) has proven to be very successful for many sufferers over the past but, since I never took my doctors advice seriously when he first suggested I try it, I never had the opportunity to find out if it would have worked for me. Now, being that I am still stuck at square one with my disorder, I can’t help but wonder if I should maybe go ahead and give the advice my doctor gave me all those years ago a try…today. However, before I just plunk down a wad of cash for something like a motorhome, I thought I’d ask if anyone here has (or knows of anyone else who has) tried this type of “therapy” for themselves and, if they have, how successful was it? I’m not looking for a complete and total cure (that’s like looking for a needle in a haystack), I’m just looking for “something” that will help get me outside of “THIS” house (the one that I reside in) and on my way to finding at least some shred of hope for normalcy in my life. Anyway, if anyone out there has tried it, knows of anyone else who has, or even knows ANYTHING about it, can you please let me know?
For the past fifteen years I have been under a doctors care, on a different variety of medications and have had numerous counseling sessions with an array of psychiatrists/psychlogists/etc all in hopes of finding an answer to overcoming my extreme social anxiety. So far, though, nothing has helped in the least and I am now at wits end. At one visit to my doctors (quite a few years ago, mind you) he suggested to me that, perhaps, investing in a motorhome (yes, a “homes-on-wheels”, of all things) might be a great option for me as I could use it as a “gateway” for getting myself out of my house and slowly into the world outside (while never really having to leave my comfort zone [ie: "home"] until I felt ready to do so). Well, thinking he was completely off-his-rocker I blew his suggestion off altogether without any consideration whatsoever and now, all these years later, I am wondering if I may have made a big mistake. Coincidentally enough, while browsing the net recently, I happened to stumble upon a site that deals specifically with anxiety disorders and, lo’ and behold, the motorhome idea that my doctor suggested to me so many years ago is of one that is also recommended through this particular website. I was stunned; how the heck can a motorhome possibly help anyone learn to overcome ANY anxiety disorder? Anyway, curiosity got the best of me so I went ahead and did some more research and, to my disbelief, found that not only is this….idea…recommended by my own doctor or by this one particular website but by many other sources as well. According to what I found out, motorhomes can be very beneficial when used as “tools” for those who suffer from disorders/ailments such as social anxiety, agoraphobia, panic attacks, IBS (and more) because, while one is learning to cope with being outside in the world, they are, in a sense, still in the safety of their own “home” while doing so. Supposedly, this “technique” (when used as a form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy [CBT]) has proven to be very successful for many sufferers over the past but, since I never took my doctors advice seriously when he first suggested I try it, I never had the opportunity to find out if it would have worked for me. Now, being that I am still stuck at square one with my disorder, I can’t help but wonder if I should maybe go ahead and give the advice my doctor gave me all those years ago a try…today. However, before I just plunk down a wad of cash for something like a motorhome, I thought I’d ask if anyone here has (or knows of anyone else who has) tried this type of “therapy” for themselves and, if they have, how successful was it? I’m not looking for a complete and total cure (that’s like looking for a needle in a haystack), I’m just looking for “something” that will help get me outside of “THIS” house (the one that I reside in) and on my way to finding at least some shred of hope for normalcy in my life. Anyway, if anyone out there has tried it, knows of anyone else who has, or even knows ANYTHING about it, can you please let me know?
Thanks
Sorry coolio, my keyboard is busted so creating paragraphs is not an option for me at this time. Thanks for pointing it out, though.
Lavern
Categories: Health Issues | Tags: Motorhome, Social Anxiety, Wheels
TYRA
This is impossible to read/understand. You need to use paragraphs.
Mike
Yes home from home comforts can really help I get nervous about being away from my own home so what i do is take picture of people who are close to me. or for example take your T.v. and books to read Hope this helps.
ANGEL
i can see how it would be helpful. you would be near to people and out of your home, but still have a place you could go to feel safe.
im sorry that i do not know anybody who has tried it, i hope you can overcome your problem and live a more normal life
Dixie
That is an awesome idea, and one I have never heard of! It totally makes sense though. Like, if you want to go out but are afraid to use a public toilet, you could have your camper nearby and run out to use the bathroom. It seems like it really would be a gateway to a new world.
I wonder if you could rent one for a month or something. That way you wouldn’t have to buy one straight out. Maybe you could find someone willing to rent one off of Craigslist…
(I didn’t think this was hard to read at all.
ASHLEY
My cousin had agoraphobia and claustrophobia. Because we were close, she told me that one of her biggest fears during all these panicky situations is that she might lose it and actually **** in her pants. I ponder whether this might not be at the root of the disorder? Somehow the potty training phase when we were toddlers might have not been handled well by the parents and left an emotional scar or trauma of sorts? If this could be so, then no wonder a motor home would work. The home toilette is close by. Another reason I believe that this might be the cause, is that I have another aunt on the same side of the family who also suffers from claustrophobia and who told me that she cannot sit in the middle ofthe aisle in the operahouse because she felt trapped and that she couldnt get out. What better reason to feel trapped than when you have to go potty and the show is going on and you cant get up to pass by all the others sitting in the row. The chance of a fire is pretty remote. Besides this, everybody on that side of the family is anal-oriented. They all suffer from constipation, and have other **** traits.
My suggestion would be to go into psychoanalysis because it is deeper and perhaps one could get back to those potty training day memories and see if they arent at the root of the matter.
ANNIE
I to am agoraphobic
I haven’t tried it but, I have found something interesting. They further I get away from my “home” the better I feel and the less medication I need.
I was at my therapist yesterday and was very surprised that I actually didn’t want to come home.
Last year I HAD to go to a wedding, I was away from home for 2 days, I
still had anxiety and still had a few panic attacks but, they were not as severe and overwhelming as they are at home.
At this very moment I am trying my very best to get out the front door. I have been trying for about 3 hours now = )
Instead of buy one of those motor homes, if it is in your budget think about renting one for a week and see how you feel.
All the best to you.