As someone who has suffered with agoraphobia for years, quarantine wasn’t helping matters any … especially since all I wanted to do with agoraphobia was stay home, anyways!
Please keep in mind that this article is based on my personal experiences with agoraphobia and quarantine, and might not apply to you personally.
Even with the fear of leaving the house keeping me home prior to the pandemic, I tried to push myself somewhat consistently to get out and go places, to keep me from getting worse.
When quarantine hit, I had to be extra cautious not to let myself get into an even worse place illness-wise, a place I may not be able to work my way out of.
Fighting Agoraphobia During Quarantine:
- I started going on daily walks outside with a trusted housemate. We already live together, so we didn’t have to worry as much about exposure with each other.
- Starting a garden outside forced me out of the house to tend to it regularly.
- My dog needed to go outside, even before quarantine hit, so I made sure to take her instead of consistently asking someone else in the house to take her for me. Sometimes, this meant putting her on a leash and walking around the yard with her, instead of simply hooking her on a line and letting her do her business and then come in when she was ready.
After Quarantine:
Where I live we can now go out as long as we have masks on. So in some ways, although the pandemic is still an issue, this is “after” quarantine for us.
- Instead of letting my housemate do all of the shopping herself, I try to join her when not babysitting. This means she gets company while shopping, and I get out of the house with someone I trust – stretching those muscles, if you will.
- I reward my excursions. This is usually something small, like being able to get a new clothing item or a book, but helps me be more motivated to get out of the house.
- If it’s a rough day, I let myself stay in the car and wait while my housemate goes in or we just go through a drive-thru. It’s still a step forward from being in the house constantly, and further away than the yard.
Interested in reading more about agoraphobia? Overcoming Agoraphobia has a few things I’ve learned along this (pre-pandemic) journey.
How do you fight agoraphobia during quarantine or while social distancing? Let me know in the comments below – I’d love to hear your tips and tricks!
Christian, wife, “hybrid” mama, I run the site All Behind A Smile to help others like me.
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