I know that for me, finding a rhythm in my movement helped me to be able to take that first step out the front door with calmness, and that I had to work at it every single day for a while to get comfortable enough to just do it without thinking ahead.

You are on medication which helps to reduce the anxiety, and so the next step is yours, the actual stepping of the feet. You can do this, and being rural makes it easier (you will not run into neighbors right outside your front door, etc, ...) in some ways.

Make a plan of action. You can make it as simple as two steps out, walk around in a circle, stand facing out from the door, look, touch, smell, listen and then two steps ... . The two step uses both feet, so you will move from toe to heel, toe to heel.

Best wishes. You are not alone in this.

I have suffered from Agoraphobia for a few years now and have never been put on any medication for it. I don't always know I'm going to have an attack until I'm outside. My friend Tom use to walk with me to the store because I would begin to have a panic attack and the agoraphobia would set in to intensify everything. Even the noise of a car running over a grate would have me crawling out of my skin. And I could never get out of the store fast enough. What I do now is wear my headphones and listen to my MP3 player to help drown out the noise. Hugs

I have lived with anxiety disorders (including agoraphobia) for many years now (well over 30 years). I created my recovery by using CBT and Exposure Therapy. Essentially what recovery is all about is learning to manage your thoughts and ultimately "ignore" the scary thoughts. If you want to send me a message I would be happy to share with you what I learned - and maybe you could implement it in your own life and hopefully create some positive change for yourself.

Never give up - recovery is possible!