I have been in Your shoes. When I have to Go somewhere were
people are. Believe Me it' s Hard but I make Myself go & get whatever I need done then get back Home as soon as I can. I use Positive Thinking for the Anxiety & Stress. I say everything will be alright, Nothing is going to Happen to Me & I asked God to Protect Me and Everybody whom is out and about taking Care of their Buisness. Get infront of a Mirror ( I know Your going to think I am stupid but I pray that it Helps) & Say the positive things I told You. Please try it & tell Me How it Goes.

I will try that...but I think I am too far gone for that.

The fact you posted here proves you have not totally given up. It is your asking for help. Don't quit now. You can do it but you need to work slowly on it. First start with somewhere where people are fewer and quiet. Try a library while the kids are still in school. Will just be older adults who tend to be respectful of others. Only try going for a half hour. When you thing of going, tell yourself that it will be old people- they are harmless and respectful. Only thing in there is books and a few computers. I can join the library and get on DS while there for support.

You can do it, just take baby steps.

Thank you for the advice I will try that.

I want that magic get-over-it wand! I can't even seem to get as far as defining "IT", much less the magic trick that will make it go "poof" and disappear.

I am back to wandering. Casual contact with strangers is easier for me to take. Kind eyes and open body language are easy to spot. I drink them up like a woman dying of thirst. Yeah, the barky dogs are there, too, but if I am alone, I can retreat to a corner until I get over my shakes. At least I don't have to take them home with me.

Don't give up, please. We need you.

Thank you I am hanging have been for years just sems like my symptoms are worse now than ever. I did just go to walmart it was maybe ten minutes thought I would just die..but I made it...could not get out fast enough.....lol

My hubby has this problem, most ptsd people seem to. He wouldnt go out if he had a choice. I started walking with him through a shopping centre and home a few times. Then we got to stage where he shook, but sat and had a coffee, then home. Baby steps. he went to librarey on his own as suggested. First trip only got a couple of books, but he did it. Takes time, and still difficult at times, but now can go shopping alone, back to playing golf with other vets, a huge step for him, but now enjoys it. When trust has been shattered, it is difficult. Dont give up on life.

I was out shopping for groceries about a week ago and I thought about how I used to like being "out and about", looking for interesting people to talk with, being optimistic about things.

Now it's very different. I put off shopping until I'm out of something I need like drinking water or potatoes. And when I am out, I'm all wound up like a clock spring. I see people as either indifferent or hostile and mostly I don't want to get entangled in anything. I just want to get back home as soon as possible...then it takes me hours to calm down.

Even at home, I keep getting this feeling like someone is going to come in here and do something hostile to me. I keep track of where things are in the house that can be used for weapons...like my shotgun and my bush knife. In my mind I rehearse what I'll do if someone comes in here to rob me or beat me up.

I shut the bell off on my phone. Every time someone calls trying to sell me something, it takes me hours to settle down. I don't want anyone calling me anyway, nothing good ever comes of it. I can get the shakes just from talking to someone on the phone.

Don't know why it's this bad lately. Maybe it's just the accumulation of a lifetime of trauma. The only time I'm really calm is when I'm tending my garden or doing yard work early in the morning when the neighborhood is quiet.

I know i am the same exact....I never move furniture in the house at times I turn all lights off in different parts of the house to see if something happened could i monuver through the house at a rappid rate to get away.
I only grocery shop around 3 a.m. I hate when the car is out of gas i get all tensed up to know I have to get out of the car. When someone calls and its not family i usually do not pick up the phone but I hate to say this but if they cannot speak good english I blow up. Just the normal things I use to do and things people do everyday i struggle with everyday. Somedays if I go outside get a few feet from the door I have an attack. I just walk among others and I know I do not belong. If someone stares at me i get wild you know what do they want what are they gonna do or say it is impossible for me to control. I am telling everyday all day i am fight or flight.

Well i can relate to all of you and i have been working on this for sometime. I get worked up sometimes about taking the trash out to the curb. I usually only go the store when i need something and when i get off work i come right home and sometimes dread if i have to do something that night or the is some kind of function coming up in the next few days or weeks. The fear is worse if i know about something even further out like a graduation or wedding, even my own children, i have to do a lot of mental preparation and positive self talk. during the event i always feel threatened and dont enjoy myself. i know i used to enjoy these things when i drank alcohol it helped loosen me up. I am glad this was brought up as i was journaling on this this morning early. The conclusion I came up with is I am afraid of failure to the point that I get so terrified that I cannot think clearly and get locked up mentally. I sometimes take on other peoples fears, and this just occured yesterday. A coworker that I dont know very well was just telling me that he was concerned about lost jobs in bigger companies and it was hitting close to home and such. I was having a pretty normal friday, stressed enough and ready to be done for the week. I started to feel threatened by this as well. and i even started to think this was something i should be concerned about. The point is the guy was just venting i think, it was a casual conversation, I took it in and started feeling this myself, I soon dismissed it with self talk, cause i didnt really care to hear anymore for the week, i wanted to get my work done and get out of there. I basically can take on other peoples crap and make it mine and this is what I want to change. His fear or insecurity is not mine in a nutshell, Other peoples fears and insecurities dont have to be mine. I am also terrified of people who are fighting and just cold hearted people, men even at work that are cold just scare the crap out of me, I do force myself to go to job sites and do my work, it is not easy, I wish to change this also, It is alot better than it has been, I have been working with this for a while. I just had to get that out and share some of my experience and how this hit home today. Have a good day!

Thank you for sharing that with me. I do the same take on others problems. I stay away from people mostly which i sad but When I get upset, have one of my moments I absolutley get out of control and I know...and i will say it again i know i cannot control myself. I am afraid of harming someone and I know once i start i would not stop till they were not breathing anymore. I hate to say that but it is the truth. I have so much rage in me when i have these moments there would be no stoping me. I just stay to myself so I know I am safe. I do have meds to calm me down but i do not take them alot i hate feeling down and sleepy. Will continue to work on it but it just gets worse.

Just wanted to say something positive...at least we know we are not alone in feeling the way we do and having these problems.

That's got to be some kind of help.

Yes it is help for a person to actually understand my problem. I call it the outside world they have no clue how it feels to face each day with such fear and anxiety. I try explaining and it is like they do not hear me but they can tell me to just get over it....PLEASE TELL ME HOW....lol

Anyone that truly understands anxiety disorders will never make the comment (just get over it) That is why im sure you wont hear it here.....lol
I suffer from PTSD and agoraphobia, i hate leaving the house most of the time so i understand your fear.
I see a psychiatrist trained in dealing with PTSD victims and he has put me on meds just to control social anxiety and i do think it helps. Just wanted to share that so you could look into it if you are interested or have not had anyone mention it, Trust me its no cure but it does help a bit.
Thanks for sharing
Have a great day

Yes. This is very common. I used to hate the public as well, but with time it does get better. I had to get a lot of therapy to vent out my anger and bought a punching bag. This helped me a lot. I highly recommend it. You are not alone,