I'm a 32 year old female.. I have Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia for over 10yrs, I have had a rough rocky road, most days are full of worry. I have two beautiful daughters 13 and 10, it is hard not being able to take them on vacations and such but they have been what's kept me going all these years for many I couldn't grocey shop or even just go to store for anything even to pick out their christmas, I have my good days and bad I don't drive alone I haven't left my small have nothing even treatment town for 10yrs, from the outside I look like a normal smileing blue eyed beauty that loves to talk and laugh. A normal mother, but inside its worry, heartrate up to 165 all the normal things that go with panic attacks, I leave my cart many times I don't care what people think, I tell everyone I can about my disorders as many people are not aware, even nurses, I have been housebound and once really sick not been to doctor for five years called to try find a doctor to come here told them I was housebound they asked for how long? lol so I'm not ashamed I want people to know as many as I can tell, it's easy for people to say just do it.. if only those people could live one day in my shoes!

Right now I have for a year found out I have Basel Cell Skin Cancer and for treatment I need to go a hour away, even with medication and three months of driving and turning around I haven't made it there I'm so scared and know that I will need plastic surgery and that in one day having the MOHs surgery it will be gone can't drive to get it done. This has been the worse thing I have had with agoraphobia besides I have had no normal life no vacations, no trips with the kids, I'm happy when I can go to wal-mart! Yes it is hard and it is hard on my husband but he has been great and no one will ever understand a day in my life but I have my daughter's and they have made my days much better!
SO if you have someone with a mental disorder, learn, read as much as you can, set down with them listen to them, find support groups online hey I'm even here!!
Good Luck!!
Jennifer Williams

if its dangerous like their life is in danger or someone elses u need imidiate mental or medical help. the disorders are easily treated with madications and optional therpy

As a sufferer of type 2 bipolar disorder, I would strongly disagree with user andie88rox's opinion. There is nothing "easy" about treating or living with mental disease. Clearly this person means well, but lacks knowledge in these matters.

I have not as of yet received anything beyond diagnosis, but am anticipating treatment to commence soon, as I'm finally covered to some degree by Medicare. It's taken nearly forty years to be diagnosed, though I knew all along myself. And now that I'm diagnosed, it's been five years to get to where it may finally be treated. So hopefully soon I'll have a better report for ya! Up until now, it's been a life of losing jobs, friends, lovers, and family. Very lonely - not "easy". My mother suffered from the same condition, but was also schizophrenic. I watched her suffer a demented torture until she died - nothing "easy" about that either.

John

I have bipolar, ADD, and schizophrenia, and clinical depression. It has been hell on my family and nearly tore us apart as a family. It was only by the grace of God that I found a good psychiatrist who prescribed meds for me. I did have to be hospitalized twice and it was horrible but there was no other way to get through to my brain the concept of "Take your pills=feel better". Many people with severe mental illness stop taking their meds and doctors have said its part of the sickness because many of the medicines cause side effects and because when ill people begin to feel better they think they don't NEED it anymore.
There ARE MEDICINES now that are much better than twenty five years ago and that can make ill people have relatively NORMAL lives. We don't all have to live in institutions, we can manage our lives fairly well, and can be happy to a certain extent. There is still a stigma attached to mental illness but nothing like it used to be. If you have an ill relative, keep trying to get them help, even if they need to be hospitalized. I resisted for years, being too sick to understand they were trying to help me and yes it had some awful aspects to it, but in the end I came to understand that I would always need medications but not always need to be in a hospital. No matter what your relative tells you, they ARE suffering and need help. Make sure you contact a PSYCHIATRISt (not a PSYCHOLOGIST) they are medical doctors and can prescribe medicines that can effect MIRACULOUS treatment many times.
Been there.