Hello Ravenrain
What you describe is Agoraphobia, but not in the sense that you think of it or have read. It is the most common mental disorder and is the root of many other phobias including Claustrophobia, which I suffer from. All the ways in which Agoraphobia manifest themselves have one thing in common. You do not have control of the situation. Think about it. (if this doesn't set off panic then you are not that bad) The minute you leave the house and even before, your every action is dictated by what is happening around you. How much control do you have over these things? How are they affecting your actions? Can you ignore them or are they in your face. Information overload tends to come with Agoraphobia. More information than you can process leads to confusion and confusion leads to the fear that causes panic. By the way this is a normal process and isn't a problem if it doesn't happen too often.
Where does information overload come from? Your personality. If you are the type of person that is overly concerned with what is happening around you then you will be more open to this information overload than others. You will notice I did not refer to it as worry. It may just be that you are a highly observant person.
Caffeine increases this affect. It also causes the mind to replay events which increases the effect. If you like Caffeine there is no need to do without it, only to pick the right time to use it. It is a drug and needs to be used with the same care as any other drug.
This program is based on the principles of CBT. Medical advice is not allowed although members can give their experiences with medication only as examples. There are no blood tests for Mental disorders therefore you need the advice of a doctor familiar with the symptoms. It is usually trial and error before an appropriate medication is found, if in fact one is actually needed. When one is it is usually due to a deficiency. The exception to this are the Benzodiazapines. They are a different class and are safe as long as used appropriately.
Try the program and if it is not enough then consider a little medical intervention to get over the rough spots. One warning. Only CBT can cure, medication is only an adjunct. Sometimes a necessary one though.
One final word, Agoraphobia is a condition not a disease and as such it is curable or at the least controllable which is better than how you are now.
CBT is basically a series of ways to change negative thought to positive with some relaxation and coping techniques thrown in, but it does work.
Davit.
