agoraphobia

[TimBlack]

Much of life has been shaped in response to agoraphobia. Many of earliest memories were of insecurity and sensitivity. I disguised it well. As a young boy, it was common to camp out or have sleep overs with friends. My anxiety prevented that. As a teen, I suffered extreme agoraphobia and I was confined to a well developed comfort zone. School, the neighborhood; but even that was very difficult at times. I had no name for what I was experiencing. At times, the flow of adreneline was so high, it was as if I had 20 cups of coffee. It was not mania, the result of bi-polar. It is truly an adreneline disorder.

Over time, I have overcome the anxiety. I can even fly with the help of xanax and a little scotch. But I am aware that I have only broadened my comfort zone. I am still limited in some ways.

The Internal Medicine Classic warns that if kidney energy is weak, one is prone to fear. It recommends that we boost the water energy that governs the kidney with foods and herbal tonics. However, water is associated with winter and a state of extreme yin, when viewed as one of the elemental energies that govern our bodies. Fire brought into contact with water is extinguished. Blocked fire results in hypertension, fear, heart problems and nervous disorders. The kidneys are the seat of courage and willpower. In contrast, I often see chi gung practices focus on improving the quality of water in their bodies and reducing the quantity of fire. For me, it seems the opposite is true.

Can anyone relate to my experience?

Can anyone personally recommend a good kidney yang tonic?

Has anyone ever used Cordyceps?

Are there any specfic chi gung methods that I should cultivate?

One of my peers had the followig to say;

There are four ways the fire and water energies in our body can be out of balance.

 

1) Too much fire

2) Too much water

3) Too little fire

4) Too little water

 

Not only do the two have to be balanced with each other, but they all have to be up to a certain level as well.

 

This is where the tricky parts come in:

 

Conditions 1 and 4 produce similar symptoms. So does 2 and 3.

 

If you have one particular symptom which can be 1 or 4, you have to be careful. If you are in condition 4, but you misread it as condition 1 and try to calm the fire, you will die. Your energy level is not high enough.

 

If you have one particular symptom which can be 2 or 3, you have to be careful. If you are in condition 3, but you misread it as condition 3 and try to reduce the water, you will die. Your energy level is not high enough.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

SO BE REALLY REALLY CAREFUL.

 

Even Chinese medicine doctors with manure-loads of experience misdiagnose on the odd occasion.

 

I wouldn't suggest anyone on this board to suggest any tonic or qigong exercise, since Chinese medicine cannot work over distance barriers. You can't diagnose, thus you can't fix, by having the symptoms described.

 

I certainly do not recommend you try and fix yourself, even if you happen to be a Chinese medicine doctor.

 

What say you?

[freeform]

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Edited January 7, 2020 by freeform

[thaddeus]

Much of life has been shaped in response to agoraphobia. Many of earliest memories were of insecurity and sensitivity. I disguised it well. As a young boy, it was common to camp out or have sleep overs with friends. My anxiety prevented that. As a teen, I suffered extreme agoraphobia and I was confined to a well developed comfort zone. School, the neighborhood; but even that was very difficult at times. I had no name for what I was experiencing. At times, the flow of adreneline was so high, it was as if I had 20 cups of coffee. It was not mania, the result of bi-polar. It is truly an adreneline disorder.

Over time, I have overcome the anxiety. I can even fly with the help of xanax and a little scotch. But I am aware that I have only broadened my comfort zone. I am still limited in some ways.

The Internal Medicine Classic warns that if kidney energy is weak, one is prone to fear. It recommends that we boost the water energy that governs the kidney with foods and herbal tonics. However, water is associated with winter and a state of extreme yin, when viewed as one of the elemental energies that govern our bodies. Fire brought into contact with water is extinguished. Blocked fire results in hypertension, fear, heart problems and nervous disorders. The kidneys are the seat of courage and willpower. In contrast, I often see chi gung practices focus on improving the quality of water in their bodies and reducing the quantity of fire. For me, it seems the opposite is true.

Can anyone relate to my experience?

Can anyone personally recommend a good kidney yang tonic?

Has anyone ever used Cordyceps?

Are there any specfic chi gung methods that I should cultivate?

One of my peers had the followig to say;

There are four ways the fire and water energies in our body can be out of balance.

 

1) Too much fire

2) Too much water

3) Too little fire

4) Too little water

 

Not only do the two have to be balanced with each other, but they all have to be up to a certain level as well.

 

This is where the tricky parts come in:

 

Conditions 1 and 4 produce similar symptoms. So does 2 and 3.

 

If you have one particular symptom which can be 1 or 4, you have to be careful. If you are in condition 4, but you misread it as condition 1 and try to calm the fire, you will die. Your energy level is not high enough.

 

If you have one particular symptom which can be 2 or 3, you have to be careful. If you are in condition 3, but you misread it as condition 3 and try to reduce the water, you will die. Your energy level is not high enough.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

SO BE REALLY REALLY CAREFUL.

 

Even Chinese medicine doctors with manure-loads of experience misdiagnose on the odd occasion.

 

I wouldn't suggest anyone on this board to suggest any tonic or qigong exercise, since Chinese medicine cannot work over distance barriers. You can't diagnose, thus you can't fix, by having the symptoms described.

 

I certainly do not recommend you try and fix yourself, even if you happen to be a Chinese medicine doctor.

 

What say you?

All these ying/yang fire/water/element theories are cool, but you can't overthink them. It's not meant to apply a western analytical mentality to them. It's intuitive and anyone rationalizing things according to something like the 5 element theory is way off the mark. It's like a tarot card reader whipping out a book to understand the cards.

I would look for ways that people had success with agoraphobia, if you need to put a name to it, and find out what seems to work. However, ultimately whatever therapy you choose, it's up to you.

T

[karen]

Hi tao1776,

 

I second freeform's suggestion of EFT. Very simple to learn and apply.. the training material can make it seem more complicated than it really is. So there's not a big commitment in terms of time, training and money.

 

There's a good audio CD that teaches the basics, could be easier to learn that way than by reading about it. Heaven on Earth

 

Second suggestion I would have is homeopathy. Many years ago I had severe agoraphobia that hijacked my life for 2 years. I had to quit my job of 7 years, go on disability, give up my car, etc. At that time what was available was classical homeopathy, and the agoraphobia resolved during the time that I was getting that treatment.

 

Now we have a system that is even more powerful, in my estimation, and that is Heilkunst. It's also more accessible, as consults can be done by phone.

 

If you're interested in learning more about that, I could talk more about the difference between Hahnemann's Heilkunst (which includes homeopathy), and Chinese medicine. They work in different realms.

 

I would also suggest getting some orgone generators, or "Orgonite". We're living in an environment filled with electromagnetic frequencies that can stimulate the autonomic nervous system and affect our moods and perceptions in many ways. Orgonite can clear up the negative energies coming from the cellphone towers, chemtrail spraying, etc. People who are energy sensitive can feel the difference these devices make. And they're cheap and accessible.

 

Take care,

Karen

[Yoda]

Magnesium is the answer to agoraphobia in my family. It's cheap and easy, you should see results within 1 month. Both my wife and my daughter had developed borderline agoraphobia and they have both overcome it completely after 2 months of magnesium supplements.

[Leo]

In my opinion, for dealing with fears, etc, you can't beat NLP. You shouldn't have too hard of a time finding material at the library or even used bookstores. I would recommend "Using your brain for a change" by Richard Bandler. You can also find tons of info about it on the web. Richard Bandler has the added plus of being very funny (if you like George Carlin, you'll love Richard Bandler). If you live in any type of urban area, you also shouldn't have too a hard time finding a practitioner. One of the beauties of NLP is that it is partly based on the idea that your brain learns fast, not slow. For instance, someone with a fear of snakes probably got that fear in a fraction of a second, then spent a lifetime replaying that fear. This idea leads to NLP cures that are quick by design - you won't spend years lying in a couch.

 

As far as Chinese medicine goes, I totally agree that you HAVE to go to an expert to get it right. I've been studying yin and yang and related ideas for probably twenty years, and I still don't feel like I totally get it. If two can be that complex, five is exponentially so, and I would really, really advise you see a professional herbalist or acupuncturist before you start messing with elements. When I do chi kung, I try to use established sets, and not deviate. People spend years getting into these things, and continually uncover new nuances. The sets are designed to be balanced, and I would think doing something gentle and simple would probably help. But make sure you stick to the established routine, and don't try to self-diagnose, or add here and subtract there, etc.

[三江源]

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Edited April 18, 2015 by 三江源

[freeform]

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Edited December 18, 2019 by freeform

[karen]

Cat,

 

>>I'm wondering what makes EFT more effective than the 5 healing sounds or fusion techniques? ( if you believe it is)..

 

Well, the way I would answer that is to go into a bit about what makes any one treatment more effective than another..

 

To sum it up quickly, EFT and many hypnotherapy methods works on the Law of Similars, while healing sounds work on the Law of Opposites. It depends on what the nature of the problem is, as to which law you need to work with to get the best results.

 

Very often when someone is using a particular healing method and it's not helping, it's because the real root of the problem is in a different jurisdiction. It's sort of like if you're prosecuting a crime, but you're in the wrong jurisdiction, then you don't get the results you need.

 

That's why the world of natural healing is so hit-or-miss -- we try to throw different techniques at the problem, according to the ones we like or have an affinity for, or the ones that others got good results with. But if one person has anxiety, for example, it could be due to a magnesium deficiency, and that would call for the law of opposites to be applied (provide the missing nutrient). Then that would be enough for them.

 

And someone else could have anxiety that's due to a different kind of disturbance of the life force, which requires the law of similars to correct it. They might also benefit from magnesium supplementation, but that might not be enough to solve the problem, because the problem is rooted in a different realm.

 

So the key is really to understand the nature of the problem beyond the description of symptoms. TCM understands precise patterns of imbalance, and deals with the law of opposites. Although it goes very deeply into that realm, often the law of similars needs to be applied as well. (Dr. Hahnemann taught how to do this very precisely).

 

Now, maybe it would be interesting to try doing EFT tapping while doing the Healing Sounds simultaneously, and see what happens

 

I also think EFT is an elegant alternative to EMDR, and can basically replace it. Other hypnotherapy methods can be useful too, but EFT can't be beat for portability and price! TAT is also great.

 

-Karen

[Lozen]

YAY you're back!!!!!!!

[karen]

YAY you're back!!!!!!!

 

hehe.. i'm not sure if I was ever "not back," but my presence here I guess is sporadic. Or maybe rhythmic is a nicer word.

[Lozen]

We missed you!

 

hehe.. i'm not sure if I was ever "not back," but my presence here I guess is sporadic. Or maybe rhythmic is a nicer word.

[TimBlack]

Ahhhhhh, EFT! Looks interesting. I took Feldenkrias (sp?) once. It worked with the brain's hardwiring. I learn so much from you guys! Thanks.........

Orgonite? Hmmmmmmmmm. I know some witches. Sounds simular on some levels.

Mag has not helped me.

Don't get the wrong idea, I have learned a lot from agoraphobia and suffer only low levels of anxiety now. However, I know that there are still unresolved issues and tensions hidden in my body. EFT sounds right.

[Trunk]

There is also EMDR and EMI - which have to do with moving your eyes in different directions - it's very effective too - but not quite as simple as EFT... in fact several EFTers combine eye movement integration into the tapping routine.

Here's a very simple version of EMDR. I've had some experience with doing this simple version ("Method 2" from the linked page).. I've done it both on myself, and had someone do it to me in therapy session. Very simple, very effective.

 

Interesting read with the EFT, hadn't heard of it before.

 

--- later edit ---

Tao1776, I'd be curious to hear - after some while - how the EFT goes for you. Maybe you could post in this thread with results in a couple of weeks or so.

Edited March 28, 2006 by Trunk

[Ian]

 

 

I would also suggest getting some orgone generators, or "Orgonite". We're living in an environment filled with electromagnetic frequencies that can stimulate the autonomic nervous system and affect our moods and perceptions in many ways. Orgonite can clear up the negative energies coming from the cellphone towers, chemtrail spraying, etc. People who are energy sensitive can feel the difference these devices make. And they're cheap and accessible.

 

Take care,

Karen

 

Hello Karen,

 

I'm fishing for reassurance here.

 

I don't have a problem with etheric devices and so on. I've had stuff from the Centre for Implosion Research and had advanced teachers confirm that they work. (although they have given warnings that these things can get fouled up and need recharging)

 

But my problem is, clicking the link you give above, and then looking at "reputable providers in UK", then looking at the how-to pages of one of them, suddenly I'm in a world where people are talking about "satanic sites" and are engaged against dark forces in a battle for the soul of the countryside. Sorta.

 

Where can you draw the line between purifying your environment and getting caught up in finding evil everywhere? Cos I truly don't believe the latter is healthy. What's your take on this kind of issue?

 

Best wishes,

Ian

[affenbrot]

i started doing eft two weeks ago, Harry has lent me about 5 kg of Gary Craig's Dvds (thanks Harry!)

 

for me the outcome is not very clear...yet.. maybe part of the so called "apex" problem - people are helped with it but never ever will realize any relation to EFT...

 

What's very thrilling for me is that once I start doing it on some, well very average day to day problem I start to enter into a stream of Recapitulation. Yesterday it was quite intense, incidents from childhood poped up with such force, I sat there and was tapping and humming more than one hour. I surely will explore it more.

 

A friend of mine who is quite phobic about almost every thing applied it and she said it helped her at least in a way she could do things she otherwise could not have performed!

 

affenbrot

 

 

p.s. there's a book out by Callahan (the "inventor" and teacher of Mr. Craig) anybody read it??

edited| after reading the reviews at amazon, i guess it is not necessary to buy...

Edited March 30, 2006 by affenbrot

[sean]

FYI - I've also had positive breakthroughs with EFT.

 

Affenbrot, I've been meaning to jump in on this thread. I wanted to ask you a question about your agoraphobia. Are you afraid of bumping into other people when you leave the house, or is it literally a fear of leaving the safety of your home? For instance, if you were in a beautiful home in, let's say, a friendly, secluded forest, and you had a private door in the back that opened to a curious path that wound a bit through the woods for a mile or so to a small clearing where there were hot springs that you could sit in and soak and relax, with the sun gently peaking through the leaves above. Now, if you knew that you could take this walk and you knew for certain that there would not be a single sentient creature for many miles, would you be more or less scared to take this walk?

 

I ask because I've had something similar to agoraphobia in the past, and then came to make an important distinction that it was more like social anxiety that would flare up to extremes. If I knew I would not bump into anyone, my fears were significantly less.

 

 

Sean

[affenbrot]

Affenbrot, I've been meaning to jump in on this thread. I wanted to ask you a question about your agoraphobia. Are you afraid of bumping into other people when you leave the house, or is it literally a fear of leaving the safety of your home? For instance, if you were in a beautiful home in, let's say, a friendly, secluded forest, and you had a private door in the back that opened to a curious path that wound a bit through the woods for a mile or so to a small clearing where there were hot springs that you could sit in and soak and relax, with the sun gently peaking through the leaves above. Now, if you knew that you could take this walk and you knew for certain that there would not be a single sentient creature for many miles, would you be more or less scared to take this walk?

it was tao1776 who shared his experience with agoraphobia. I jumped in later when the topic changed more into EFT. I try EFT mostly out of curosity, not because there is some special issue I want to work on at the moment.

Very nice little fairy tale by the way - I would love to have this as a guided meditation tape

 

affenbrot

Edited April 2, 2006 by affenbrot

[三江源]

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Edited April 18, 2015 by 三江源

[Trunk]

I haven't done the EFT point sequence, but I've borrowed the idea of "tapping" (with my finger/s) acupoints. I'd pretty much massaged them before, tapping is an interesting option.