I have Asperger, and agoraphobia!

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I was diagnosed about 4 years ago now, but not before travelling the wonderful world of customer service, technical support, and directory enquires telephone helpdesk jobs. So I decided unconsciously that the only way to avoid doing these jobs ever again, was to have a complete mental breakdown and refuse to leave my home ever again. After this came to light, the doctors turned up (how rude of them to want to see you in person! ) added an extra dimention of fear to my very existance, then went away saying I had asperger syndrome. Oh and by the way I was so insane by now I refused ever to leave my own home again. That was four years ago and I'm still unable to do anything as simple as take out the rubbish without having panic attacks. I rarely see any other human beings anymore, able to go for three week streches without seeing another human being.

Asperger with Agoraphobia

On a more positive note however, I've started working from home again! I've started a small business providing IT technical support via e-mail to other small companies, I don't make bill gates money but I make enough to build myself a superior PC with all the latest trimmings, and all the software I can eat. I'm writing a programming book which should be self published next year, and I've written a novel that's 30% longer the lord of the rings: fellowship of the ring.

In many ways I've never been happier, I have a controllable enviroment, the panic attacks are down to a managable level. About the only thing I regret is that living this way precludes any contact with an understanding female partner who might just be insane enough to love me. Beyond that I have my cat, though there are things both by law and morally I am banned from doing. So I stick with feeding him and stroking his pointy eared head. I'd say he's my best friend, at least when I give him plenty of felix pouches!

That's my life story in a few paragraphs so hi everyone!

I'm sorry to hear that. I fear that some times I may be Agoraphobic, since I can't even step outside without an anxiety attack, so I might have just a little perspective about your condition.

Welcome, and best of luck!

That's how it started about 9 years ago, so your in that direction, but you're early enough to prevent it from blooming. When I try it these days, I can go outside, I feel fine, I get a few steps at it feels like I phyically walked into a wall. Breathing becomes laboured, legs turn to jelly, disoriantation, etc. It's like trying to walk through thick water when it happens.

So I recommend identifying what is causing you the anxeity of going out. If you spend long period's of the week shut in, then take a 20 minute walk every day, it's good for you, and will keep to aclimetized. There really is nothing about the actual world to fear, but when Agoraphobia is allowed to take over, logical reasoning no longer plays a role. Avoid it at all costs. I don't care if you have to live outside in a tent 24/7! Avoid it!

Welcome to WrongPlanet!

Paraphrasing Edward Gorey: "Computer. Cat. Life is good."

And Wrong Planet is a nice place to hang out with other people without leaving the comfort of your own home. Welcome, dcforeman.

Aspergers AND Agoraphobia...I have to say this, please don't take offense....that is REALLY unlucky!
On the plus side, you DO have a cat to keep you company. Animals are great, I have many at home with one cat curled up on my lap as I type this out at 2:57am.
I hope you business goes well.

P.S...I forgot to say welcome...so welcome, dcforeman.

Welcome dcforeman,

Bragging about your perfect life I see. Well, Im going for a place with all that and deliverd Chinese food.

My book is longer than the trilogy, with The Hobbit, Leaf and Tree, thrown in.

Self publishing leaves no time for going out, just to pick up what UPS leaves on the porch.

I do have to suffer through driving, going through the loop of Post Office, mail books, Office Max, more paper, get food, and back home.

Agoraphobia sounds like fear of goats. I am just a hermit, recluse, and I do not fear humans, just find them annoying. Every time I test, they are still annoying.

If you are found by a female human, be sure you get return rights, and the extended warentee. They are the E Machines of gender.

I am working on the printing, binding, selling, end of books, I sell three. My own is coming soon to an Internet near you. Word Perfect, Publisher, Photo Shop, work, but now moving to real offset printers, and need to learn another level of software.

Prepress is expensive, getting to press ready, feedstock for the plate burner, is my goal. Printing is reasonable, and they will deliver.

So do you know of commercial printing software?

I am good with layout, artwork, and print on demand marketing. Sales grow, and with four color, 11 x 17, and print runs of 1500, I move into a larger market.

Then I can avoid this leaving home to do things, and find some real seclusion. I would rather rent a few humans to deal with the rest. E-mail is close enough, even if they are in the same building.

PM me, I would not have to explain myself to you, there would be none of that, lets talk on the phone, come for and eye to eye meeting, with hand shaking and back slapping.

You sound like my kind of support service,

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

I world by one principle. Do what I'm good at, and pay everyone else to do what they are good at. I don't print from here, and I don't own any commerical printing tools or software, so I'm unable to advise. What I do instead is use services such as cafepress who handle printing, delivery, etc. Once I've made enough from them, and tested the market, I can print in bulk, and ship off to a reseller I have lined up. Again they will deal with delivery. All I have to do is have them shipped by courier with coupous amounts of insurance just in case it goes missing or is dumpped in the ocean because they couriers got bored. I won't make as much money from doing it this way I agree, but as with all things it's a case of building up the cash so you can make more in the future. And of coruse if it doesn't work out. Hell I'm the dude that's so insane he won't go outside! I'll mouch off your taxes until I can try again.

Welcome to WP!

Tim

Nice to meet you, dcforeman.

hmm...no problems going outside, it's just the people you meet out there that mess it up for everyone..

I do notice I'm more comfortable indoors, so it must be part of the spectrum.

Welcome, fellow newbie..

Welcome.

If I don't take my medication I become agorophobic.

I would be insane enough to love you, if I was of age.

Welcome to wrong planet!
really? It sounds pretty bad.

I have aspergers and also alektorophobia- fear of chickens. i have been thinking for ages about curing my alektorophobia because you can but i really do not know.

My teachers suggest me too. They say that there is enough things different about me that it will seem odd to have the fear of chickens , when i go to college next year. And that i dont Need another thing that makes me different to other people.
But i am still not sure.

Anyway good luck with everything.
Much love
xxx

I am agoraphobic too. At its worst, I could not even open my front door to retrieve the mail. I big outing for me would be venturing into the backyard. At present I can't travel more than 5 miles from my home.

Definitely part of the spectrum---I lived in a tiny house, in the middle of nowhere, but still afflicted with neighbors. Neighbors who seemed inordinately preoccupied with my goings on or lack thereof: SCRUTINY! ( one of them seems to have been an actual Peeping Tom---he left his cigarettes and empties in my yard, which is how I became aware that, with a little effort and not much else to do, you could look straight into my bathroom. We digress...) I got to the the point that I could only leave my house after the sun went down, and under cover of darkness, go about the bare necessities of living.I felt I couldn't bear to be seen, since it carried a weight of intrusive speculation. I worked nights, 50 miles away, in a 30 sq ft room, by myself, watching cardiac monitors. I could feel my available mental space narrowing every day, so I decided to move from my dysfunctional neighborhood and join the larger world. NOT EASY!! I moved to Nashville to be close to my sister, the one of two human beings I can tolerate in my "space" and it's better now.I am working in school to get a job doing medical coding from home, so I can work in my pajamas, blasting Aretha on the Bose and surrounded by exigent cats of assorted stripe. Aspergers and agoraphobia and cats...Hmm...

I was wondering whether it was worse for you in winter?