I bet you can’t believe the title of this post. You probably didn’t know that there can be benefits to having agoraphobia (along with the obvious drawbacks).

But on tonight’s group phone call, this question was raised by someone -

“Why does it seem like I can only recover to a certain point and then my progress stops? It is like I have hit a wall I can’t get past.”

Here is a possible answer - sometimes the benefits of having agoraphobia outweigh the benefits of recovery. This idea is well supported by research. Psychologists have isolated at least 5 things that people may GAIN from having agoraphobia, and the fear of losing any one of these can block motivation to get better. Here are is the list:

1) Extra attention

2) Help or assistance from someone

3) Emotional support

4) Financial support

5) Closeness with someone you love

Does having agoraphobia cause you to benefit from any of these 5 things? And if so, are you willing to risk giving up this benefit to recover?

This is a question you must dig deep to ask yourself. It is a question that it is hard to hear from someone else because it can seem so accusatory. No one likes to admit, let alone be asked, that they might be gaining something from a a condition like agoraphobia and are having trouble letting that something go.

But if you are serious about recovery, this is a question worth asking yourself. And if you discover that you are deriving a benefit from agoraphobia, let it go.

Your freedom is worth the price.