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Several people pointed out that 12) Go the fuck outside is much easier said than done. Which is a good point; you can't just walk through a panic attack, and I'd be an asshole if I were suggesting you could. So, here is the addendum:
12a) How to go the fuck outside.
There are two aspects of this: convincing your rational mind, and convincing your unconscious.
...well, I started to write an explanation of why you rationally don't need to be that scared of going outside. You can read it below, I put it under a cut, but... frankly, it's just unnerving to read even though it's trying to be reassuring. It had lots of words like "virus" and "infection" and such, and... eh.
So, let's just assume that going outside is worth it, and talk about how.
First of all, you want to try this in small steps. This is going to be the basic CBT procedure for phobias, and it involves breaking down the frightening thing (going outside) into a series of small steps that are each somewhat doable, and increasingly closer to the goal. So in this case, you might:
1) Sit at your closed window, and look outside. Do something you find calming-- deep breaths, relaxing music, relaxing your muscles, taking anti-anxiety meds, getting someone you trust to hold you tight, petting your pet, listening to comedy routines. Do that until you are fairly bored.
2) The next day, sit at your closed window with your face covered, as you would if you were going out, and repeat the calming until you're bored.
3) The next day, open your window, sit across the room from it, with your face covered, and repeat the calming until you're bored.
4) The next day, open your window, sit in front of it, etc.
5) The next day, open your door, sit in the doorway, etc.
6) The next day, go out the door, and sit on your stoop/porch/whatever, etc.
7) The next day, go out the door, and walk either to your car (if you have a car) or the sidewalk, and either sit in your car, or go back to your stoop, etc.
8) The next day, walk around your block, etc.
If you feel like you can easily skip any of these steps, go for it. The important thing is to start with something you find a little scary, but not panic attack-inducing, and do it until it's not scary any more. Don't push through-- if you've already done one step today, and are pretty tired, then wait until you're fully rested to come back.
Because yeah, this is scary, and I did not mean to dismiss anyone's fear. Your nervous system is trying very hard to keep you alive by scaring you away from a potential threat, and you might thank it for working to keep you safe, and then politely but firmly teach it to focus its attention elsewhere.
Good luck, and also, please do keep telling me if the advice I give is ever counterproductive!
--R
( The explanation of why you probably won't get it from walking around outside. )
12a) How to go the fuck outside.
There are two aspects of this: convincing your rational mind, and convincing your unconscious.
...well, I started to write an explanation of why you rationally don't need to be that scared of going outside. You can read it below, I put it under a cut, but... frankly, it's just unnerving to read even though it's trying to be reassuring. It had lots of words like "virus" and "infection" and such, and... eh.
So, let's just assume that going outside is worth it, and talk about how.
First of all, you want to try this in small steps. This is going to be the basic CBT procedure for phobias, and it involves breaking down the frightening thing (going outside) into a series of small steps that are each somewhat doable, and increasingly closer to the goal. So in this case, you might:
1) Sit at your closed window, and look outside. Do something you find calming-- deep breaths, relaxing music, relaxing your muscles, taking anti-anxiety meds, getting someone you trust to hold you tight, petting your pet, listening to comedy routines. Do that until you are fairly bored.
2) The next day, sit at your closed window with your face covered, as you would if you were going out, and repeat the calming until you're bored.
3) The next day, open your window, sit across the room from it, with your face covered, and repeat the calming until you're bored.
4) The next day, open your window, sit in front of it, etc.
5) The next day, open your door, sit in the doorway, etc.
6) The next day, go out the door, and sit on your stoop/porch/whatever, etc.
7) The next day, go out the door, and walk either to your car (if you have a car) or the sidewalk, and either sit in your car, or go back to your stoop, etc.
8) The next day, walk around your block, etc.
If you feel like you can easily skip any of these steps, go for it. The important thing is to start with something you find a little scary, but not panic attack-inducing, and do it until it's not scary any more. Don't push through-- if you've already done one step today, and are pretty tired, then wait until you're fully rested to come back.
Because yeah, this is scary, and I did not mean to dismiss anyone's fear. Your nervous system is trying very hard to keep you alive by scaring you away from a potential threat, and you might thank it for working to keep you safe, and then politely but firmly teach it to focus its attention elsewhere.
Good luck, and also, please do keep telling me if the advice I give is ever counterproductive!
--R
( The explanation of why you probably won't get it from walking around outside. )
