In this article I will be explaining two very common types of negative self-talk. Both of these are done not only before the agoraphobic enters the feared situation, but also while they are in it. The first type of negative talk is what can be referred to as the 'what ifs'. When an agoraphobic avoids a situation it is often due to 'what if' thoughts. Some examples of this are- 'what if I lose control', 'what if I have to leave in the middle of dinner', 'what if I get there and can't get back home'. When these thoughts arise before the agoraphobic goes somewhere it not only deters the agoraphobic from trying, but also if the agoraphobic does try they usually enter that situation with preconceived ideas of how it may and probably will go. Thinking like this stresses, tenses and makes the agoraphobic quite anxious before and while they are entering the situation. This type of thinking may not only occur in the hours or moments before leaving to enter that situation, it can also occur days, even weeks if the situation seems scary enough. I personally remember a 24-hour bus trip I had to make right in the height of my problem with agoraphobia, the thought of this trip was completely overwhelming. I didn't know how I was going to handle the trip to the bus station 10 minutes away, let alone 24 hours on a bus! I started having 'what if' thoughts as soon as I booked my ticket, three weeks before I was due to leave, and they certainly intensified by the time I had to go. None of the things I feared happened on the trip, this is often the case, but it was certainly very stressful and no doubt most of the anxiety I felt was due to the fact I had told myself just how extremely horrible and terrifying this trip was going to be for a long time be. I should probably add- I rebooked my trip to later dates four times before I found the courage to do it. Finally I got on the bus- I did experience anxiety, but it was nothing compared to what I had worried about for the previous three weeks.
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