A Texas man said he lived “in prison” for a decade while battling agoraphobia, which left him with a fear of traveling more than a mile from his home.
Cecil Jackson, 35, of Houston, Texas, told CBS this week that she missed family milestones, including birthdays, weddings and funerals.
He describes his life as a “prison”, stuck in a zone and almost unable to get out.
Jackson is now working to combat the phobia that has cost him years and hopes to help the millions who suffer from it.
“I lived in color for years and suffered in silence…for me, agoraphobia is a prison,” he told CBS.
Cecil Jackson (pictured), 35, is living in Houston, Texas, with a devastating case of agoraphobia that prevents him from traveling more than a mile from his home.
Jackson (pictured) told CBS that he missed weddings, funerals, and birthdays within his family for fear of embarrassing and unsafe situations.
Jackson said he missed family members’ weddings, birthdays and funerals because he feared his situation.
He started suffering from agoraphobia at the age of 19, more than 15 years ago.
Meanwhile, his life has become extremely limited as he can only comfortably travel to very private places where he feels comfortable.
Jackson works as a store manager and lives across from his business. Home and work are two places he regularly visits.
He said that the symptoms of his condition first appeared when he was a teenager while driving to school one day, when suddenly his heart started beating and he felt dizzy.
Then things got worse as his vision deteriorated and he began to suffer from respiratory problems.
Jackson said he finally panicked and his life hasn’t been the same since.
Jackson (left), running a Chicago clinic in 2016, Dr. Associated with Karen Cassiday (right), they first met as part of her CBS segment.
Cassiday has spent the last few years helping Jackson get treatment and connect with local therapists. She came to Houston and even offered personal advice to help her deal with her fears.
“I thought the world was under my feet that morning,” he said.
“After hours, my view of the world, my view of life completely changed.”
She already knew about the situation as her mother was suffering, but she didn’t expect it to take over her life this way.
“There are walls and boundaries that I cannot cross,” Jackson said.
“And I feel like if I try or do it, I’m literally going to die.”
According to the Mayo Clinica, a person with panic disorder or other phobias is more likely to develop agoraphobia, but because it’s a psychological condition, it doesn’t have concrete risk factors or “treatments” like others would.
The primary way to treat agoraphobia is therapy and medication that treats anxiety, although it can be a long and arduous process.
In 2016, operating an anxiety treatment center in the Jackson, Chicago area, Dr. He made contact with Karen Cassiday.
They bonded, and Cassiday even helped Jackson find a local therapist who could conduct online sessions with him.
Cassiday traveled to Houston to meet Jackson and helped him push his limits and live through what he had feared for years.
For example, Jackson was in an elevator with Cassiday and the CBS crew for the first time after suffering a panic attack four years ago.
With Cassiday’s help (right), Jackson (left) was able to get in and out of an elevator and even a convenience store for the first time in years.
Jackson (pictured) was able to run comfortably around his neighborhood for the first time after receiving counseling.
“The last time I tried to ride one or stepped on it, I jumped out of it,” he said.
“So I tried to keep going, but it was overwhelming. I just said what’s in there, I won’t see it today,” he said.
Cassiday managed to get on and off the elevator four times as he instructed his body to teach him how to deal with panic emotions normally.
Cassiday also helped Jackson go to a grocery store for the first time in years, make a personal visit to his therapist’s office, and get his first burnout.
As she works for Healing, she wants the other four million Americans who will now experience agoraphobia for their entire lives to know that it can be fixed.
“Sometimes I think no one sees you when you’re in pain,” Jackson said.
And when dealing with agoraphobia people delete you and you’re usually in the shadows. I hope others feel seen by me with this message.
Source: Daily Mail
I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.
