My Agoraphobia Poem by Pat Dring

In 1983 you came back into my life.
Bringing me nothing, but trouble and strife.
You kept me a prisoner in my own home.
When all I longed for, was to go out alone.
You caused me pain, you made me cry,
I felt so ill, I thought I would die.
From Doctor, to Doctor from pillar to post.
Where o where is the cure I wanted the most?
Where exactly does the answer lie?
Eventually I found it, in a doctor called DI.
She gave me the will, to carry on and fight.
I fought so hard, with all of my might.
The shops in the village seemed so very far away.
If only I could go out, just for one single day.
I tried and tried, the tears, the pain.
It was a battle lose or gain,
I gave it everything, yes everything I had.
It wasn’t easy, in fact it was very bad.
In 1990 after 7 long years,
A lot of heartache, many tears.
I was starting to win the battle of getting out of the door,
With each day, I was doing more and more,
But there were still so many things I couldn’t do alone,
Still so many jobs, that had to be done on the phone,
I could now walk to the shops, there and back,
Get the groceries, take them home, and unpack.
But I still couldn’t get a bus into town on my own,
Only if I had someone to go with, borrowed, on loan,
It took several more years, of heartbreak and pain,
Before I could finally travel alone again.
May 2nd 2000, I jumped on a bus and popped into town,
It was just like my world had turned upside down.
HERE WAS I FREE AT LAST,
Finally free to forget the past.
So I decided to do something I had never done before,
I started at college part time, Each day I couldn’t wait to get out of the door,
To catch my bus, to feel like I had finally rejoined the human race.
Living life at a hectic pace.
Going to college at the age of 53,
Really did do wonders for me,
The computer course was harder than I thought it would be,
But others in the class helped me,
Our tutor June was, really nice,
Always ready with her advice,
Now I really feel I have turned my life completely around,
With this new freedom I have found,
With a lot of help, from my husband and son.
The battle is now over, finally won.
So its goodbye agoraphobia you belong to the past,
Never again will you get me in your grasp.