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From Cathleen Henning Fenton, for About.com

Young Person With Agoraphobia? MTV Wants You!

Wednesday April 23, 2008
If you are between the ages of 16 and 28, and you have agoraphobia, MTV may be interested in talking to you. Here is the casting call I received:

Do you suffer from agoraphobia? Is it extremely difficult or even impossible for you to leave your house or go to places that aren't completely familiar to you? Does even the thought of going outside of your home or into a new space trigger a panic attack? Do your friends and family know about your condition or do you keep it a secret? Are you becoming increasingly reclusive and don't know how to stop the downward spiral? Or has this disorder come to define you and you feel like you can't take it anymore? Are you willing to make a drastic change in order to overcome your fears? If you're agoraphobic and it's having a huge impact on your life, MTV wants to hear your story.

If you appear to be between the ages of 16 and 28 and believe you suffer from agoraphobia email us at agoraphobia@mtvstaff.com with all of the details, including how and when the condition affects you, whether you've ever sought treatment, and what your daily life is like. Please be sure to include your name, location, phone number and a photo, if possible.

Comments

April 29, 2008 at 4:06 pm
(1) Terri says:

Gee, I first got panic disorder/agoraphobia when I was a teen, but back then, no one even knew what was wrong with me (including ME). I was treated horribly by so many people, my family included. I’m glad to see that MTV is bringing it into the open so perhaps fewer kids will have to go through what I did.
By the way, did you check the date on that call for young people to e-mail their info to MTV? MTV had an episode of “True Life” regarding panic attacks and agoraphobia not too long ago.

April 30, 2008 at 9:30 am
(2) Cathleen Fenton says:

Terri,

The same for me when I was a teen! I didn’t know what was wrong with me, and you certainly didn’t hear about anyone with anxiety disorders in the mainstream media.

MTV is looking for people for new episodes. The e-mail I received is from last week.

Take care,
Cathleen

April 30, 2008 at 10:15 am
(3) Terri says:

Thanks for the feedback, Cathleen! I’m 49 now, but do you think if I pulled my hair into pigtails I could apply to MTV? I’m a big kid! Honest! LOL :::sigh::: Probably wouldn’t work. ;)

April 30, 2008 at 10:29 am
(4) Cathleen Fenton says:

:-) Hey, they did say if you “appear” to be between 16 and 28!

Hopefully, other shows will consider covering this topic for all age groups. I’ve seen some talk shows here and there about it, but it could be helpful to see more real-life scenarios!

Cathleen
About.com Panic Disorder

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