Turning Down the Noise: How P2P Student Megan Reclaimed Her Life from Agoraphobia
Turning Down the Noise: How Megan Reclaimed Her Life from Agoraphobia
What do you do when your world becomes so small that even the second floor of your own home feels like a place you need to escape?
That was the reality for Megan. A self-described "doer" and a busy mom of two, Megan didn’t always think she had anxiety. But after a traumatic panic attack during an MRI, her world began to shrink. First, it was the grocery store. Then, it was driving more than ten minutes from home. Eventually, it was the stairs in her own house.
I recently sat down with Megan to talk about her journey through my Panic to Peace program, and her story is one I know so many of you will see yourselves in.
The Trap of "White Knuckling"
For years, Megan did what most of us do: she fought. She forced herself to go to her kids' doctor appointments while her heart raced and her mind screamed. She called it "white knuckling"—powering through the panic just to survive the moment.
But as Megan learned, white knuckling isn’t healing. It’s just another form of survival that leaves you exhausted, short-tempered, and feeling like a "burden" to your family. Megan reached a breaking point where she felt she couldn't even make a simple decision about what to have for dinner because the "noise" of anxiety was just too loud.
The Shift: From "Abusive" Self-Talk to Compassion
When Megan joined Panic to Peace, she expected a "quick fix" to stop the panic attacks. What she found instead was something much deeper: a change in her internal dialogue.
She realized her self-talk had become "abusive." When she struggled with an exposure, she would tell herself she was a failure. Through our work together, she shifted that voice to one of a kind friend. She started saying: "Okay, Megan, we’re anxious right now. Our heart is racing, and that’s okay. We can just sit here and deal with it."
The Power of Community
One of the most beautiful parts of Megan’s story is the connection she found with her fellow students. She went from feeling like "the only one" to having what she calls "15 best friends in her pocket."
She realized that whether someone was struggling with bathroom anxiety in the UK or driving anxiety in Florida, the underlying fear was the same. They stopped being strangers and became a lifeline, proving that we truly do heal in connection.
The Ultimate Test
Just one week after our program ended, Megan faced every agoraphobic mom’s nightmare: her child was admitted to the hospital for four days.
In the past, this would have caused a total nervous breakdown. But this time? Megan stayed on the seventh floor. She walked the hallways. She even went to the snack shop. Her anxiety stayed at a manageable 3 or 4 out of 10. She wasn't white-knuckling; she was coping.
Turning Down the Volume
Megan said something at the end of our conversation that stayed with me. She said that if she could choose between never having a panic attack again or turning down the "noise" of anxiety, she’d choose the quiet.
The panic might still show up occasionally, but it no longer has the microphone. Megan is saying "yes" to Disney on Ice, "yes" to working out, and most importantly, "yes" to being the present, joyful mom she always wanted to be.
If your world feels small right now, please know that it doesn't have to stay that way. You are so much more capable than your anxiety is telling you.
ready to stop doing it alone?
Inside my 10-week program, Panic to Peace, I’ll guide you through this work step by step and you’ll be surrounded by people who truly get it.
You don’t have to stay stuck. Healing is possible and it’s closer than you think.
Come hang out with me on Instagram → I'd love to connect with you!
