Hi, in the last year my mental health has started to deteriorate. Last summer I started getting depressed and overwhelmed over issues in my life. I withdrew from social life and started to read just to occupy my mind and escape. Gradually, I began to feel like I couldn't deal with anything, and now I've reached a point where I can't even leave my house. I worked from home for the academic year and only went out fewer than 8 times in the whole year, all work related. I order groceries online. Last month  I found that I fear leaving my house, like real fear. I had to go out for something important and for 3 weeks I put it off to the next day each day. I don't understand this. I am terrified and don't know why. When I think about leaving the house,  I get sick. My internet connection is crap and I wanted to switch providers but I can't pick up the phone to call. I feel like I have these mental shackles. Noises bother me a lot too. I've had PTSD before and the noise sensitivity is just like how it used to be. I am not going to take meds. I took antidepressants for about a month when I was feeling down and then stopped like 3 months ago. Only after I stopped did I start feeling this crazy anxiety. How do I cope? I don't know how to cope with this irrational fear. I want to see the outside, but something is stopping me and I don't know how to cope. Any advice appreciated. Do people sometimes go through things like this and it's just a phase or could it be that something is happening to me?