My wife has been abusive for many years (emotionally, physically, financially). Look back now I can see she was pretty big into shrinking my world so that there was only her (cutting off all of my family and gaslighting me into thinking they were the problem and not her). My panic attacks got worse, and I developed agoraphobia and was not able to drive anywhere without her in the car.
Now that we are no-contact, I can drive anywhere with no problem and no longer have agoraphobia, and haven’t even had any panic attacks, which I would get severe ones often.
I think this was from me being in a constant state of anxiety / flight or flight with her around.
I’m not sure if this is an actually possibility, but to me it seems like it was caused by her, and more part of shrinking my world. Me not being able to leave without her, and I believe that this was done on purpose.
Has anyone else experienced anything like this?