When I was dealing with serious agoraphobia in college it worked wonders. I had to go up for 'orals' which is sprawling your last four weeks of artwork around and letting twenty of your peers (who were sh*thead, trustfunder hipsters without a clue what the real world was about and I was older and paying for my own education) and your mentors critique and/or rip you to shreds. It was sooooo helpful to hit that bowl a couple times before I left the house. I got through my critiques and didn't bawl my eyes out.
Now...later, when my neuro-chemistry was more balanced, I couldn't smoke a little and go out in public. I'd have a panic attack and have a major electrolyte crash later and felt like I'd done heroin.
To everything turn, turn, turn...there is a season, turn, turn, turn...