People working in the area of mental illness have been campaigning for many years to place the huge range of associated conditions on a par with physical illness, in terms of how seriously they are taken and, as a consequence, how prioritised becomes their treatment.

For Linda Perry, speaking to Joe Duffy on Liveline, her particular illness, or condition, has not been taken nearly seriously enough and the effect on her life is devastating.

That condition is agoraphobia.

“It’s a fear of open spaces and crowded places. People can have different severities of it. At the moment, for myself, my husband works. When he’s at work, I would stay in my bedroom.”

Linda's condition has been compounded by the fact that, last week, the psychiatric unit at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan, County Meath, closed its doors. And although more places have been opened in another hospital in the region, in Drogheda, County Louth, the additional distance has plunged her, and other patients, into crisis.

“I was very upset because, for me, that would be the closest hospital that I have, if I need to go to see somebody. It was always a safety to me. If something happened, it was not completely out of my range. But now, Drogheda, I couldn’t get to Drogheda.”

Linda spends 90% of her time in her house, and the bulk of that in her bedroom. During that additional 10%, she forces herself to call to her neighbours, walk to the shops around the corner, and tries to push the distances she covers. But it’s a constant struggle, and one she has known since her teenage years.

“I developed agoraphobia when I was 15. I’m 30 now. When I first developed it, I was housebound and I couldn’t even look out the window. Couldn’t go out the door. But back then, I had a great psychologist who used the visit me and got me on the road to recovery.”

Her principal issue now is the lack of availability of in-home services for those with agoraphobia. You're expected, according to Linda, to make your way further and further to avail of public services, despite the obvious constraint on these journeys imposed by your condition.

“If you’re not well, with mental illness, you want to be around where you are used to. And your family.”

Previously, Linda had somebody from the HSE call to the house, but the service has now been terminated. According to Linda, the reason given was lack of resources.

To hear the interview in full from Liveline with Joe Duffy, click here.