Agoraphobia
- Firstly, the sufferer experiences anxiety about being in a location which maybe difficult or embarrassing to escape from. Such places might well include crowded shopping malls or other places where help seems far away.
- Secondly, the sufferer avoids these places (supermarkets, public transport etc) for fear of having and anxiety or panic attack and not being able to escape.
- Thirdly, the symptoms can not be better explained by any other physical or psychological disorder, such as thyroid problems.
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Agoraphobia is a label given to an anxiety or panic disorders which to a greater or lesser extent hinder sufferers' abilities to travel away from home or to specific places. In extreme cases the sufferer is housebound, unable even to visit their front garden. In other, more common cases, sufferers have a morbid fear of crowded shopping centres, or traveling alone to unfamiliar places. The label is not important, but if you or someone you know has problems getting out and about to some places then it is probably worth reading on.
There are three main criteria used for the diagnosis of agoraphobia.
Often the biggest fear of an agoraphobic is having a panic attack in such a place, and agoraphobia often goes hand in hand with panic disorder. Other situations which bring on agoraphobia or panic attacks are commonly: being away from home, standing in a queue at a supermarket, using public transport, driving on motorways or freeways, and visiting the cinema.
Some people who suffer from agoraphobia feel that they can only go to certain places if accompanied by a trusted friend or relative. This dependence on others can be an important part of the condition and should be a major focus of therapy.
It can be very severe leaving people housebound for years. But this is rare, and in any event agoraphobia, like all phobias, is eminently treatable. People have frequently gone from being largely housebound to travel the world. You can recover.How severe can Agoraphobia be?
Often by drug therapy, which usually involves a Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitor (SSRI) such as Prozac or Celexa. These drugs have been shown to have a strong anti-anxiety and anti-panic disorder effect. Tranquilizers like Valium and Xanax may be prescribed for short term relief, however these are not normally suggested for long term usage due to the dangers of addiction. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is also used as a treatment of choice, sadly this is not always available on health insurance in countries which don't have national health services and is often vastly over-stretched where it is available. The best option for those that can afford it is to go to a private, well-certified, practitioner. People with complex phobias like agoraphobia should not rule out more analytical therapeutic interventions. Psychoanalysis has moved a long way from freud and unlocking the inner fears and motivations can be pivotal in recovering from this kind of phobia.How is it treated?
Some people may have a specific phobia rather than agoraphobia if for instance the anxiety response and avoidance is related only to one situation, such as crowds or trains. Some other people feel anxious due to being around people as opposed to being in any particular situation. If that sounds like you then maybe you should investigate social phobia rather than agoraphobia.Are you sure you have Agoraphobia?
