Agoraphobia is categorized as an anxiety disorder in which people feel fear of certain places or situations that can trigger panic attacks in them. They may feel embarrassed, helpless, and trapped in that situations.
You may feel fear of an unreal or actual situation like being in enclosed or open places, standing in lines, using public transportation, and being in-crowd. Fear triggers anxiety and the person feels that there is no way to escape from the situation.
You can say that the level of anxiety intensifies. Most people who suffer from agoraphobia develop it after experiencing one or two panic attacks. It makes them worry about having another panic attack in public places that can be awkward for them.
They try to avoid certain situations to not have a panic attack. People with this condition feel hard to make themselves safe in public areas especially when they face a crowd. You may feel that someone should have with you like any friend or relative in public areas if you have agoraphobia.
Fear can overwhelm people that much even they sometimes feel unable to get out of their home. Treatment of agoraphobia can be challenging. Usually, treatment means challenging your fears. But certain medications and psychotherapy help to escape from the agoraphobia traps.
It is possible to live a peaceful life after coping with such fears. Do not ignore this condition if it’s affecting your mental health and social life.
Symptoms
Generally, symptoms of agoraphobia include having fear of crowded places and leaving home alone. People with this phobia can avoid waiting in long lines and going to spaces that are enclosed like small stores, movie theaters, and elevators.
Sometimes open spaces can also make an individual with agoraphobia anxious like going to malls, parking lots, and bridges. If you have agoraphobia you may hesitate to go to a train, bus, or place. These situations trigger anxiety.
The reason is that if you become stuck in such situations, you feel unable to escape. People start feeling embarrassed and disabled in these situations. It triggers a panic attack. Always remember that anxiety and fear appear after being exposed to the situation.
The anxiety of fear is out of proportion to the real risk of the situation. People with agoraphobia always need a companion to go outside the home and suffer from significant distress in social situations if they are alone. Avoidance and phobia can remain for six months or longer.
Causes
Certain environmental stressors, biology including genetics and health conditions, and learning experiences can cause agoraphobia. You will be surprised to know that fears can be learned.
Diagnosis
A healthcare provider diagnoses agoraphobia on the basis of symptoms and criteria of this disorder mentioned in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). American Psychiatric Association has published DSM.5.
Doctors take a physical exam to detect other conditions that may cause fear. A mental health professional takes an in-depth interview with you to get more information about the manifestation and your experiences.
Treatment
Agoraphobia treatment includes medications and psychotherapy. You may take some time to heal but you will get better after taking treatment if you have agoraphobia.
Psychotherapy
In psychotherapy, a therapist work with a client to set goals. The therapist helps him or her to learn certain practices that might help to deal with the symptoms of anxiety. The most effective form of therapy is cognitive behavior therapy.
It is used for certain anxiety disorders like agoraphobia. You can call it a short-term treatment that works on teaching you certain skills regarding agoraphobia. These skills help an individual to challenge his or her worries directly to decrease them.
Symptoms can improve with the help of this treatment and people with agoraphobia learn to overcome the factors that enhance the possibility of a panic attack and make it worse. A healthcare professional helps you to deal with the symptoms of anxiety.
You learn the ways that help you to challenge the worries or bad thoughts like the worry of getting into a bad situation in a public place. It helps you to change unhealthy behaviors into healthy ones using desensitization.
Individuals become relaxed when they learn to face the places safely in which they got the panic attacks in the past. Your doctor may recommend you certain antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications to decrease the symptoms of agoraphobia.
