To better understand agoraphobia and how it works, one must understand a little about panic disorder. Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by unexpected and repeated episode of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, and/or abdominal stress.

These episodes of panic usually pique at three minutes and go away after about five minutes. People with this disorder have “trained” themselves to think the worse and cause these episodes to last upwards of thirty minutes to an hour. It is shown that 1 in 3 people who suffer from panic disorder also suffer from agoraphobia.

There is a long list of symptoms for agoraphobia. These may include the fear of being alone, fear of being in places where escape may be difficult, becoming house bound for prolonged periods of time, anxiety or panic attacks, feelings of helplessness, and dependence upon others.

Physiological symptoms that people may feel while being put in these situations is a long list as well. These symptoms may include lightheadedness, excessive sweating, breathing difficulty, chest pain, nausea, and numbness. No one really knows the direct causes for these symptoms, but doctors are constantly coming up with their theories.

Heredity plays a big factor in this disorder. It is proven that panic disorder runs in families and since panic disorder and agoraphobia is so closely linked, it appears that some genetic factor, in combination with environment, may be responsible for the onset of agoraphobia. This does not mean that everyone who has an existing anxiety disorder within their family will develop one as well.

One line of evidence suggests that panic disorder may be associated with increased activity in the portions of the brain that monitor external and internal stimuli and control the brain’s responses to them. Also, it has been shown that panic disorder patients have increased activity in a portion of the nervous system which regulates such physiological functions as heart rate and body temperature.

However, it is not clear whether these increases reflect the anxiety symptoms or whether they cause them. There is believed to also be cognitive factors as well. Scientists are investigating the basic thought processes and emotions that come into play during a panic attack and those that contribute to the development and persistence of agoraphobia. Sometimes treatment is based on your past and how well you respond to it.

There are a lot of treatments available for people who are suffering from agoraphobia, but are they good enough? There are both therapy and medications available as treatment options. The goal of treatment is to help the phobic person function effectively.

The success of treatment usually depends upon the severity of the phobia. Obviously someone who just has fears of going into crowded places will not have the same treatment plan as a person who cannot go outside the house. Therapy can be with a psychologist, a therapist, or a life coach.

There are many different forms of therapy, but there are some more than others that are more commonly used. Systematic desensitization, called “exposure therapy,” is a behavioral technique used to treat phobias. It is based upon having the person relax, and then imagine the components of the phobia; working from the least fearful to the most fearful. The individual will work with a therapist to develop coping strategies such as relaxation and breathing techniques.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is another form of therapy and the most widely used today. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the important role of thinking in how we feel and what we do. There are other forms of therapy that are not as popular, but are still used today.

Other types of therapy, such as cognitive therapy, assertiveness training, biofeedback, hypnosis, meditation, relaxation or couples therapy were found to be helpful for some patients. Treatment with medication is an option as well

Author: Joshua Cooper   Follow me on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/joshcoop

Tagged with: Agoraphobia

Filed under: Agoraphobia

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!