If the thought of going to the grocery store for a gallon of milk makes you feel anxious, you may suffer from agoraphobia.
If you’ve noticed that you exclusively take one way home each day and stick to the exact same roads, walkways, and footpaths because you’re afraid to try new ones, you may be experiencing agoraphobia.
Perhaps, before you developed agoraphobia, you went out with friends to the bar, parties, and cinema in addition to work and school. As time went on perhaps you began to worry more about having a panic attack, and you stopped going to parties. Then, when the semester ended, you didn’t enroll in school again for fear you’d have a panic attack in class. You now see your friends less often and spend as little time as possible at work. These kinds of behaviors may indicate that you have agoraphobia.
Even if you don’t actually experience a panic attack, fear of having an attack in a social situation can also be a symptom of agoraphobia.
For instance, perhaps you experience an agoraphobic episode when you’re at a baseball game with a friend. Instead of expressing that you feel anxious in the large crowd, you might tell your friend you need to go home to let your dog out. In addition to such excuses, you might fake illness to escape an uncomfortable situation.
Some people also experience panic symptoms or panic attacks in situations that trigger anxiety. During a panic attack, one may experience a combination of chest pain, numbness, dizziness, trembling, sweating, shortness of breath, nausea, feeling unreal or disconnected from oneself, feeling like you are losing control or going crazy, feeling like you are dying, or feeling chilled or hot. [10] X Research source
being in a large crowd or waiting in a line being in an open space, such as a marketplace or parking lot being in a closed space, such as a coffee shop or movie theater using public transportation, such as the bus, train, plane, or a ferry going outside of your home alone
There are two kinds of fears that may emerge when people are alone. One kind is related to agoraphobia. The other kind of fear is one that develops because the person is alone and feels vulnerable to attack from predators. This is not symptomatic of agoraphobia. Correctly identifying one’s own feelings is important to identifying whether they have agoraphobia. [13] X Trustworthy Source Nature Respected Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal Go to source
having another disorder, such as panic disorder or another type of phobia feeling nervous or anxious much of the time going through something stressful, such a losing a parent, being attacked, or being abused having a family history of agoraphobia (such as a blood relative) having depression having a substance abuse problem
Antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, such as paroxetine and fluoxetine, may help if you have panic attacks along with your agoraphobia. Other options include tricyclic antidepressants and MAOI inhibitors. Anti-anxiety medications. Medications such as benzodiazepines can produce a sense of calm in short amount of tie, but these medications can be addictive. Therefore, it is best to limit your use of these medications to emergency situations, such as during a panic attack.
An effective CBT regimen will occur over several weeks in sessions of about 50 minutes each. Your counselor will talk you through your experience of agoraphobia in a given week and you will be asked to analyze your patterns of mind and action. Eventually, you will be asked to expose yourself to progressively more challenging levels of social engagement in order to banish the feelings and thoughts your agoraphobia inspires. First you might go to the market for 15 minutes, then 30 minutes, then an hour, and so on until you’ve been properly re-acclimated to social situations.
For instance, when your brain tells you to freak out because there’s danger nearby, gather additional information. Think about prior panic attacks you’ve had and remember that you survived and endured them without permanent injury or death (a common fear among people who have agoraphobia).
For instance, if you feel or fear a wave of panic coming on when you go to a baseball game, try going to a local little league or minor league game for about 15 to 20 minutes. Ramp it up progressively, attending the next game for 30 to 40 minutes, then 60 to 70 minutes and so on. Eventually, transition into going to a major league game for a few innings, then Be honest with yourself about your comfort level. Your goal should not be to induce an agoraphobic panic attack, but to identify the trigger that brings the attacks on without actually having one. Don’t rush the process by exposing yourself to too great a trigger too soon. Pace yourself and keep a journal of how you feel after each exposure in order to gauge your progress.
