Agoraphobia Disorder
Agoraphobia disorder is very closely linked to panic and anxiety attacks. While the general definition of agoraphobia is a fear of wide open spaces, it also includes being in a crowd, or places such as shopping centres, concerts or while on public transport. It is basically brought on because a person is fearful of having a panic attack somewhere that he or she would find it hard to escape from. They are probably also embarrassed by the thought of having an attack around people they don’t know.
Agoraphobia can also make you reluctant to drive – you fear that you could get stuck in traffic with no escape, or have a panic attack while driving which could lead to an accident.
Because of these fears, the person starts avoiding going to places which they associate with having anxiety attacks, and some people are so panicked by the thought of being in this sort of situation, that they find it harder and harder to leave the security of their home, because that is where they feel safe. Once they get to this stage, if they don’t deal with their fears they can find themselves afraid to live life – unable to go out, unable to work etc, which in turn affects their whole family.
While understanding and sympathizing with the person who is suffering from agoraphobia disorder, it is important that they understand that they are the only one who can help themselves, albeit with the support of friends or family. It is important to take it one day at a time – for instance if they are scared of driving, take a friend with them
- Day 1 drive to the nearest corner, even if only 100m away.
- Day 2 go a little further, and so on. Then try without the support of the friend.
It doesn’t matter how long it takes, the important thing is they do something every day to face up to their fears.
Because agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder, it can be medically treated with the same type of drugs as panic attacks; however there are more natural ways of controlling it, such as psychotherapywhich is based around helping you understand and manage your thoughts, and ultimately change your reactions. This form of therapy has been proven to be effective for a whole range of things but is particularly effective if you have depression or anxiety.
