Agoraphobia - Mental Health - HealthSurgeon - Healthy Living and Fitness

Agoraphobia is a mental health condition. It is an anxiety disorder that causes intense fear of becoming overwhelmed or unable to escape or get help. It usually affects people in wide open spaces, but it can also be triggered by enclosed spaces, crowds, standing in line, using public transport, or any place that is outside of the home. Agoraphobia causes the person to want to avoid new places and unfamiliar situations.

Anyone can develop agoraphobia, it affects women more than men. You are at a higher risk of developing this condition if you have another phobia. About one third of all people with panic disorder also have agoraphobia. There is a higher risk if you have a family history of the condition, or a history of stressful or traumatic situations.

Symptoms

The most common age for symptoms to become present are between the ages of 25 and 35. Anxiety disorders cause extreme worry that affects your daily life. It can stop you from doing something, or participating in daily activities. Along with the extreme worry you may also experience extreme fear with agoraphobia. Agoraphobia can also cause stress, chest pain, rapid heart rate, shakiness, hyperventilation, trouble breathing, dizziness, sudden chills, flushing, excessive sweating, or an upset stomach. During an episode of agoraphobia you may feel as though you aren’t going to survive. You may also have the feeling that you are completely out of control. To be able to go anywhere outside of your house you may need to rely on a trusted friend or family member to go with you. Agoraphobia can lead to you staying at home all the time and never leaving. It can also lead to avoidance, depression, alcohol use, or drug use.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing can be done by a primary care physician, a psychologist, or a psychiatrist. It can be hard to diagnose someone with agoraphobia since they sometimes remain at home and won’t go out to other places. In some cases your doctor may be able to do a telephone consult, or a video call appointment until you are comfortable to make it into the office. The doctor will start by listening to your symptoms. They may want to do a physical exam to rule out other health conditions before moving on. An interview will be done to ask you certain questions. Questions your doctor may ask you could be; Are you anxious to leave your house, what are places that cause you fear, or do you rely on others to be with you to leave your home? To be diagnosed with agoraphobia you must feel extreme panic in at least 2 of the following situations; using public transport, being in an open space such as a parking lot, or open field, being in an enclosed space like a movie theater, or elevator, standing in line or being in a crowd, or being out of the home alone. If you have extreme anxiety with 2 or more of these situations your doctor will diagnose you with agoraphobia.

Treatment

Treatment for agoraphobia is a combination between medication and cognitive behavioral therapy, which is a type of talk therapy. One medication that can be used to help agoraphobia symptoms are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are an antidepressant. It usually takes about 2-4 weeks for these medications to start working. In some cases it can feel like the medications are making symptoms worse, before they get better. It is important to take the medication exactly as your doctor prescribed so that you have the best chance of it helping your symptoms after a few weeks. Another medication is benzodiazepines which are a sedative medication. They work best at short term anxiety relief. The issue that most people find with the benzodiazepines is there is a high risk of dependency.

CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy is used to help change the way a person thinks about and reacts to certain things. This could be learning new ways of facing situations that trigger symptoms. Learning new ways of managing stress and symptoms. It can also help you to learn new techniques to manage your fear. CBT is a type of talk therapy that has been shown to help people with agoraphobia. A therapist can usually meet with you virtually if coming to the office is too difficult. Your therapist may come to you in some instances. They may sometimes work with you walking down the street a short ways away from your house, if leaving your house has become an issue. The goal of treatment is to stop allowing your agoraphobia from stopping you doing daily things, or keeping you house bound. In extreme cases people may lose their jobs because they refuse to go to work.

It is important for you to follow the treatment plan you doctors have given you. Working on relaxation techniques at home, or stress management. Getting regular exercise and eating a healthy diet is also good for people with agoraphobia. Avoiding alcohol and caffeine can help lessen symptoms in some cases. Avoiding recreational drug use is also important for treatment to work. Over time you will be able to slowly increase your exposure to new places, or places that used to strike fear in you.