Fear of open spaces is about more than just the open space itself. Fear of open spaces is more a fear of experiencing panic attacks in the open and not having the ability to escape Once agoraphobia develops, panic attacks have usually been occurring for years
Symptoms of fear of open spaces can be complex and include:
• Fear of crowded places
• Avoidance of public transportation
• Severe, recurring panic attacks
• Fear of leaving what's familiar.
• Leaving home always triggers panic.
• Extreme reliance on other folks for most basic needs.
• Lack of social network, isolation
Agoraphobia is a very extreme version of panic disorder Agoraphobia can develop alone or it can occur alongside different emotional or mental illnesses. Common companion disorders to agoraphobia include Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), clinical depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety disorder
These days, anxiety disorders are more common than any other emotional illness in America. Anxiety disorders account for nearly one third of all money spent on mental health
Agoraphobia can become very disabling Dependence on others and a tendency to become totally housebound. Standard tasks trigger so much fear that agoraphobics end up doing less and less for themselves.
Agoraphobia typically starts out as panic disorder and then gets worse over time. Symptoms of panic disorder are many but all center around intense fear, including shortness of breath, tightness or pain within the chest, dizziness, nausea, fear, confusion, and tingling or numbness in the hands, feet, and face.
A panic attack will be indistinguishable from a heart attack Multiple visits to the ER should be made to rule out heart attack before panic disorder is finally diagnosed Panic and heart disease look so similar even doctors have to run tests to tell them apart.
Fear of getting another attack can drive panic attack victims to avoid anything that might set them off They begin to avoid public places Avoidance that becomes a habit ends up in agoraphobia. People can become fully housebound if treatment isn't sought
Successful treatment of agoraphobia is possible however Full recovery is attainable with good treatment. Therapy, medicine, or some combination of both could be used to treat the illness.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a popular short-term kind of treatment CBT ‘reframes’ perception so the attacks stop naturally
Systematic desensitization is usually used as well Systematic desensitization sessions are used to slow increase the exposure of the agoraphobic to stressful conditions. Agoraphobics must tolerate the exposure until no fear is felt. Stressful stimuli are then slightly increased again
SSRI antidepressant medication is the foremost commonly prescribed drug therapy for agoraphobia SSRI medicine relieve anxiety by increasing the amount of serotonin in the bloodstream
Serotonin is the body’s natural way of maintaining a state of emotional calm and wellbeing. Serotonin is less available to some people than others, for reasons that are still not known.
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