Therefore, it is important to seek out professional help as soon as symptoms arise. However, even people with disabling and long-term agoraphobia typically have positive results and improvements through professional help.
Relaxation techniques are self-help strategies that can help alleviate your feelings of anxiety. These techniques can assist in easing tension throughout the body and relaxing any nervousness of the mind.
Relaxation techniques can be easily learned from home and at your own pace. Start practicing these strategies to manage panic attacks, reduce negative thoughts and elicit your relaxation response.
Desensitization is a popular coping technique that can be learned on your own or through therapy. Desensitization works by helping you gradually unlearn your fears. Desensitization begins by gradually imaging yourself in anxiety-provoking situations while learning how to relax through your feelings of apprehension. While picturing yourself in places or situations that typically trigger panic attacks, you will use a relaxation technique to work through your fears and anxieties. Over time, you may be able to visualize yourself in feared situations and yet feel in control of your anxiety.
Stress can be a major source of anxiety. Stress has been known to contribute to many physical and mental health problems. To reduce your panic and anxiety symptoms, learn some stress management techniques. Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Symptoms - panic attacks. Cleveland Clinic. Panic Disorder: Management and Treatment. Reviewed February 1, National Institute on Mental Health.
Panic Disorder: When Fear Overwhelms. Some people can manage agoraphobia symptoms by following a routine. For others, it can be severely debilitating. According to the DSM-5 , a person with agoraphobia commonly fears :. The most characteristic fear involves a situation in which dangers arises and help is unavailable or escape is impossible. The fear can escalate until the person has a panic attack. When agoraphobia occurs with panic attacks, the physical symptoms can include:.
Also, a study found that levels of low-grade inflammation appeared to increase over time in people with agoraphobia. This suggests that people with the condition may have a higher risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
The specific reasons why agoraphobia develops remain unclear, but changes in the areas of the brain that control the fear response may play a role. The DSM-5 lists three types of risk factors :. To diagnose agoraphobia, a healthcare professional will interview the person and ask about their symptoms.
They may also ask how the person feels about leaving the house and being in certain situations. Using criteria from the DSM-5 , doctors can diagnose agoraphobia if a person experiences anxiety or extreme fear in at least two of the following situations.
The symptoms must be persistent, and the person must have experienced them for at least 6 months to receive a diagnosis. The doctor also needs to establish that the symptoms do not result from another disorder, such as a specific phobia or social anxiety disorder. They may perform or order tests to rule out other conditions that could cause the symptoms.
A person with a diagnosis of agoraphobia may be eligible for a disability allowance. The DSM-5 considers agoraphobia to be persistent and chronic if a person does not receive treatment. For many, it is a lifelong condition. It became fear of the fear. I went to my GP and was advised to go on a holiday not great advice for an agoraphobic. I was prescribed Valium and Tryptanol an antidepressant. I found the side effects of the Tryptanol made the panic worse. I was also terrified of what the Valium would do, so I only took very small doses.
A close relative, who also had agoraphobia, advised me that I had to just get out in the world and tough it out before it became a habit. I now know that this was not very good advice, but it was well intended and that was the only way that this person survived. That was the advice I took and acted on. It is not something I would ever recommend to anyone else.
I also learned meditation through the late Dr Ainslie Meares a well known Melbourne psychiatrist. This meditation was very helpful and calming and I still practice it daily, but it was a long way from being a cure on its own. The main actions that helped me to recovery were: Exposure - although I wouldn't recommend the sledgehammer approach of confronting fears cold turkey that I took.
Learning to meditate - the calmness from meditation permeates into all of your day to day activities. It is very comforting, reassuring and grounding. Learning progressive muscle relaxation - this is often taught with meditation, you learn to feel your muscular tension and can learn to release it. Understanding the fight or flight response and that I was not having a heart attack or going mad.
Becoming physically fit - I took up long distance running. Learning that relying on alcohol doesn't work in the long term - it makes the panic considerably worse the next day.
Nutrition - having a good nutritious diet and also learning what are the most suitable foods for me I found that low fat, "brown rice and lentils" type diets made me more anxious than ever. Learning to breathe slowly and from the diaphragm.
Listening to my body - Eg. Learning not to put myself under excessive time and deadline pressure. Changing my belief system and learning to increase my self esteem - mainly through reading self help books and acting on the advice.
Learning to trust my intuition and myself and not be ruled by the thoughts and opinions of others. Medication: I used Xanax to cover up the symptoms for many years but the anxiety simply returned if I didn't use it. In I saw a psychiatrist who specialised in anxiety disorders. He told me that he was having excellent results with a new antidepressant called Prozac and asked me to give it a go.
Someone with agoraphobia may be scared of:. If someone with agoraphobia finds themselves in a stressful situation, they'll usually experience the symptoms of a panic attack , such as:. They'll avoid situations that cause anxiety and may only leave the house with a friend or partner. They'll order groceries online rather than going to the supermarket. This change in behaviour is known as avoidance.
Read more about the symptoms of agoraphobia. Agoraphobia usually develops as a complication of panic disorder , an anxiety disorder involving panic attacks and moments of intense fear. It can arise by associating panic attacks with the places or situations where they occurred and then avoiding them.
A minority of people with agoraphobia have no history of panic attacks. In these cases, their fear may be related to issues like a fear of crime, terrorism, illness, or being in an accident. Traumatic events, such as bereavement , may contribute towards agoraphobia, as well as certain genes inherited from your parents. Read more about the possible causes of agoraphobia.
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