What is Agoraphobia?
Posted by Sylvia on October 18th, 2007
Many of us have had moments while we’ve been out in public and felt some unexplained discomfort. It’s difficult to identify exactly what it is, but something just doesn’t feel right. It might be that we subconsciously sense danger, perhaps because of the environment we’re in. In most cases, the discomfort passes and we never really figure it out.
For others, however, the discomfort takes on a life of its own. They become agoraphobic.
What is Agoraphobia?
Broken down into it’s root words, agoraphobia comes from the Greek language. “Agora” means a meeting place or market place. “Phobia” is a fear. In this case, it’s a fear of places where people gather, of being in public.
An agoraphobic, then, is a person who is afraid of being in crowded public places. They don’t even have to be that crowded. An agoraphobic can experience fear when there are only a few people.
It’s possible the fear developed out of a panic attack.
They might have experienced a panic attack while in a public place, and from there developed a fear of public places. The initial attack might have had nothing to do with the location, but subconsciously, the panic became linked to it.
In essence, they became afraid of being in places where they might have a panic attack. Their solution, which isn’t really much of a solution, is simply to avoid places where they think they might have another attack.
For many people, their agoraphobia severely interferes with their lifestyle. They experience fear when they shop for groceries, when and if they attend social events, on their way to work, at work, and even at the library. Eventually, the fear gets so bad they become housebound.
Panic attacks can be scary because the symptoms are so dramatic. The heart pounds, the person has trouble breathing, they feel dizzy and wonder if they’re having a heart attack or if they might die. This increased fear feeds the panic, and a cycle of fear and panic becomes established.
The discouraging thing for someone suffering from agoraphobia is the difficulty in getting a diagnosis from their doctor. Their symptoms might imitate something more serious, but the examination doesn’t reveal any problems. Unfortunately, many doctors don’t know the specific diseases that can cause anxiety, such as diabetes, so the connection is never made.
Unable to diagnose your complaint, the doctor might write you a prescription for something to calm you. The problem is that medications alone will not cure your underlying problem… agoraphobia, which is just one aspect of panic disorder.
What Can You Do?
The solution is to break the vicious and extremely debilitating cycle of fear, panic and isolation.
As I’ve mentioned before, the first step is to talk to doctors who specialize in such mental disorders. They will be better able to make a proper diagnosis and prescribe the best mode of treatment.
As with any condition, whether it’s medical or a mental disorder, the earlier you seek treatment the less severe the problem will become. With agoraphobia, the sooner you get relief the sooner you will be cured and able, once again, to enjoy life on the outside.
You will find links to some programs that will help you by visiting my Anxiety Cure pages at http://www.book-titles.ca/anxietycure.htm