At the starting point, note that agoraphobia is an anxiety problem, which affects the individual on the psychophysiological level. It is not a disease, but a learned emotional response, which quickly leads to avoidance behaviors. Agoraphobia is always accompanied by very high anxiety and panic states. When the individual is in a state of panic, it may experience various physical symptoms, such as having trouble breathing, feeling of loss of balance, numbness, lump in the throat, muscle tension, tremors, heart palpitations, etc. . In addition, these feelings are often accompanied by dramatic thoughts feel like dying, having a heart attack, losing control of his actions or going crazy (crazy) to go public ridicule, etc..
These panic attacks usually occur outside of the house and eventually agoraphobia avoid going out, going to the mall, restaurants, outside the city, etc. .... by the fear of having panic attacks at once terrifying and exhausting. In short, it is the fear of fear.
Note that professional help (psychologist or doctor) is the first foundation to a well oriented treatment, and agoraphobia can be treated and cured by getting involved in a treatment favoring your exposure to your fears.
Interview with Dr. Michael Spevack, PhD, director of behavioral therapy Montreal General Hospital.
What is a phobia?
A phobia is an irrational fear of a situation or object. The phobic person knows that his fear is unfounded, but can not help being afraid. Usually avoid the phobic object or situation they fear.
What is agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is perhaps the most debilitating phobia. Agoraphobic anxiety sufferers in remote areas or crowds - wherever they may feel stuck and do not get adequate help quickly. They are often afraid of being alone, except home. Anxiety sometimes reached the point they fear losing consciousness, falling, having a heart attack or losing reason.
These reactions occur?
Not. But fear is so strong that they avoid any situation that could leave in a hurry to return to the safety of their homes.
Are there a lot of agoraphobia?
The estimates are approximate because many agoraphobics are ashamed of their problem and often do not speak. There are at least 400,000 Canadians and 4,000,000 Americans suffering from agoraphobia.
What places do they avoid?
Cinemas, restaurants, shopping centers, churches, supermarkets, buses, subways, highways, bridges, trains and airplanes. Some are unable to get away from home. In the most severe cases, agoraphobics are literally prisoners in their own home.
The anxiety experienced by agoraphobia must be terribly devastating to cause such disruption in their lives? It is difficult to imagine the fear of others. An agoraphobic feels like a two year old child who has lost his mother in a huge supermarket or as a person from narrowly escaped an accident that could have been fatal.
Agoraphobic are they fundamentally sick?
Not. For a long time, they were treated as if they were. I was prescribed them medication and made them undertake long therapies to discover the root cause of these fears. Most of the time, these methods were ineffective.
Can we treat and possibly cure agoraphobia?
Yes, thankfully. It seems that the most effective treatment of agoraphobia (and all other other phobias) or behavioral therapy. It is believed that anxiety and panic felt by the agoraphobic are learned behaviors, a bad habit. Patients are encouraged to get rid of this habit and start living a normal life.
How are things going there?
Patients are taught relaxation techniques that will help them overcome their panic. They get to know - to recognize - the panic and tame, that she can not hurt physically or make them mad. They slowly begin to confront the feared situations.
