goodtoknow says: Agoraphobia is a phobia where you have a fear of open spaces, often public places, and of not being able to escape. Many agoraphobics are confined to their home as walking out of their front door can leave them paralysed with terror. Agoraphobia typically affects women and can start from your early 20s. You may experience heart palpitations, breathlessness, feel sick, shake, get a dry mouth and sweat when you come to face to face with what you fear. Early treatment is key to overcoming your phobia. Cognitive behaviour therapy, CBT, and antidepressants are highly effective.
For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of agoraphobia from patient.co.uk, read on.
Agoraphobia is an intense fear about being in public places where you feel escape might be difficult. So you tend to avoid public places, and may not even venture out from home. It can greatly affect your life. Treatment can work well in many cases. Treatment options include cognitive behaviour therapy and medication, usually with an SSRI antidepressant.
Many people think that agoraphobia means a fear of public places and open spaces. But this is just part of it. If you have agoraphobia you tend to have a number of fears of various places and situations. So, for example, you may have a fear of:
But they all stem from one underlying fear. That is, a fear of being in a place where help will not be available, or where you feel it may be difficult to escape to a safe place (usually to your home).
When you are in a feared place you become very anxious and distressed, and have an intense desire to get out. The anxiety usually causes physical symptoms such as: a fast heart rate, palpitations, shaking (tremor), sweating, dry mouth, feeling sick, chest pain, headaches, stomach pains, a 'knot in the stomach', fast breathing. You may even have a panic attack. Even thinking about going to such places can make you anxious. To avoid this anxiety, you tend to avoid feared places.
The severity of agoraphobia can vary greatly. Some people with agoraphobia can cope quite well outside their home by sticking to familiar areas and routines. Some people with agoraphobia can go out from their home and travel on buses, trains, etc, without getting anxious if they go with a friend or family member. There may be times when you have good spells where you 'cope' better than at other times.
However, to prevent anxiety many people with agoraphobia stay inside their home for most or all of the time. But, by avoiding the feared situations this can often cause the fear to grow stronger and the problem may get worse. So, agoraphobia can be disabling and greatly affect your life.
Agoraphobia usually develops between the ages of 15 and 35 and is usually a lifelong problem unless treated. Twice as many women are affected than men.
Many, but not all, people with agoraphobia also have a condition called panic disorder. Briefly, people with panic disorder have panic attacks that occur suddenly, often without warning. A panic attack is like a sudden and severe attack of anxiety and fear.
If you have panic disorder you may worry about having a panic attack in a public place which is embarrassing, difficult to get out of, or where help may not be available. Therefore, you may develop agoraphobia - a fear of being in such places - because you have panic disorder.
CBT helps you to change certain ways that you think, feel and behave. It is a useful treatment for various mental health problems, including phobias.
CBT is usually done in weekly sessions of about 50 minutes each, for several weeks. You have to take an active part, and are given 'homework' between sessions. For example, you may be asked to keep a diary of your thoughts which occur when you become anxious.
Note: unlike other forms of 'psychotherpy', CBT does not 'look into the events of the past'. CBT aims to deal with, and to change where appropriate, your current thought processes and/or behaviours.
CBT usually works well to treat most phobias, but does not suit everyone. However, it may not be available on the NHS in all areas.
These are commonly used to treat depression, but also help to reduce the symptoms of phobias, even if you are not depressed. They work by interfering with brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) such as serotonin which may be involved in causing anxiety symptoms.
A combination of cognitive-behaviour therapy and an SSRI antidepressant may work better in some cases than either treatment alone.
These medicines are sometimes called 'minor tranquilisers'. They work well to ease symptoms of anxiety. The problem is, they are addictive and can lose their effect if you take them for more than a few weeks. They may also make you drowsy. Therefore, they are not a usual long-term treatment. However, a short course may be prescribed from time to time for a particularly bad spell of anxiety.
National Phobics Society
Zion Community Resource Centre, 339 Stretford Road, Hulme, Manchester, M15 4ZY
Tel: 0870 122 2325 Web: www.phobics-society.org.uk
NO PANIC (National Organisation For Phobias, Anxiety, Neuroses, Information & Care)
93 Brands Farm Way, Randlay, Telford, Shropshire TF3 2JQ
Helpline: 0808 808 0545 Web: http://nopanic.org.uk
Triumph Over Phobia (TOP UK)
PO Box 3760, Bath, BA2 3WY
Tel: 0845 600 9601 Web: www.triumphoverphobia.com
Runs a national network of structured, self-help groups for adults (16+) suffering from phobias.
First Steps to Freedom
1 Taylor Close, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2LW
Helpline: 0845 120 2916 Web: www.first-steps.org.
For people with general anxiety, phobias, obsessional compulsive disorder, panic attacks, anorexia and bulimia, and those who wish to come off tranquillisers. Services include, telephone self-help groups, leaflets, booklets, videos, audio tapes including relaxation audio tapes.
© EMIS and PIP 2005 Updated: August 2005