Agoraphobia is an anxiety that occurs due to the fear of getting a panic attack or panic-like symptoms in public or crowded places.
In this the fear is also associated with the inability to get appropriate help or difficulty in escaping from that situation.
DSM 5 defines Agoraphobia as “marked fear or anxiety about actual or anticipated exposure of public spaces,with the symptoms of fear and anxiety occurring most of the time, in at least two of the five common,different situations.” Along with the fear of getting a panic attack or feeling panicky in public or crowded places,Agoraphobia is also associated with the fear of not getting help if the anxiety goes out of control.
Situations that are feared most are:
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Public transportation
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Open spaces like marketplaces.
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Enclosed spaces like cinema halls, or
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Being outside of the home alone.
Most people develop it after one or more panic attacks.They not only fear getting a panic attack in public places or crowded areas but also makes active efforts to avoid those situations.It highly impairs their daily life as they always need someone to accompany them to public places or else they avoid being in situations alone where exposure may occur.
According to DSM 5 Agoraphobia is present in 1.7% of the population .It usually develops during late adolescence and early adulthood with the average onset age being 17 years.Some of the proposed causes of Agoraphobia are :
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Parental overprotectiveness.
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Presence of childhood fears or night tremors.
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Grief or bereavement in early life.
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Traumatic childhood.
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Genetic disposition.
Dependent,obsessive-compulsive or highly neurotic personality types are more likely to develop Agoraphobia.
Despite having different diagnostic criteria,Agoraphobia and panic disorder share the same line of treatment .The first step is to identify and begin treatment as early as possible as Agoraphobia is a persistent and chronic condition.If left untreated it can make a person completely home bound and impact their personal,social and professional lives.
Cognitive behaviour therapy has been found to be highly effective at reducing the symptoms of anxiety and improving overall quality of life.The therapy focuses on teaching specific skills to cope with anxiety and repeated exposure to uncomfortable situations and sensations supported by specific coping skills.The therapy also involves directly challenging the worrying and anxiety triggering thoughts and gradually returning to the activities that were avoided because of the fear.
A combination of pharmacotherapy and CBT has been proven to be more helpful in cases of severe agoraphobia.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
About MindTribe.in.
MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.
About the Author.
Ruma Choudhury is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.