It is often understood agoraphobia as the opposite of claustrophobia and is defined as the “irrational fear of open spaces”, but in reality it is something more complex which occurs in different degrees.
It belongs to the category of phobias, framed within anxiety disorders. Throughout this article we are going to see a more exact definition, its symptoms, what fears affect the subject and some tips to overcome it.
Definition of agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that consists of the fear of those situations or circumstances in which the person feels helpless or insecure, so much so that they can go into a panic attack because they think that they will not be able to receive adequate help. Or also for experiencing an exaggerated feeling of shame for showing your anxiety or fear.
It can occur in an open space, in a crowd waiting in line, on public transportation, far from home, at the cinema, in the theater or wherever the person experiences a intense feeling of anxiety for not being able to escape the situation.
The stimulus that activates agoraphobia are places or situations that can cause a panic attack and in which the person feels trapped, helpless or ashamed.
Agoraphobia usually sets in after having a panic attack, so people avoid places or situations where it can be repeated. This ultimately causes people to stop leaving home beyond what is essential.
However, agoraphobia can occur with or without a panic attack, although the latter is usually quite common.
Symptoms of agoraphobia
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Acceleration of heart rate
- Breathing difficulties
- Chest tightness
- Excessive sweating
- Nausea, vomiting…
- Muscle tension, headaches…
What is an agoraphobic person afraid of?
This disorder has to do with several basic fears that trigger it. For example:
- To not have help in that situation
- to have a heart attack
- to faint
- to suffer a fall
- to go crazy
- To die
- To make a fool of yourself in public
The fears become so intense that the person avoids exposing themselves to the situations that provoke them. A solution that is, in itself, a problem and that implies a lack of freedom.
In some cases, agoraphobia leads to depressive symptoms, hypochondria, etc. So it becomes a quite disabling problem.
Recommendations for dealing with agoraphobia
- Understand what anxiety is. Don’t pay so much attention to the symptoms, learn to normalize them.
- Train yourself in anxiety management techniques: breathing control, tension-distension techniques, relaxation,…
- Don’t anticipate situations. Reframe a more realistic thought for your irrational fears.
- Progressive exposure to feared situationstaking into account the previous points to control anxiety.
- Be patient, don’t despair. Overcoming an anxiety problem takes time and requires changing habits.
- Stop seeking total control of situations, that doesn’t exist. Looking for emergency exits when arriving at a new place, or a nearby hospital, always establishing the same routines, not leaving a certain area… are behaviors that reinforce the problem and feed back on it. Free yourself from them.
- You work self-esteem: Anxiety problems are usually associated with a lack of self-confidence.
- Find reasons to go out and socialize, Do not isolate yourself.
Agoraphobia Treatment
In our center we treat this disorder through different therapeutic models or a combination of them: the method to change the distorted thoughts that maintain anxiety and the method to reprocess emotions, among others, are among the most useful and frequently used.
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