Cognitive Treatment - Overcoming Agoraphobia

Some of the common therapys that have been used to treat Agoraphobia include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which has also been successfully used to treat panic attacks. CBT is a process that involves various techniques including self-instruction, systematic desensitization, goal rehearsal, coping imagery and so forth.

You can conquer Agoraphobia by using thought stopping and blocking techniques, as well as coping imagery, goal-rehearsal etc. We will walk you through the processes and steps of using Agoraphobia therapy to help you conquer your disorder. We will help you examine your problems closely and overcome Agoraphobia, which we are confident holds you back from succeeding.

We offer systematic tools and expert advice to help you get a grip on how Agoraphobia affects your life. We also help you to discover effective ways to manage your symptoms by educating you on ways to help you think positively and overcome panic attacks related to your phobia.

We intend to help you take control of self-destructive or self-defeating behaviors and negative thinking patterns so you can enjoy life free from Agoraphobia and panic attacks.

You will learn ways to overcome anxiety and panic attacks that are common symptoms of Agoraphobia by using some unique self-help Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques tailored to fit your needs.

Defining Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is a form of anxiety disorder, which often develops from the fear of encountering panic attacks particularly in a setting where there doesn’t seem to be any way to escape. Those who suffer with Agoraphobia typically will avoid public places and going to unfamiliar environments. They tend to avoid large and open spaces, such as malls, airports and so forth. The person suffering from Agoraphobia tends to confine him- or herself to the home environment and often experiences complications with traveling back and forth to places that is not their safe haven or home.

One example of a person who suffers from Agoraphobia is Bill Murray in the movie What about Bob?

While it was apparent that Bill had other anxiety disorders, it was also clear that he suffered from Agoraphobia. Bob was terrified to leave his home and as a result, he missed many good things in life. During the movie Bob is shown in the first scene isolating himself to his home. He had his own stopwatch, in-home business, etc, and the only real friend he had was his goldfish. Imagine all the good things Bob missed out on because he had Agoraphobia.

Agoraphobia causes anxiety to develop when one goes into unfamiliar or public places because he or she feels that they have lost control. Some of the main anxiety triggers for someone with Agoraphobia include going into open spaces, traveling, crowded rooms, etc. Even short distance travel can cause anxiety attacks for those with Agoraphobia.

Often the root of the Agoraphobia problem stems from fear of embarrassment; one may feel as though he or she will encounter a panic attack in front of others. The thought of being embarrassed becomes overwhelming to the person with Agoraphobia so they tend to avoid the possibility of an embarrassing public anxiety attack by staying home and over time that develops into a fear of going out.

Who does Agoraphobia Affect?

Agoraphobia affects both men and women yet studies show that more women than men suffer from the condition. Also, women who suffer from Agoraphobia tend to develop such conditions from social-cultural factors that have encouraged or allowed greater manifestation of avoidance in coping strategies. Basically, it is more acceptable for women to stay home with the family rather than work outside the home or socialize with other people.

The greater number of women disclosing Agoraphobia could also be because, a some people theorize, when the condition arises in women, women are more apt to seek professional help with their Agoraphobia while men are more likely to abuse alcohol to self-medicate their anxiety attacks. That is an unhealthy spiral which needs to be stopped – now.

Causes of Agoraphobia

Some of the causes of Agoraphobia are unknown, but it is certainly clear that anxiety disorders may link to Agoraphobia. Substance abuse or an extremely stressful lifestyle can factor in to the cause of Agoraphobia. People who abuse sleeping pills or tranquilizers, e.g. benzodiazepines, may develop Agoraphobia.

By following some simple Cognitive Behavioral Therapy steps, it is possible to overcome Agoraphobia, yet it takes your willingness to succeed.

Understanding phobias

A phobia, as described in Merriam-Webster, is “an exaggerated, usually inexplicable and illogical, fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation”. In medical terms, a phobia is an “unreasonable” type of “fear that can cause avoidance and panic”. Some phobias are common types of anxiety disorders whereas some cases are extreme. For example, someone may fear heights to the extreme that they faint when standing above ground level. They fear dying when boarding an airplane, or climbing a ladder. This is a case of an extreme phobia.

You should understand that fear comes in two forms. The first form is an unrealistic fear and the second is a rational, healthy fear. Yes, it is possible that you may fall and hurt yourself while climbing a ladder, but the chances are reduced if you set the ladder properly. It is possible to die while flying, but the realistic view is that it is often safer to travel via plane than by vehicle. If you can get your fear into perspective and take safety precautions like this, then your fear is at the healthy level. Any level of fear above that is a phobia such as Agoraphobia.

In order to overcome this type of phobia one must engage in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to re-educate oneself concerning the mistaken beliefs and fears and anxiety disorder that were built up over the years.