Our goal is to help you develop self-management skills to overcome your agoraphobia. We will use various techniques including goal rehearsal and coping imagery. These processes involve other procedures as well, including the step-by-step technique, self-instruction training, systematic desensitization, and so forth.
Self-management
Self-management empowers you to manage your behaviors by mastering them. You will learn to take full responsibility for your thoughts and behaviors. You will be asked to use some of your own strategies that you develop and use them consistently until you have mastered your Agoraphobia.
- Choose a behavior that you want to decrease or increase by defining it.
- Record the frequency of your behavior for one week to set up a starting place from which to measure your undesired behaviors.
- Start to replace these undesired behaviors with your new behaviors once you have implemented your self-management strategies.
- Record your progress. Record the details of the setting in which your behavior occurred. Note any of the events that lead to that behavior. Note the consequences that occurred after using the behavior.
- Monitor yourself. Work toward increasing or decreasing the behavior based on your goal. Do this for two weeks and create a contract with yourself, telling you that you will encourage your new behavior. Include a starting and finishing date in your contract.
- Change your surroundings and the events that lead up to your targeted behavior.
- Change both the reinforcements and consequences that lead up to that behavior.
- Assess your progress at the end of your contract date.
- Develop a plan to continue using your new behavior.
Goal-rehearsal and coping imagery
Through this process, you will be asked to deliberately and thoroughly visualize the steps you took to develop your new behavior. Coping imagery and goal-rehearsal that involves using imagery will improve your ability to transfer old behaviors to new behaviors that allow you to see more clearly and in a positive light. It also enhances the process of transferring of actual events into your mind.
Set realistic goals that do not require of you to work toward perfection. For instance, let’s say that you encounter a severe panic attack when asked to speak in public. When you prepare for a speech, you may visualize the audience clearly. The thought of panicking in public may terrify you. Everyone feels anxious to a degree when giving public speeches, but the key to succeeding is to visualize the audience as your friends or family and someone who wants to hear you speak. Each week when you reduce the symptoms that cause you anxiety, the easier it will become to give that speech. Next, we can move into the step-by-step technique.
The step-by-step technique involves decreasing anxiety as well as panic attacks. Instead of sweating over those upcoming events that cause you to feel paralyzed with anxiety, it is time to take control of your life. Whether you are giving a public speech, expecting to join a job interview, or go on a date, you can overcome agoraphobia if you have a mind to do so.
Step-by-Step Technique
The step-by-step technique allows you to visualize the worst thing that could possibly happen to you in a situation that causes you anxiety. In this case, picture the worst thing that could happen to you if you went to the supermarket or a busy airport. Now imagine yourself handling the situation well. Picture yourself surviving the worst-case scenario.
Once you have visualized yourself confronting the worst-case scenario if you visit the airport or supermarket, move away from your deliberate anxiety that occurred from the visualization.
Today is your lucky day. After you have visualized yourself in the worst case scenario of when you visited the supermarket, now it is time to confront the real thing. Go to the supermarket. Prepare yourself before you go by performing the previous techniques, i.e. tell yourself mentally how you will handle the event. For example, “I will go to the supermarket and get my groceries, or an item I need without worrying about others. I am equal to others and no one is judging me.” Keep making positive statements as you walk out the door to visit the supermarket.
When you return, reward yourself!
Self-Instructions
We hope that you visit to the supermarket went well. We are confident that someone out there was happy to see your face in the public. Now it is time to move into self-instruction training. We directly ask of you to change the way that you talk to yourself.
Emotions are made up of guilt, fear, pain, and anger and these emotions can be negative. Self-instruction is designed to help you break the chain of negative thinking negative or behavior when those emotions emerge.
Negative self-talk is one of the leading causes that cause people to feel anxious. Positive self-talk on the other hand relaxes the mind and body so it is an important skill for you learn in order to overcome your agoraphobia.
Your goal is to plan to replace your anxiety with something positive. For instance, instead of saying I will be embarrassed if I panic in public, say “I will manage the situation as it occurs one step at a time. When I feel anxious in public, I will take a few seconds or minutes to recount my thoughts. I will take a few deep breathes to move myself to relax. I am in control of my emotions.” The more you practice these positive self-talk steps, the easier it will become for you to manage while you are in a public environment.
Strategizing to reduce anxiety
In order to reduce anxiety you have to have some positive strategies in place. Using positive strategies build self-control skills. One of the most useful techniques we can consider is known as systematic desensitization. Repetition is the key to making this work. Each time you practice this step you will find yourself overcoming agoraphobia.
Face the real event head on when you feel as though you have control of your anxiety and negative thinking.
Follow these steps to continue working toward overcoming agoraphobia:
- Use deep-muscle relaxation techniques such as yoga, breathing, stretching, etc to build coping skills.
- Build a network of anxiety-provoking imageries
- Use deep-relaxation techniques with your anxiety-provoking imageries
Looking to the Future
- When you visit your doctor, go to the supermarket, or visit some public place open up a conversation with a stranger. Start talking about common problems or experiences. For example, “haven’t prices gone up!” If you are visiting your doctor, open a conversation with a stranger about swine flu or the latest subject of interest. Spend some time on the Internet to find out what everyone is talking about. Go into public places and listen to people talk. Listen to what they are talking about so that you can use their keywords to open up a conversation with someone passing you on the streets.
- Go to your local restaurant. Order a nice meal for yourself. Try to find a restaurant that has a dinner or lunch buffet so that you can open up a conversation with people at the buffet. For example, you may ask a stranger, “I wonder if the lettuce is fresh?” On the other hand, you might say, “That meat looks great.”
The more you practice conversing with strangers the easier it will become for you to go into large and open public places.
- Learn to give and accept compliments. When someone compliments something, you are wearing or your hairstyle simple say “Thank you”, or strike up a conversation and tell them where you got your clothes or hair done.
- Practice introducing yourself. For example, “My name is __”.You can practice telling others your name at home by looking in the mirror. Give yourself a personal compliment and thank yourself followed by opening up a conversation with you by asking a question. For example, you may ask “Where did you get your hair done?”
- Ask for help. When you go to the supermarket and cannot find an item, you are looking for search for the newest employee or manager and ask them for help. Make it obvious to the employee or manager that you are serious and need help finding an item.
- Use self-disclosure and facts. If you intend to open a conversation with someone speak fluently and honestly. You may comment on the weather. Most people will reply with positive responses.
- It’s ok to tell others how you feel. If you are in public and feel anxious let others around you know. You might tell someone who is trying to show interest in you that you are anxious and shy.
8. Take up some hobbies and start a blog to open discussions with others who share the same interests.
9. Engage yourself in as many social situations as you can to help you develop the skills you need to succeed in life.
Each day plan to go somewhere like the mall, social group, supermarket, restaurant, theatre or any place that has large open spaces. When you feel anxious, step back, and examine your thoughts. Take a few deep breaths and make your assertive statement, “I am in control of my body and mind”.
The more effort you put into stop your Agoraphobia the more results you will see in the long run. Practice makes perfect so make it a habit to practice the steps from this guide daily.
You have read an article about Agoraphobia. To learn more and to start an online therapy, please visit:
Agoraphobia Online Therapy |
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