What is agoraphobia? Not everyone can answer this question. Therefore, we decided to talk about the mentioned type of fear in the materials of this article. Also, your attention will be provided with information about why such a condition occurs, what symptoms are inherent in it, how to treat it and who to contact.
What is agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is a panic fear of open spaces. However, it should be noted that this term was originally used to refer to a person's fear of visiting markets and market squares, which are constantly crowded with people.
What can cause fear?
In today's world, the fear of open doors is also called agoraphobia. In addition, the following can also cause fear in people who go outside their apartment or house:
- public places (for example, various shops, cinemas, markets, shopping centers);
- places of meetings and public events (for example, rallies or actions);
- travel by surface or underground public transport;
- resting places in parks and nature (for example, forest parks and open water).
Features of fear
So what is agoraphobia? At its core, this is not the fear of open spaces or the accumulation of a large number of people, but the fear of getting into a situation where nothing depends on a person. With agoraphobia, the patient feels the hopelessness of his situation and absolute helplessness. He is frightened not only by being in such places, but also by the thought of the possibility of being in a similar situation. At the same time, such representations often cause severe panic.
Fear of space and crowds of a large number of people very often develops at the age of 24-30 years. According to statistics, the representatives of the weaker sex are 2 times more prone to this mental disorder than men.
It must be remembered that agoraphobia does not have any effect on the physical he alth of a person and his intellectual abilities in the normal state.
What are the reasons?
An experienced psychotherapist can advance in the treatment of agoraphobia in a few sessions. However, experts cannot identify the specific causes that caused such a disorder.
Scientists who have been studying this problem for many years have not been able to come to a consensus. There are a number of factors that can trigger the development of agoraphobia. These include the following:
- Difficult psychological situation in which people find themselves out of the house (for example, a car accident, a drunken fight, a terrorist attack) often forms a false perception that being outside your home or apartment is extremely life-threatening.
- Problems with orientation in open space, that is, when in a crowd or on a square a person begins to lose his bearings and experiences severe fear.
- Various psychological personality disorders. These include panic attacks, social phobia or panic disorders.
- Unruly and rich imagination, social vulnerability and heightened emotionality.
It should also be noted that often a complex of psychological and physical factors can become the cause of the development of agoraphobia. To determine them, a consultation with a psychotherapist is required.
Signs of disorder
What are the signs of a disorder like agoraphobia? The symptoms of this condition can vary.
Emotional stress that occurs during bouts of uncontrollable fear immediately affects the activity of all internal organs. As a result, a spasm of blood vessels, diaphragm, muscles of the body, intestines, bronchi and stomach is provoked. To provide blood to the entire body compressed by tension, the heart muscle involuntarily increases the number of contractions. Therefore, anxiety or fear is constantly accompanied by a rapid heartbeat.
Thus, the main symptoms of agoraphobia include the following:
- loss of control over one's actions;
- tinnitus, dizziness and lightheadedness;
- uncontrollable panic that lasts 10 minutes or more;
- rapid breathing, heartbeat and pulse;
- diarrhea, vomiting andnausea;
- uncontrollable body trembling and heavy sweating;
- adrenaline rush;
- unmotivated fear of death.
Diagnosis
How is agoraphobia diagnosed? To identify such a disorder, a psychotherapist asks the patient to report on his feelings and general mood. The specialist also finds out if the patient's panic state is caused by other mental difficulties.
In addition, agoraphobia is diagnosed according to the following criteria:
- The patient is anxious if he is in a situation or place where, in case of panic, it would be difficult to run away and also get help (for example, being in a crowd, traveling on a bus or plane).
- The patient avoids these places at all costs.
- Man is in such places with particular anxiety.
- The patient can visit these places only with the support of a loved one.
- There is no other medical condition that can explain these symptoms.
Treatment methods
For the treatment of agoraphobia, a mandatory consultation with a psychotherapist is required. If the diagnosis has been confirmed, then the therapy is carried out by two main methods that are used in combination:
- Special medications (such as antidepressants and tranquilizers);
- Psychotherapy, including hypnosis.
When you turn to a highly qualified specialist for help, you should be patient and follow all his recommendations.
The process of treating agoraphobia is quite lengthy. However, the result is well worth the time spent.
Possible Complications
If agoraphobia has not been treated, there is a significant risk of developing depression, anxiety disorders, alcoholism or drug addiction.
It should also be noted that a patient with this diagnosis will end up leading a very restricted lifestyle. In advanced cases, the patient will never leave the house, and will be completely dependent on other people.
A person chained to his home completely loses his professional prospects. At the same time, not only his social life is limited, but also the opportunity to get an education and learn new skills.
As a rule, such people have neither friends nor family.
Summarize
Now you know what agoraphobia is. This is a rather serious psychological problem of the whole society. The generation of children growing up with computers, laptops, tablets and phones is the most prone to this disorder. For them, the familiar and so-called safe world is on the other side of the screen. At the same time, behind the windows and doors of an apartment or house, the world is becoming more and more incomprehensible, aggressive and hostile.
Modern young people increasingly prefer contactless communication through social networks, skype, chats and others. This contributes to weaning from face-to-face meetings, face-to-face conversations, etc.
By the way, not only todayyoung people limit themselves in live communication, but also almost all adult men and women. They began to buy clothes, food and household appliances through the World Wide Web, ordering them through online stores. In addition, more people are looking to work from home.
All of these factors minimize the need to venture out of one's own home, and could be a pretty serious precondition for mass agoraphobia in the not-too-distant future.
