Overcome Agoraphobia:
Learning to Break the Habit of Avoidance
Believe it or not, you can overcome agoraphobia! Some people describe
Agoraphobia as being a fear of open spaces or fear of being in a public place
but I want you to understand that although these may be symptoms of agoraphobia
they are not necessarily agoraphobia itself. A more appropriate definition of
agoraphobia would be "the intense fear of anxiety and panic symptoms to the
point of avoidance or avoidance behavior.
Agoraphobia can be one of the most challenging parts of an
anxiety disorder. It is important to say that not everyone with
anxiety or a panic disorder experiences agoraphobia. Agoraphobia
has many different emotional and mental
symptoms, one of those symptoms is avoidance
of specific situations , such as being alone. This is a common
characteristic to most sufferers. Agoraphobia is an illness where avoidance
dominates. Agoraphobia can develop slowly over time or it can
develop immediately after a traumatic experience with panic. The
complications of this illness only grows with each avoided
situation.
For example: When a person is out in public (whether it be
shopping, going to the doctors, driving, or anything else for
that matter) and has a panic attack or intense anxiety, they are
usually so scared by this experience that they leave the
situation to find a "safe" place. This experience causes the one
suffering to search themselves and try to make sense of what
just happened to them. When no logical explanation can be found,
the brain assumes that it must be the place and/or situation
they were in that is dangerous and sends a signal to avoid it in
the future.
When the person tries to go back to that same place or
situation, the mind tricks the person into thinking something is
wrong by sending more anxiety and panic sensations. Instead of
running from a real threat, the person then is running from
their internal thoughts and feelings. True agoraphobia is
avoidance due to "fear of panic/anxiety symptoms and
sensations".
Lack of understanding about the prolonged effects of stress
on the mind and body can lead to an increase of agoraphobic
behavior. Those who do not understand what is happening to them
have a huge tendency to avoid more and more as those symptoms
present themselves in different places and/or situations. It is
not uncommon to hear of agoraphobics who are unable to leave the
comfort of their own home and have not done so in weeks, months
or even years.
It is extremely important for a person who has had a
panic attack or is experiencing intense anxiety to learn
about what is happening to them. Understanding body
symptoms and even thought patterns that are common
during prolonged stress helps to limit any unnecessary
fears and concerns. Prompt education is a major factor
in prompt recovery. The sooner a person understands what
is happening to them the better. This does not mean that
someone who has been suffering for years who has never
understood their condition will never be able to
recover. Although it may be true that it may be more
challenging for them to recover, they can still recover
no matter how long they have been dealing with their
agoraphobia.
Anyone can overcome agoraphobia regardless of how much hold
it has on their life. Through education, baby steps in the
right direction, and support; healing and recovery is a
realistic goal that can be achieved providing the sufferer has a
clear and determined attitude to recover.
To overcome Agoraphobia , an individual must be willing to step out of their
comfort zone to challenge misbeliefs and uncomfortable body symptoms and
sensations. As much as you want this part of an anxiety disorder to be gone in a
flash, I admit that it takes much patience and determination to recover.
There is no time limit to recovery with agoraphobia. Each
individual is unique in his or her agoraphobia and the time it
takes to overcome it varies from person to person. One thing is
for sure though, you can overcome it as long as you persist and
do not give up.
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