Treatment of Agoraphobia

Advances in the understanding and treatment of Agoraphobia have been made since the days when my mother suffered from it most severely. I feel that back then, the doctors failed to understand the condition, and the few times she actually consulted with a psychiatric specialist they simply talked about what might be wrong, but failed to provide any actual help or support.

Now the treatment for agoraphobia will almost invariably involve psychotherapy. To be more specific, a type of therapy known as cognitive behaviour therapy, commonly referred to as CBT. In addition anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medicines can also be used to help relieve the symptoms of agoraphobia.

It is my understanding that in recent years, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has achieved some success in treating people with agoraphobia. It works on the principle that the way you feel is in part dependent on the way you perceive things. In earlier posts we looked at how an agoraphobic will think that a panic attack will occur if they are in a certain environment outside of their comfort zone. Cognitive delivered exposure is designed to put the person into the very situation they are afraid of, but with support, so that they can live through the situation with the realisation that their fear was in fact unfounded.

Many psychologists describe agoraphobic thought and behaviour as a vicious circle. This occurs because the person is afraid that if they put themselves into the situation that they fear then they will have a panic attack. As a result, they avoid putting themselves into that situation. Because of this the anxieties are not resolved, but instead become worse, leading to an increased fear of having a panic attack. The vicious circle keeps revolving but it's intensity or effect becomes worse. Cognitive delivered exposure attempts to break the vicious circle by placing the patient into real-life environments.

I have recently read a report where the use of cognitive delivered exposure was described thus; "if you were worried that you would hyperventilate if you had to walk to the corner shop, your therapist would accompany you to the corner shop to see if this was the case."

Wow - a therapist that would walk to the corner shop with you. Are they living in the real world? That would truly be a far cry from the treatment that my dear old mum got.

However, the principle seems sound and is used to overcome many forms of phobia. It basically means to expose the person to the very thing that they fear, but in a controlled and supportive way.

The person who fears that they would experience a panic attack if they walked to the corner shop, can indeed be helped if they are accompanied by a friend or helper (if not a professional therapist). The first steps should involve only short journeys, it will feel less scary for them if they remain close to their "safe zone". the process should be approached slowly and with constant support. Often, people's perceived predictions of how they will react in certain situations are a lot worse than how they actually react.

Cognitive delivered exposure should begin by setting small goals before moving on to more ambitious tasks which are complete by the person alone as their confidence increases.

Therapists are aware that many people with agoraphobia by the very nature of their condition would find it impossible to visit a therapist so they will arrange home visits. Also, an increasing number of effective programmes can be conducted via the Internet, or through the use of interactive software. We will investigate these further next time.

Agoraphobia and Panic Attack Disorder Are Ruining Your Life

Agoraphobia and Panic Attack Disorder Are Ruining Your Life
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Denise_Durbin]Denise Durbin

Many people do not realize that agoraphobia is a form of anxiety disorder that is quite common but highly treatable. Agoraphobia and panic attack disorder are closely in that an individually suffering from agoraphobia fears situations or settings where they feel out of control or fear the onset of a panic attack in public.

When a person suffers from panic attacks they run the risk of having these attacks in a public place. After the very first panic attack, the person might become fearful of having another attack in a place that they cannot control. Spending time in places where they might have a panic attack becomes impossible for these people and agoraphobia becomes the problem.

This is why it is so important that panic attacks be treated immediately so that they do not progress to a state that completely hinders the quality of life. If you have had the symptoms of a panic attack the first thing that you must do is visit the doctor and be properly diagnosed. If it does turn out to be a panic disorder, then you can take the first steps for treatment.

The doctor may prescribe medication that will help to ease the symptoms of a panic attack when it is taking place. There are also antidepressant medications that will help patients keep their panic attacks under control.

There are also behavior therapies that work very well in the treatment of panic attacks and disorders. The most important part of treatment is that the panic disorder does not reach the level of agoraphobia. Sometimes the fear of having an attack is enough to trigger one. It is necessary to learn to control this type of thinking and put it in check before it causes a panic attack to happen.

Unfortunately, people can literally talk themselves right into having a panic attack just by the simple act of talking and thinking about panic attacks. These thought patterns must be changed. Cognitive behavior therapy is one treatment that seeks to do that.

There are also natural treatments that work very well for some people with panic disorders. Hypnosis and breathing techniques along with meditation are some of the more common natural approaches to panic disorder.

If feelings of anxiety have started to affect your ability to go to work or do any of the normal functions of life, you might need a more aggressive therapy for your condition. You should monitor your progress while you are seeking treatment for panic disorders and report any changes in your condition to your doctor or therapist.

If you are having panic attacks and have been diagnosed with anxiety or panic disorder, you should educate yourself on the connection between agoraphobia and panic attack disorder. It is important that you get a handle on the panic attacks before they impair the quality of your life.

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