What is Agoraphobia and why does it make you anxious and afraid?
Agoraphobia is a word associated with phobia or the fear of something. It is often misconceived as fear of “open spaces”. Misconceived because in actual fact, it is not. Agoraphobia can be defined as fear for crowded places and spaces that may be associated with fear of the public (where there is no escape).
And contrary to what is popularly believed, agoraphobics are only afraid of crowded and confined spaces. They are certainly not afraid of open spaces such as houses of worships, shopping, traveling, being alone and social gatherings.
To prove the point further, the root terms of the word “agoraphobia” are agora, which means “marketplace” in Greek, and phobia, which means “fear”. Combining these two terms, we can say that it is the “fear of the marketplace” – which is not an open space but a crowded place. The word “agora” also has the earlier meaning of “a place where people gather”. Thus, the most accurate meaning of agoraphobia is a “fear of crowded places”.
People can start to experience agoraphobia when they consciously avoid busy places and places that may be linked with closed spaces. Sufferers may panic when overly stressed even when though the condition that starts the panic is not longer present. This will turn into a vicious cycle where the person will begin to experience panic disorders or states related to panicking. For some people, the fearful state will continue until the general feeling of fear diminishes.
In short, agoraphobia is both a severe anxiety disorder and a phobia.
A person with agoraphobia may not leave his home for years. Yet, he welcomes visitors but only if they are in defined places and rooms where help can be sort immediately.
Agoraphobic may experience severe panic streaks when he feels that he is being trapped. He may feel insecure and very uncomfortable with the place. For the most severe cases, an agoraphobic prefers a single room and may become bed-bound until the over-stimulation of his nervous system subsides and his adrenaline level becomes normal.
Also, during attacks agoraphobics may become overly conscious with the happenings in their bodies. Even a slight change in their heart rate may start a panic attack. It is often that an agoraphobia sufferer will interpret the conditions in which he is experiencing the initial attack of agoraphobia as the start of a heart attack. Some examples are climbing of stairs that causes increased heart beat and rate of breathing.
Though agoraphobia is a single condition, it may be associated with some other fears such as :-
1. Fear of loneliness or of being alone
2. Fear of failing to control one self in a public place
3. Fear of difficulty of escaping in specific places
4. Fear of detachment from others
5.Feeling of helplessness
6. Too much dependence on other people
7. Feeling of unreal body
8. Feeling of unreal environment
9. Panic attack or anxiety
10.Unusual temper
11. Agitation accompanied by trembling or twitching
Agoraphobia affects mostly women. There are twice as many female agoraphobics as there are male agoraphobics.
For more resources on how to handle and treat agoraphobia, go here…
Popularity: 100% [?]
