Agoraphobia. The first thing that comes to mind is a movie I loved in college called, “Copycat” starring Sigourney Weaver. She was a criminal psychologist who, after a horrific event, became an agoraphobic. She refused to leave her house and, instead, resigned herself to a world where her only contact with others was through the computer or visitors. What exactly is it that an agoraphobic fears and how can this fear be lessened or cured?
Many people think that a person suffering from agoraphobia basically lives the life of a hermit, committing themselves to their own home, never to emerge. Agoraphobics, actually, fear their feelings of anxiety, no matter where they may occur. Thus, an agoraphobic will consciously avoid a place or a situation where they have felt these feelings of anxiety. For instance, a person may get very anxious and panicked when they go to church. There may be no rational explanation for it, but the agoraphobic, wanting to avoid this anxiety, will stop going to church. The same is true for the person who experiences anxiety when they are driving. They will choose to stop driving rather than feel that way again. The agoraphobic will begin to constantly worry about these panic attacks emerging again and will begin to avoid all types of different locations or situations to avoid attacks at all costs, despite the fact that the sufferer has not experienced an attack in these new situations/locations.
It has been stated that approximately one-third of patients who suffer from some type of panic disorder will ultimately be afflicted with agoraphobia. When the situation progresses, an agoraphobic may easily become homebound. However, some agoraphobics continue to function quite normally (to the outside eye), but inside, they may be racked with anxiety. If an agoraphobic is not homebound, it has been found that they will start to rely on others to get them through an anxious situation. For instance, the agoraphobic who feels anxiety shopping at a grocery store may feel less anxious if they have a certain friend or spouse who goes with them. Although these agoraphobics continue to function, experts feel that without psychological treatment, these sufferers will begin to have more and more trouble functioning at a normal rate.
There are ways to help overcome agoraphobia. Treatment is essential for complete recovery. Many experts feel that medication combined with therapy (cognitive behavioral) is the key to help agoraphobics overcome their symptoms. The agoraphobic will have his work cut out for him, as he will usually be asked to face his fears. Medication is usually prescribed to stop or minimize the anxiety attack, allowing the patient to slowly but surely re-enter society or avoided situations. A therapist will suggest that the patient gradually expose himself to those situations or locations he was previously trying to avoid. While the agoraphobia will not be eliminated overnight, the patient will start to accept that certain places are not the source of the anxiety attacks, but that they stem from the sufferer himself. Once the patient is able to cope with anxiety attacks effectively, he will slowly start to step away from the symptoms of agoraphobia.
