Agoraphobia: Leave the Market and Face Your Fears
At some point in our lives, we all feel fear. We were quite scared to go to school on the first day since we knew that everyone there would be a stranger. We were also scared by the idea of going to the dentist. Some were less afraid, including those who were afraid of having to speak in front of a group or recite in front of the class. Some people are able to get over their phobias, but others are continually held back by their fears and worries.
Fear is a big component of our daily lives and of human society as a whole. Fear can take various forms, but it can be described as an unpleasant feeling of perceived risk or danger, whether it's true or not. It keeps us on our toes and ready to act while we wait for certain problems to happen. When we think we can't handle something, we get scared. This dread may be based on something true, like when we are afraid that a car will hit us when we try to cross a busy road. Or the dread could not make sense, like when we're afraid of a little spider that isn't dangerous. A lot of our concerns are based on a mix of what is actual and what we think we can handle. If there is a lot of misunderstanding, it is more likely that it is a phobia than a dread.
People with phobias feel a constant, unjustified fear that is too much. It is the most common mental illness, and studies reveal that more than 12% of Americans may develop a phobia at some point in their lives. Phobias are one type of anxiety condition. Other types include panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. A person with a phobia will feel it when they get close to a certain circumstance or object, or even when they think about being close to it. The person with a phobia knows that the fear they will feel in that situation will be unjustified and too much.
There are many distinct types of phobias. For example, arachnophobia is the fear of spiders, and acrophobia is the fear of heights. aviophobia is the fear of flying, felinophobia is the fear of cats, and apiphobia is the fear of bees. The list goes on. Some phobias are well-known, while others are not.
Agoraphobia is a type of phobia that can make it very hard for a person to live their life. The Greek word for agoraphobia means "fear of the marketplace." The word "agoraphobia" literally means "fear of open spaces," but many people have gotten it wrong and used it in a way that is not accurate. People with agoraphobia aren't always terrified of open spaces. Instead, they are frightened of feeling panicky, no matter where such feelings come from. For a lot of people, they happen at home, in places of worship, or in busy grocery stores, which are not "open."
Agoraphobia is a condition that happens when a person starts to stay away from places or events that make them anxious. Driving, shopping, being in crowded locations, traveling, waiting in line, being alone, meetings, and social gatherings are all common "phobic situations." People with agoraphobia have an anxiety disorder that has gotten so bad that they are afraid to go anyplace or do anything where they have felt panic before. Once the panic attacks start, they become the main source of stress, even after other, more evident sources of stress have gone away. It creates a "feedback condition" that usually makes panic attacks happen more often.
People with agoraphobia usually only go to places that make them feel safe, such their house or the area around it. Any movement outside of this zone makes anxiety go up. A person with agoraphobia may not be able to leave the house alone, but they can go places with a certain family member or acquaintance. Most persons with agoraphobia nevertheless suffer panic attacks at least a few times a month, even when they only put themselves in "safe" environments. Researchers are still attempting to figure out what makes someone agoraphobic. Like most psychiatric diseases, agoraphobia is likely caused by a complicated mix of genetics, biology, experiences in life, temperament, and personality factors. But scientists do know some things that make a person more susceptible to have agoraphobia. These things are:
· Having panic disorder · Going through stressful life events · Being prone to being apprehensive or anxious · Disorders related to alcohol and drug usage Gender female
People with agoraphobia often get it while they are in their late teens or early twenties, although it can also happen to younger kids and older adults. Studies have also found that more women than men are diagnosed with agoraphobia. Like with many other mental illnesses, agoraphobia treatment usually involves both medication and therapy. People often take antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs to help with agoraphobia and panic symptoms. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) fluoxetine (Prozac, Prozac Weekly), paroxetine (Paxil, Paxil CR), and sertraline (Zoloft) to treat panic disorder. These drugs may also help with agoraphobia. Some people also take tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) to treat agoraphobia. But TCAs and MAOIs usually have more adverse effects and worse negative effects than SSRIs. Benzodiazepines, often known as anti-anxiety drugs, can aid with anxiety and panic episodes. They are often used to treat agoraphobia. Alprazolam (Xanax) and clonazepam (Klonopin) are two examples of these. You may get over agoraphobia and learn how to keep it under control. Treatment for agoraphobia is generally successful.
A phobia may ruin your life, make you feel bad about yourself, and lower your self-esteem and confidence. You don't have to learn to live with a phobia, though. There are constructive and proactive ways to overcome it and get out of the fear market.