Agoraphobia has been described as the fear of open spaces. It is one of the most restricting conditions associated with a panic attack. Really it is a fear of loss of control. When treated from an early stage, Agoraphobia can be cured easily. However if sufferers leave it too long, other conditions may develop like irritable bowel syndrome and asthma. Many people with Agoraphobia experience a living hell where they restrict the activities they do and the people they mingle with.
The first step towards recovery is to believe there is a cure. Part of treatment is recognizing the causes. Agoraphobia is caused by one or a combination of genetics and biology, life experiences and your temperament. Traumatic life experiences, sometimes results in agoraphobia.It often develop in adolescence or early twenties. The sufferer then obsesses about how to avoid any situation which may trigger a panic attack. Situations are avoided with any excuse.
One helpful piece of advice is to focus on something else. For example if all you do is think about how badly you have to go to the bathroom, you are much more likely to have an accident. If you focus on something else, you can usually hold on until you need to. It is the same with panic attacks. If you focus on not having a panic attack, it is likely you will have one. Instead focus on something completely different. If you need some structured help in getting you through this process there are many programs that are hugely successful in helping people beat agoraphobia. There are
It is also helpful to write down the answers to the following questions and start to look for patterns.
1. When was the first time you had an attack? The second? The third?…
2. How old were you?
3. Where were you?
4. How did you feel before the attack?
5. What were you thinking about before…?
6. How did you feel during…?
7. How did you feel after…?
8. How soon did the symptoms go away?
9. Were there any lasting physical effects?
The reason these questions are important is to understand what the causes and then to also realize that the effects were temporary, the symptoms went away quickly and that there were no long lasting physical effects. A rapid heartbeat or shortness of breath is not going to kill you. You know you can survive so don’t panic about it!
Panic attacks are like that bully at school, they seem big and bad but once you stand up to them, they back down. They only visit if they know you are scared of them. The bully only steals lunch money from the kids that are afraid of him, otherwise it´s too much trouble and he doesn´t want to bother or encounter any resistance.
By providing a little resistance you can beat that panic attack and stop worrying. Your agoraphobia will vanish effortlessly.
Best Wishes
Rachel
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