Agoraphobia

Have you been afraid to leave your home because of worries that you would panic, everyone would notice, and you wouldn’t be able to escape? For people with agoraphobia, this is a regular struggle. While it makes them feel safe, it is a lonely and restrictive way to live. This disorder literally traps people inside.

What is Agoraphobia?

People with Agoraphobia have an extreme and unrealistic fear of difficult or embarrassing situations they cannot escape or get help. In these situations, they are worried about developing panic-like symptoms, such as feeling trapped, scared, anxious, or helpless. As a result, people with agoraphobia often avoid these situations. This can make life very lonely and restricting. For example, someone with agoraphobia may stop visiting their friends, travel, or go to the store. In addition, a person with agoraphobia may rely on family members to run errands for them and accompany them outside which can have a negative effect on relationships. Eventually, the fear may become so severe that the individual may confine themselves to their neighbourhood or home for most of the day.

Symptoms

Someone with agoraphobia has likely experienced at least one panic attack in their lives. These symptoms of panic sometimes occur in other anxiety disorders. It is these attacks that a person with agoraphobia fears will happen in certain situations. The symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• Racing heart
• Sweating or hot flashes
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Chills or trembling
• Numbness
• Feelings of unreality

 

Consequently, agoraphobia can lead an individual to fear and avoid specific situations, like:

• Using public transportation (for example, riding a bus or traveling on an airplane)
• Being in open spaces (for instance, parks or shopping malls)
• Enclosed spaces (such as elevators, cars, or movie theatres)
• Spaces where there are crowds
• Standing in lines
• Any spaces where escape may be difficult
• …. Eventually, being anywhere outside the home (especially alone) for a long time

 

In these situations, the panic or anxiety response is triggered. However, this stress or discomfort is usually out of proportion to the actual level of danger in the situation. Importantly, someone with agoraphobia may feel helpless or dependent on others.

Why do People Develop Agoraphobia?

Like most anxiety disorders, the exact cause of agoraphobia is not known. Rather, there are many factors that can make someone more at risk of developing the disorder. For instance, someone with another condition such as social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, or another phobia may be more likely to develop agoraphobia than the general population. Someone with a family history of agoraphobia may also be more at risk. For example, someone who has a history of trauma or recently experienced a death may be more prone to developing this condition. Agoraphobia typically develops in young adulthood,  and it’s more common among women.

Therapy for Agoraphobia

People struggling with agoraphobia can implement some lifestyle changes to better manage their symptoms. These changes include practicing relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety, eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and sleep, and limiting drug and alcohol intake, including caffeine. However, lifestyle changes alone are often not enough to treat agoraphobia.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is the most practical and effective treatment for agoraphobia and has a low relapse rate. This therapy is short term, typically 8 to 12 weeks. A CBT therapist provides psychoeducation to help the client understand their distorted beliefs and feelings. In addition, the therapist teaches the client skills to manage stressful situations by replacing negative thoughts with more realistic ones, while also learning relaxation and breathing techniques to better cope with their anxiety. Part of CBT therapy is the “homework” clients complete between sessions to further their therapy.

A CBT therapist will incorporate elements of exposure therapy, to help the client slowly expose themselves to situations they fear. This type of exposure can help the fears reduce over time, as clients come to realize their feared outcomes do not really happen the way they feared and they can start to change their avoidance and replace it with taking small steps toward their goal. The power of CBT for Agoraphobia is that clients can re-gain control over their lives.

If you want help to break free of this daily struggle, a psychologist can help you using evidence-based treatments.

If you are interested in therapy for Agoraphobia and reside in Ontario, you can reach our intake coordinators at 905.597.4404 or fill out the form below and you will be contacted within 24 business hours. Teletherapy is available for sessions over the phone or a video call to help you move forward with your life.