Overview
Agoraphobia is the fear of being in public places with no easy escape. People suffering from this phobia might become anxious when in a room full of people or in an elevator where it would be hard to escape without embarrassment. In extreme cases, patients can become too frightened to leave their home, making it necessary to receive an agoraphobia evaluation and treatment. Agoraphobia can sometimes become debilitating because it is accompanied by panic attacks. After phobia therapy with a therapist experienced in agoraphobia, patients might find that their fear is reduced.
Symptoms
Symptoms of agoraphobia are different for many, but in general, it causes great fear in patients. They are deeply afraid of large spaces and especially large spaces full of crowds. At its worst, agoraphobia can cause some patients to be trapped within their own home, as they can’t stand the idea of going out. The symptoms are similar to a panic attack, such as:
- lightheadedness,
- excessive sweating,
- and flushing.
Causes
Most agoraphobia counselors agree that agoraphobia is a complication of a panic disorder in the patient. As you may imagine, or might have experienced yourself, panic attacks can be very frightening. Most patients have a few select triggers that set off panic attacks, and one of those can be public places, hence agoraphobia. Some risk factors include:
- stressful life events, such as abuse,
- a tendency towards being anxious or nervous,
- and having a substance abuse problem.
Treatment
Agoraphobia is a fear that can benefit from counseling services like ours. At New Horizons, our mental health testing and agoraphobia therapy are some of the best in the nation. Our patients benefit from psychotherapy and medication, but often, that which agoraphobia patients fear most is what they must face. Repeating the action of bringing a patient into large spaces, smaller ones at first of course, can often help a patient, though this is just one option and one step amidst our comprehensive therapy programs.
Prevention
Agoraphobia is caused by some factors you can control and some you cannot. Gender is one of these uncontrollable factors, as females are more often diagnosed with the disorder. If your agoraphobia is likely caused by substance abuse or panic disorder, your life could seriously benefit from disorder counseling. Stress is also a factor, but you cannot necessarily prevent stressful life events. It does help to avoid stress when possible though. This is likewise applied to a tendency to being nervous or anxious, which too might benefit from a helpful phobia counselor.
Why Choose New Horizons for Agoraphobia Counseling?
Here at New Horizons, we have a lot of experienced McKinney health professionals who have worked for years in the fields of panic disorder counseling and agoraphobia therapy. If you have any questions about our North Dallas counseling center, call us or set up an appointment to get an evaluation from a professional counselor. We’re here to help you heal.
