Fear - The Case of Agoraphobia
Fear can come from an instinct to defend our pride.
As in the case of agoraphobia, we are afraid of people-that we might be embarrassed before their eyes.
If you have a case of agoraphobia, then you have first hand experience on how panic can suddenly be caused inside you as the situation comes to you.
The Fear Spreads Maybe, it all started with an embarrassing situation in a certain place.
Then suddenly, the fear begins to set in, and you can start to avoid all places that remind you of the situation.
So, the fear spreads within you.
You begin to be afraid of people-and too afraid of feeling embarrassed or humiliated.
You may begin to find a certain place as your safety net-a panic room where you find yourself away from embarrassment and humiliation.
The Panic Starts Okay, how do you know the panic starts? Well, fortunately (in a way) there are easy signs and symptoms to know that you are having a panic attack or anxiety due to your agoraphobia.
These are the following.
You may have heard that the counting technique can be used to help you control these symptoms.
Well, it is really a matter of counting and breathing.
First, you count 1, and then inhale deeply through your nose, and then you exhale through your mouth after a brief pause.
Note that when you exhale, imagine pushing out all of the air possible from your body.
Then, count 2, following the same procedure as above.
Of course, this is only a temporary relief.
Curing agoraphobia requires other techniques such as desensitization and psychotherapy.
Treatment Determining the cause or causes of the phobia in the first place can be vital for treatment.
With each patient, the underlying causes can be different, but usually these involve highly stressful events or constant experience of being afraid that becomes a system of learned behavior of fear.
Therapy, ways of changing behavior, understanding the client's perspective, behavioral and cognitive techniques are all ways to address the problem.
Medications should be supplemented only in the most distressing of occasions and only temporarily.
For instance, when the patient needs to calm his symptoms first to be able to participate in the therapy; for the next therapy sessions, the medication may no longer be necessary.
Family therapy for significant others can also be very helpful.
As in the case of agoraphobia, we are afraid of people-that we might be embarrassed before their eyes.
If you have a case of agoraphobia, then you have first hand experience on how panic can suddenly be caused inside you as the situation comes to you.
The Fear Spreads Maybe, it all started with an embarrassing situation in a certain place.
Then suddenly, the fear begins to set in, and you can start to avoid all places that remind you of the situation.
So, the fear spreads within you.
You begin to be afraid of people-and too afraid of feeling embarrassed or humiliated.
You may begin to find a certain place as your safety net-a panic room where you find yourself away from embarrassment and humiliation.
The Panic Starts Okay, how do you know the panic starts? Well, fortunately (in a way) there are easy signs and symptoms to know that you are having a panic attack or anxiety due to your agoraphobia.
These are the following.
- uneasiness of breathing
- pain in your chest
- heart beats too fast
- the feeling of almost fainting
- trembling
- sweating too much
- thoughts of distress
You may have heard that the counting technique can be used to help you control these symptoms.
Well, it is really a matter of counting and breathing.
First, you count 1, and then inhale deeply through your nose, and then you exhale through your mouth after a brief pause.
Note that when you exhale, imagine pushing out all of the air possible from your body.
Then, count 2, following the same procedure as above.
Of course, this is only a temporary relief.
Curing agoraphobia requires other techniques such as desensitization and psychotherapy.
Treatment Determining the cause or causes of the phobia in the first place can be vital for treatment.
With each patient, the underlying causes can be different, but usually these involve highly stressful events or constant experience of being afraid that becomes a system of learned behavior of fear.
Therapy, ways of changing behavior, understanding the client's perspective, behavioral and cognitive techniques are all ways to address the problem.
Medications should be supplemented only in the most distressing of occasions and only temporarily.
For instance, when the patient needs to calm his symptoms first to be able to participate in the therapy; for the next therapy sessions, the medication may no longer be necessary.
Family therapy for significant others can also be very helpful.