Panic Attacks and Their Role in Agoraphobia

Panic Attacks and Their Role in Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is a condition that manifests itself in a number of ways. A person suffering from the condition may experience a fear of being in crowds, of open spaces, of driving or even just being alone in an unfamiliar setting. Generally, though, what it comes down to is the person is afraid of being outside of their "safe zone."

The reason for this is the fear having a panic attack in a situation where they do not have access to support or help from a trusted source. Generally, a person's safe zone is their own home. Sometimes, however, it can be someplace like their work office or something similar as well.

There are certainly varying degrees of Agoraphobia. Some people experience a general anxiety when away from their safe zone, but manage to function relatively well. On the other end of the spectrum, some people are so paralyzed by the fear of having a panic attack that they nearly never leave their safe zone, even for the simplest of errands.

Regardless of the severity, the thinking behind it is generally the same. The person worries that if they were to have a panic attack while out in an unfamiliar situation; who would take care of them? Some people can take comfort in the presence of any other human beings that they would have access to the case of a panic attack, others, however, only trust a certain person or persons.

These concerns can lead to some interesting behavior. One coping technique employed by some agoraphobia sufferers is to have their town mapped out, at least mentally, if not quite literally on paper. This way they know that when they're out and about, they know where all the fire stations, hospitals, doctors offices, or friend's or relative's houses are. This gives them more of a feeling of safety because they know where they can go for assistance should they experience a panic attack while out.

Of course, this only works for those who feel they can trust nearly anybody to come to their assistance. For those who only trust a small circle of friends or relatives, being out at all is a problem because everyone they encounter is a stranger. For these individuals agoraphobia can truly become what seems like a hopeless situation. If a person has a support network they may not leave their safe zone for months or even years at a time.

Fortunately, however, panic attacks are largely a learned response to certain situations or sensations. Because of this, a good deal of success has been had with techniques designed to unlearn those responses. So, indeed, the situation is not as hopeless as it may seem.

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