With most anxiety-based conditions, our wellness can be affected in small or large ways depending on the severity of the syndrome. This is true of agoraphobia, which many of us might think means we can’t go outside without feeling panicky, but we can get and treat more subtle forms of the problem.
Spotting agoraphobia
Sometimes it may be very clear that we or one of our friends/family suffer from this condition. In severe cases our wellbeing is affected by panic attacks at just the thought of going outside or even when we think about moving from room to room in our own house. If we have a less severe form of the mental health condition, then we might be able to go outside by ourselves, but still get feelings of dread and anxiety. Whether we experience it this way, or the more severe form, there are ways of dealing with the syndrome so we can regain control of our lives.
Typical symptoms
Agoraphobia can occur as a result of other traumatic situations we have faced. These situations may result in us getting post-traumatic stress, which interferes with our ability to deal with anxiety, or it may create anxiety around things we used to do on a daily basis without any problem. Agoraphobia can also be an escalation of social anxiety, or a combination of these conditions. We may start to avoid the outside world to regain control over our nervousness, and this can result in other coping behaviours occurring as we try and process our anxiety. So, other symptoms of the illness include obsessive compulsive behaviours, rigid routines, muscle tensions, depression and dependency on a loved one to escort us outside of the home.
Treatment
If we don’t know we have the condition we could live with it for many years without getting proper treatment. Medical experts can visit our home if we can’t go outside and once we’re diagnosed they can find the best treatment for us as an individual. As the condition is quite anxiety-based, we may find it helpful to change the way we think by using cognitive behavioural therapy and neuro-linguistic programming, in addition counselling may help us face our fears. Doctors can also prescribe medication to deal with other parts of the condition and assist us in getting back our independence.
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