Understanding Agoraphobia, Specific Phobias & Panic Disorder
Do you struggle with intense mental & physiological symptoms of anxiety & fear when you encounter or even think about specific situations, activities or things? According to The National Institute of Mental Health, more than 9% of Americans, 19 million people, meet the diagnostic criteria for at least one Phobia, making it the most prevalent mental health diagnosis seen in the US. Overall, Phobias are organized into two major categories: Specific Phobias & Agoraphobia
Specific Phobias are categorized into 5 Types:
Type Examples
- Animal Based – a fear of snakes or dogs
- Natural Environment – a fear of heights or water
- Blood/Injection/Injury – fear of needles
- Situational Based – fear of flying or elevators
- Other /Non Specific– fear of loud noises or fireworks
Agoraphobia is an irrationally intense fear of being trapped in or unable to exit/escape from a situation or environment. Someone who has Agoraphobia often experiences powerful anxiety & fear doing things such as –
- Leaving the house
- Driving a car or taking some form of public transportation, such as a bus, train or taxi (due to inability to control vehicle/exit upon demand)
- Being stuck in traffic, driving on a bridge or on an unfamiliar road or isolated location
- Going into the mall, large stores, crowds or places that are unfamiliar & may be difficult to exit quickly
Despite knowing that one’s thoughts are illogical, the unrelenting physiological symptoms of Agoraphobia can lead people to feel it necessary to distance themselves from the situations, things & people that they associate with their fear. As a result, over time, it becomes increasingly more difficult to face & overcome.
Panic Disorder, aka Panic Attacks, is a severely heightened “attack” in which the body’s “fight-or-flight” system, is activated. When we are feeling threatened in some way, our brain is cued to instantaneously release hormones like adrenaline, creating a cataclysm of physiological sensations so intense, many people resort to calling 911 or present to the emergency room due to the severity of symptoms. This includes:
- A sudden increase in heart rate & breathing
- Dizziness, vertigo or feeling as if you may faint
- Shaking, trembling or feelings of numbness
- Tightness in chest &/or throat
- Feeling disconnected from or outside of one’s own body (Depersonalization)
- Fear that symptoms may result in a heart attack or death
According to the most respected sources of mental health information, such as The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), The American Psychological Association (APA) & The Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA), the most effective treatment for Panic Disorder, Specific Phobias & Agoraphobia, is the use of Cognitive Behavioral & Exposure-Based Therapy.[i]
[i]https://www.nimh.nih.org (National Institute of Mental Health/National Institute of Health
https://www.adaa.org (Anxiety & Depression Association of America .
https://www.apa.org (American Psychological Association)