When someone finds themselves afraid to leave home and avoiding public situations, they may suffer from a panic disorder called agoraphobia. This condition is an anxiety disorder and can cause you to stay away from crowds and open areas. You may become flustered and begin to panic when you find yourself in a crowded store, on public transportation. You may become afraid to go to work. These panic attacks are initiated due to the fear of being trapped in an area without being able to escape.
They will not want to leave home, stay away from crowded places and have anxiety problems. Their daily activities can become affected and they are unable to buy groceries for themselves or run errands. They stop participating in group activities such as going to the movies, dinners and spending time with friends. They become afraid of parking lots, bridges and avoid traveling on buses and trains.
If someone is suffering from agoraphobia, they will become uneasy in any closed in spaces and stay away from work. They will not feel safe anywhere outside of their home and require medical attention to help with the condition. There are many ways to treat agoraphobia that include psychotherapy, medications and alternative medicine.
1. Leaving Home
Agoraphobia can make it difficult for you to leave home and go to work. The company you work for most likely will not understand, and you can lose your job. When trying to leave home, you will have trouble breathing and an increased heart rate with lightheadedness. Your entire body may become shaky and unbalanced. You may begin to sweat and become flushed and feel like you will die if you go outside.
Your life will no longer be the same, and you may believe you are losing control. Since people with this condition are unable to take public transportation, this can affect have a major impact on their livelihood. They will be incapable of going to doctor appointments and taking care of daily responsibilities. They may become reclusive and begin avoiding situations that put them in a vulnerable place. This condition can affect all areas of your life and may cause severe depression.
Many people become embarrassed about their condition and do not seek help which can cause them to suffer even more. It is important to seek medical attention when signs of this condition appear. Seeking the appropriate can help you get better and decrease your symptoms dramatically.
2. Crowds or Public Places
A person with agoraphobia should always avoid open areas with large crowds. If they do not, they will become afraid and have terrible panic attacks. When exposed to crowds, they will become extremely anxious and develop physical symptoms. It is best to remain in a safe environment and avoid these stressful situations. They need to avoid shopping malls, planes, festivals and markets. They are unable to attend parties and social gatherings because these are triggers for their condition. The feelings of being out of control are so extreme that they will avoid public transportation and leaving home at all costs.
3. Phobias Last 6+ months
The signs of agoraphobia can last for up to 6 months and if left untreated people may suffer longer. It is advised that people do not drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or take illegal drugs if they suffer from this condition. There are also risk factors involved that can make you more susceptible to this condition. People that have suffered from physical or mental abuse, have been attacked, or experienced the death of a loved one can be more vulnerable. Being constantly stressed out, uneasy, nervous and having a family member with this condition can make you more prone as well.
4. Open Areas
Although the signs of agoraphobia can start in childhood, many people do not show symptoms until they become teenagers or in young adulthood. It is less likely for men to have issues with anxiety and women are more prone to being afflicted with this phobia. Sometimes life events can bring on the fear and nervousness accompanied by this condition. When someone is faced with a traumatic experience, they may avoid leaving home and stop going to work. They will no longer enjoy the company of people and avoid crowds. They begin to stay away from situations that make them uncomfortable.
5. Public Transportation
When dealing with the signs of agoraphobia, a person is not able to take public transportation because of the crowd. A train has too many people on it for someone with this condition to manage. They are incapable of taking a plane because space is limited. They are unable to get off a plane and are stuck there for too long. This will cause them to have a panic attack and intensify their symptoms. They cannot travel by bus because this is also a small space. These spaces make people with this phobia feel as though they need to escape.
6. Anxiety
The physical and mental symptoms of this condition are severe and may require immediate medical attention. The fear and anxiety that a person experiences can make them feel overwhelmed and helpless. Anxiety can cause dizziness, weakness and the inability to control bodily functions. They may have diarrhea and stomach pains that excruciating. They may begin to vomit and become flushed too. Anxiety can cause heart palpitations, shortness of breath and chest pain. It can exacerbate the symptoms of existing conditions and cause tremors. They can lose sleep at night, be irritable and have panic attacks whenever their condition is triggered.
7. Fear
One of the main symptoms of this condition is being afraid. When someone with agoraphobia is in a vulnerable position, they will experience extreme fear. The fear of being in a crowded place can become so intense that they develop signs of anxiety. They can become physically ill from the fear and avoid open areas. The may require company for any task they need to complete. They may become unable to go to the supermarket, the doctor’s office or go to work. This phobia can overtake their lives and make them feel powerless. Many people are afraid of leaving home.
8. Avoiding Situations
The signs of this phobia can make people become reclusive and avoid situations with crowds. They stay at home and avoid open areas that cause symptoms. They can no longer go visit friends and begin to avoid social situations. The fear and anxiety can start to take over their entire lives and cause them to require company for any task. Performing daily activities can become difficult, and they may lose the capacity to take care of themselves. They may have problems at work and get reprimanded due to excessive absences. This condition can cause problems with securing and obtaining employment.
9. Requiring Company
Agoraphobia can make people feel anxious about going outside alone. They may require assistance to complete the daily errands that were once easy to perform. When they try to go outside alone, they may experience panic attacks and are unable to go outside. They may try repeatedly without success. When an attempt is made to go outside, they have a panic attack and become sick. The thought of being in an open area or public crowd is too much for them to deal with. Many people choose to stay indoors and refuse to leave home without being accompanied by someone.
10. Fear of Going to Work
When it comes to being employed, someone that suffers from Agoraphobia is unable to handle the stress. Since they are incapable of taking public transportation, it is extremely difficult for them to show up. They are unable to drive as well because they cannot deal with traffic and parking lots. They are unable to leave home and cannot handle social situations. The symptoms of this disease will make it difficult for someone to stay employed. A work environment would put them under stress and trigger their symptoms. They may have panic attacks at work making it impossible to complete assignments.
