Agoraphobia.
What is Agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is an extreme behavioral disorder where one is scared to go into places where they won’t be able to depart hurriedly, where they will be trapped, and sometimes, even just going away from their residence. When having this condition, they will avoid large environments or locations where an attack had previously occurred to prevent a future panic attack. When they are in a location that involves a public area, they may start to feel confined, fragile, and often humiliated. Individuals with this condition generally don’t suffer from an excessive amount of anxiety because they avoid the situations that will create it.
What are the Characteristics & Causes Agoraphobia?
There are several different indicators
Agoraphobia is a strong fear and anxiety of being in places where it may be hard to escape or even where help may not be available (medlineplus.gov/ency/article). People that normally tend to have this fear try to avoid public places in that they may feel there would be a very difficult way in them trying to escape. In turn, this does make them have panic attacks
A phobic disorder is marked by a persistent and irrational fear of an object or situation that presents no realistic danger. Agoraphobia is an intense, irrational fear or anxiety occasioned by the prospect of having to enter certain outdoor locations or open spaces. For example, busy streets, busy stores, tunnels, bridges, public transportation and cars. Traditionally agoraphobia was solely classified as a phobic disorder. However, due to recent studies it is now also viewed as a panic disorder. Panic disorders are characterised by recurrent attacks of overwhelming anxiety that usually occur suddenly and unexpectedly (Weiten, 1998).
Midterm Vignette 1. Agoraphobia is described as “marked or intense, fear or anxiety triggered by the real or anticipated exposure to a wide range of situations” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 218). This understanding can be seen through Jackie’s presentation of symptoms and the key diagnostic criteria. Criterion A focuses on the immense fear or anxiety that has to be present in two of five settings. For Jackie this criteria is met by Jackie’s expressed inability to be go to cafes or local shops, as well as his inability to go anywhere without his mother as he may have an anxiety attack.
A phobic disorder is marked by a persistent and irrational fear of an object or situation that presents no realistic danger. Agoraphobia is an intense, irrational fear or anxiety occasioned by the prospect of having to enter certain outdoor locations or open spaces. For example, busy streets, busy stores, tunnels, bridges, public transportation and cars. Traditionally agoraphobia was solely classified as a phobic disorder. However, due to recent studies it is now also viewed as a panic disorder. Panic disorders are characterised by recurrent attacks of overwhelming anxiety that usually occur suddenly and unexpectedly (Weiten, 1998).
There are various phobias that develop from specific traumas and scenarios that have a severe impact on the mind. There is a movie that gives perfect examples of Agoraphobia and it is called Finding Forrester. Agoraphobia is translated from the Greek language as “fear of the market place”(n.a , 2007). Agoraphobia is a powerful anxiety connected to a setting that is difficult to avoid or neglect. An explanation for Agoraphobia is that a person can have diversified quantity of anxiety attacks that associate it to a panic disorder.
Definition: Agoraphobia is the fear of being in a situation where there may be lack of an escape or help, and may result in embarrassment and humiliation. (MedicineNet, 2013) This may include being in a public or open place; like in a crowd, standing in line, being in some mode of transportation, being on a bridge, or being out alone. (Psych Central Staff, 2013) Often, those with Agoraphobia need the presence of a companion to leave their house or venture to specific places. Anxiety is accompanied when one is placed in these threatening situations and they will experience panic-like symptoms or a panic attack. This fear will cause one to entirely avoid these places or situations and become more reclusive to decrease the panic attacks.
Agoraphobia was first termed by German physician Carl Friedrich Otto Westphal in 1871. It comes from the “Agora”, meaning marketplace, and “phobia” meaning “fear of”. Westphal was a well-respected physician “In his time Westphal was one of the most highly regarded doctors in Berlin” (Knapp & Schumacher, 1988, p.8) and discovered agoraphobia through his study of three men. Each man exhibited the common symptom of fearing walking through public spaces, “each of the patients experienced anticipatory anxiety at the thought of going to shops, the theatre, or having to cross open spaces” (Knapp & Schumacher, 1988, p.23). Each man’s fear would cause them intense anxiety which would only be remedied by avoiding the situation or “In each case, the presence of friends, or even a vehicle,
Agoraphobia is a mental disorder. It is a type of anxiety or fear. People with agoraphobia fear public places where they may be trapped, helpless, or embarrassed in the event of a panic attack or loss of control. They often start to avoid the feared situations or insist that another person go with them. Agoraphobia may interfere with normal daily activities and personal relationships. People with severe agoraphobia may become completely homebound and dependent on others for groceries and other errands.
FEAR: Agoraphobia the fear of going out or being in wide open spaces. The client may percieve an environment to be unsafe therefore instilling fear.
As you walk the streets all around you there are individuals who may live their life in fear of the petrifying clowns that appear out of nowhere, the spine-chilling darkness that creeps in at dusk, or even the nauseating germs of others surrounding you, but what if you knew someone simply terrified of the outdoors. This may seem strange, but these individuals are constantly living in fear of the outside world away from their “Safe Zone”. From the moment they wake they fear the outside world, constantly panicking about what could happen if they venture to the outdoors. Agoraphobia affects between 5-12% of Americans (Misconceptions of Agoraphobia), and is essential to become aware of the true definition of Agoraphobia.
Agoraphobia – An anxiety disorder where the person experiences extreme fear of not being safe or overcoming a situation where they may not be able to escape, and no one is around to help or save them. The person exhibits a fear of being around others in a crowd or being outside alone. The cause of this disorder is unknown but usually stems from a person having multiple panic attacks and believing that extremely stressful situations may lead to a panic attack. Some believe that this disorder may also run in the family.
Agoraphobia is the fear of going outside and being exposed to unfamiliar places or being exposed to a place where the person had a bad experience previously. This type of phobia is more common in adults and can result in a very restrictive lifestyle, some people do not leave their houses unless going to familiar places and experience extreme fear if they go anywhere else. This type of phobia can go hand in hand with panic disorder since the fear of public spaces can be a result from previous panic attacks, creating fear and aversion to the places that reminds them of how they felt. But having agoraphobia goes beyond the fear of leaving the house, it creates stress and anxiousness regarding situations that are out of their control, fear of socializing
People with agoraphobia typically avoid places and situations that they perceive to be dangerous, such as large crowds or enclosed spaces, for fear that it might trigger a panic attack. There are certain people who are more at risk for developing an anxiety disorder such as panic disorder. McGrandles and Duffy (2012) state that “risk factors include internalizing problems and a more inhibited temperament” and “adults with anxiety often report childhood experiences of anxiety” (p. 5). Panic disorder is a powerful and debilitating psychological issue. We will discuss the diagnoses and treatment of this disorder
This specific phobia can lead to the person experience of an intense fear when not being able to break out of a populated area (Barlow & Mavissakalian, pp 4). This causes people having to evade open and heavily crowed environments with little possibilities to exit over their massive fear of going through a panic attack. Therefore, today there are signs in many rides at themed parks that warn people of the closed areas. This specific category of phobias causes the person to fear traveling on bus or even waiting in a line. This phobia can also lead to being dependent of someone because they are too afraid to go outside of their homes. Barlow & Mavissakalian (1981 pp 4-5), implicated that the clinical picture painted is consistent and consists or fears of going out to public places and open and crowded places, fears of walking alone or using any means or public transportation, and fears of being alone at home. Agoraphobia is the most disabling of all phobias and usually begins in early adolescence.
This type of Anxiety Disorder has a direct correlation relating to social situations. A person experiencing this disorder has a chronic fear of other people’s perceptions of them. They are especially likely to avoid any situation where they are being observed by others such as giving presentations or activities that must be performed in front of an audience, large or small. In extreme circumstances where social anxiety disorder exists, a person will avoid social situations all together and will become a “hermit” in their own individual abode. This disorder is impairing to one’s normal life functioning because it often affects a person’s ability to perform the essential duties in a work environment. It also deters them from engaging in typical conversations because the fear of being embarrassed or judged is so extreme (Fleming, 2012).