Thursday, February 23, 2006

Agoraphobia Symptoms

In my last post I talked about how important it is to be able to identify agoraphobia early so it doesn't have as long to take root in you. For anyone who thinks they may have agoraphobia, here are the major symptoms to help you know for sure:


1) Panic attacks

Most (but not all) people with agoraphobia experience frequent panic attacks. A panic attack is period of intense fear, usually lasting about ten minutes or so (but sometimes longer), in which you have at least four of the following symptoms:

palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
sweating
trembling or shaking
sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
feeling of choking
chest pain or discomfort
nausea or abdominal distress
feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
feelings of unreality or being detached from oneself
fear of losing control or going crazy
fear of dying
numbness or tingling sensations
chills or hot flashes

It should probably go without saying that panic attacks are a torturous emotional and physical experience, and most people who have a panic attack even once will go to any length to avoid having another one.

2) Avoidance behavior

In general, people with agoraphobia avoid places and situations that are hard to escape from or that might be embarrassing to have to suddenly leave. Most commonly, this is because they fear having a panic attack or unexpected catastrophe and not being able to get help or get away. In other words, people with agoraphobia avoid situations in which they are likely to feel trapped or stuck.

Examples of situations avoided by most people with agoraphobia are being outside or away from home by themselves, being in crowds, sitting in a middle row in a theater, standing in lines, being on a bridge, driving a car (especially in heavy traffic), or taking public transportation like buses and planes. In sum, people with agoraphobia are likely to avoid getting caught in a situation that escape would not be easy, immediate and unnoticed.

In many cases, people with agoraphobia avoid any place that is outside of a certain radius around their own home, unless it is a “safe” place or they are with a “safe” person (see below). Because of the dire need to avoid unsafe places and the possibility of a dreaded panic attack, people with agoraphobia are masters at making up excuses to explain their behavior.

3) Developing “Safe” People

People with agoraphobia tend to develop “safe” people. “Safe” people are people with whom the agoraphobic is highly familiar with and feels emotionally close to. “Safe” people are usually parents, spouses, children, or close friends and relatives. With a “safe” person, the agoraphobic can travel further away from home or enter feared places and situations. In other words, the presence of a “safe” person makes otherwise unsafe places and situations feel safe for someone with agoraphobia.

People with agoraphobia will typically explain feeling safer with a “safe” person by saying that they feel like someone would be there if they had a panic attack or emergency. The agoraphobic, however, is usually aware that the “safe” person does not possess any abnormal powers to stop a panic attack or save them from other perceived dangers. “Safe” people offer the agoraphobic a source of psychological comfort rather than any real safety.

4) Developing "Safe" Places

Just as people with agoraphobia develop “safe” people, they also develop safe places. "Safe" places are places in which the agoraphobic feels psychologically comfortable. The most common "safe" place for someone with agoraphobia is his or her own home. Other common “safe” places are the homes of “safe” people, therapists’ offices, and other established retreats where the agoraphobic normally feels comfortable going.

There is no set amount of safe territory common to agoraphobia. Some people with agoraphobia are able to establish more safe places than others. While some may feel safe in a number of locations away from their home, others are confined solely to their homes, even others to certain rooms in their homes, and in extreme cases confined to their beds.

If these symptoms describe you - then keep reading. I will be back to post more on how I recovered.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Agoraphobia: Fear of the Unknown

When I first started having symptoms of agoraphobia I was totally in the dark and didn't know what was wrong with me. Like many people who first start experiencing panic attacks, I thought there was something wrong with my physical body. I thought something might be wrong with my heart or lungs because of the rapid hearbeat and smothering sensations that go along with hyperventilation during a panic attack.

The physical symptoms of panic and anxiety that are part of agoraphobia really scared me. I had one of my first major panic attacks during a class in high school and just thought I was getting really sick or something. When I went to a doctor and couldn't figure out what was wrong, I went back to school. That was because I had been feeling better while at home. When I went back to school, however, all the panic symptoms came back and I thought I was sick again. Since the doctor couldn't tell me what was wrong, I started to fear the unknown which only heightened the panic and anxiety.

Long story short, it took me about a year to figure out that I had a known psychological disorder called agoraphobia for which I could get help. During that year, I was terrified about what might be wrong with me and kept seeing doctors who couldn't help. Meanwhile, the agoraphobia fed off my fear of the unknown, took root in my life and built a strong foundation.

Needless to say, identifying your disorder is key if you have agoraphobia. It is much harder to overcome if you go a year in the dark like I did and let the fear build. In my next life I will be sure to know about agoraphobia before I get it so I can nip it in the bud. In this life, I guess I will just work at helping others gain an awareness, to try and save them the time and fear I went through during my dreadful first year with agoraphobia.

Monday, February 13, 2006

What is Agoraphobia?

I think one of the reasons agoraphobia was so hard to recover from was because it snuk up on me before I even knew what agoraphobia was. I already had full-blown agoraphobia before I became aware of the term.

I mean who has heard of agoraphobia that hasn't either suffered from it themselves or known someone who did. I think most people are familiar with terms like "panic disorder" or "anxiety disorder" but whenever I mention that I had agoraphobia, most people just shake their heads and look at me funny.

I am sure that if I had suffered from claustrophobia I would get a lot more understanding and sympathy. Why is it that most everyone has heard of claustrophobia and not agoraphobia when the two are related - in fact, they are nearly exact opposites. People with claustrophobia fear closed spaces and seek more open environments. People like me with agoraphobia fear open spaces and look for places where you can feel closed in and surrounded by something. Feeling closed in can actually help someone with agoraphobia feel safe.

Anyway, I have been thinking of putting up a website dedicated to people with agoraphobia since our disorder doesn't seem to be recognized by the mainstream. When I was doing some background reading for the site, I looked up different definitions of agopraphobia on the web. Here's what I came up with:

Definitions of Agoraphobia on the Web:

1) Irrational fear of being in a situation where escape is difficult or impossible.

2) Marked fear of being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult or embarrassing; fear of being out of control or fear of losing control when in a public place, eg, a restaurant, shopping mall, or classroom. Fear of being in a place or situation in which help might not be available in the event of a panic attack.

3) a Greek word that literally means "fear of the marketplace." This anxiety disorder involves the fear of experiencing a panic attack in a place or situation from which escape may be difficult or embarrassing.

4) a condition which leads to extreme anxiety and fear about leaving the safe environment of home, being in open spaces or being alone or in a public place.

5) the abnormal fear of being helpless in a situation from which escape is difficult or embarrassing, often characterized at first by panic or anxiety and finally by avoidance of open or public places.

6) Irrational or abnormal fear of open spaces or large crouds of people.

6) the fear of public places or open spaces. People with agoraphobia try to avoid being in situations that make them feel trapped.

7) fear from open places and the presence of many people aroundlibrary.

8) an abnormal fear of open or public places.

9) Agoraphobia is the fear of going out into public places. Agoraphbia can occur with or without panic attacks.

10) Fear of leaving a safe place.

11) a morbid fear of open spaces (as fear of being caught alone in some public place).

12) Agoraphobia is a form of anxiety disorder. The word is an English adoption of the Greek words agora (αγορά) and phobia (φόβος). Literally translated as "a fear of the marketplace", agoraphobia is a fear of open or public spaces where help in an emergency might not be readily available.

But this, by far, was my favorite definition:

Agoraphobia: What the Heck Is It???

I guess it will be a while before agoraphobia gets the full respect it deserves as one of the most common anxiety disorders.

I'll be back to write more about my experience with agoraphobia later.