An Overview Of Agoraphobia

An Overview Of Agoraphobia
Though anxiety is often referred to as a singular disorder,
there are actually several variations of the anxious
condition. One of the more dramatic variations of anxiety
is agoraphobia. Agoraphobia defined is a sense of fear or
unease in unfamiliar environments. Agoraphobia is a mostly
rare condition, affecting roughly five percent of the
population, with women most often affected.

Agoraphobia is not inherently dramatic in the way it
presents itself, but it can become so in extreme cases. In
an extreme case of agoraphobia, the person affected becomes
so overwhelmed by fear or unease or both, that they
literally confine themselves to the perceived safety and
security of their home. Agoraphobics that have these sorts
of extreme symptoms are not people anxious per se:
agoraphobics who confine themselves can often personally
interact provided the interaction takes place within their
confined comfort area.

It’s thought that agoraphobia has a connection to
feeling insecure over a lack of control. Agoraphobics who
find themselves in unfamiliar environments may become
fearful about the possibility of circumstances occurring in
this unknown territory that could leave them in some way
damaged. The agoraphobic obsesses then over perceived
dangers that may occur in unfamiliar places, and this
obsession often leads to a high state of fear or panic.
While agoraphobics may have panic attacks, it is the focus
on unfamiliar environments triggering panic that defines
their condition. An agoraphobic may panic only in
unfamiliar settings in other words, whereas someone with
panic disorder can have a panic attack at virtually any
time.

People with a generalized panic condition may confine
themselves, as the agoraphobic does, but this confinement
for the person with generalized anxiety is not necessarily
a solution to ending panic as it may be for the
agoraphobic. Agoraphobics are different from people with a
social anxiety condition as well because the
agoraphobic’s unease is not with people so much as it
is with settings. And again, agoraphobics can comfortably
interact with other people within a physical comfort zone.

The outcome for someone with agoraphobia can be quite
confounding, both for the person with agoraphobia as well
as for people who are close to them. Some persons with
extreme agoraphobia have been known to confine themselves
to a perceived comfort zone for literally years on end. At
its core, agoraphobia is an anxious condition, and though
anxiety can be extremely painful and damaging, it is a
highly treatable state. So it is with agoraphobia: with
proper treatment, agoraphobia can be completely overcome
and the agoraphobic can lead a normal existence
that’s free of worry and fear.

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Zinn Jeremiah is a freelance author. To find help with
anxiety, visit
http://www.hubonline.biz/feel-better-today.htm or
http://www.hubonline.biz/healthy-mood.htm .