Did you ever have an eccentric aunt who wouldn’t leave the house? You always had to visit her and she would never go anywhere else? Maybe she wasn’t just eccentric… she may have suffered from a very debilitating anxiety disorder called Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia. In this disorder, people experience sudden unexpected panic attacks where they fear they are going crazy or losing control.

Those with Panic experience an intense fear or discomfort that comes on quickly. During the panic the person experiences several things that may include: pounding heart, sweating, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, and fears of going crazy or dying.

Because they never know when one of these attacks might happen, they experience agoraphobia, which is the fear and avoidance of situations that they consider “unsafe.” Unsafe because they may have another panic attack and because it may be difficult or embarrassing to escape and get home (or to a hospital). In the most severe cases, those with Agoraphobia become totally unable to leave the house for years on end.

In this condition, if you have unexpected panic attacks and are afraid you may have another one, you want to be in a safe place or at least with a safe person who knows what you are experiencing.

Typical situations that may be avoided are restaurants, waiting in line, crowds, buses, subways, planes, elevators, tunnels, and any number of other situations where escape is difficult or may be embarrassing. Avoiding these situations is simply one way to cope with unexpected panic attacks. But the avoidance becomes a self-imposed prison.
Some people with this disorder don’t actually avoid agoraphobic situations, but endure them with intense dread.

It’s difficult to say how many people have Agoraphobia at any one time, but approximately one-third of those with Panic Disorder are thought to go on to develop Agoraphobia. Of those, 75% or more are women. But this number is also in question as many men may deny their fear and use alcohol or other drugs to cover it up.

Like other anxiety disorders, there are drug treatments that include anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications that may be helpful.

Psychological treatment, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, has proven to be quite effective in treating both agoraphobic avoidance and panic disorder. This type of treatment has been helpful in reducing anxiety, panic, and agoraphobic avoidance in nearly 70% of patients.

If you would like more information about this or other anxiety disorders, visit the Anxiety Disorders Association of America website at www.adaa.org

If you would like to know more about me you may go to my website at www.drgregcason.com .

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