What is agoraphobia and how does it develop. Causes, signs and treatments. Agoraphobia is a mental disorder that manifests itself as a fear of open spaces and large crowds. When you enter a large room or other crowded place, an attack of panic begins and fear builds up. People with agoraphobia experience significant difficulties in everyday life, which is limited by walls and communication with a minimum number of people.
Description and mechanism of development of agoraphobia
It is generally accepted that agoraphobia is a kind of protective mechanism that allows a person to avoid danger, which can be hidden in open spaces and crowded places. This mechanism is at the pathological level and does not lend itself to logical correction. That is, a person is fully aware that in fact there is no threat in what he is afraid of, but he cannot do anything with himself.
Usually this phobia is found in townspeople who live in large metropolitan areas, where, in fact, there are a lot of places around where there are congestions of people. They do not visit banks, shopping malls, galleries, cinemas, theaters, concert halls and other establishments. The life of such people in most cases comes down to the limited space of an apartment with a minimum circle of friends. Therefore, they need to know how to get rid of agoraphobia once and for all.
This disease occurs as part of anxiety-phobic disorders of the psyche, where it is considered as an obsessive state, which is manifested by a violation of thinking. A person cannot logically judge the likelihood of danger and is afraid of what is most likely not to happen.
With this disorder, a specific type of fear is imposed. It is perceived as completely absurd and criticized. Despite this, the phobia remains and significantly limits the possibilities in a person's routine life.
The main causes of agoraphobia
The etiology of agoraphobia is always different in each case. Moreover, it cannot be said that one event or factor triggered the progression of this fear. Most often, several causes play a role and jointly affect the formation of this disorder.
An important factor is that a person with agoraphobia cannot relate his own person to society. It just doesn't work to fit into society and distinguish yourself as part of something larger. It turns out that he cannot determine his place. This can be a consequence of various psychological problems that gradually turn into fear. The most likely causes of agoraphobia are:
- Evolutionary memory … It is believed that at a subconscious level, a person takes into account and remembers the experience of past generations. That is, the protective mechanisms that helped our ancestors survive hundreds or thousands of years ago are present at some minimum level in modern man. The fear of being in an open space, exposing oneself to be defenseless and weak for primitive man was the strongest. The instinct of self-preservation did not allow you to go far from a safe place and risk your own life. Perhaps evolutionary memory is triggered at the level of unconditioned protective reflexes and a person will be afraid of space and crowds of people as if they threaten his life.
- Antenatal memory … It is known that a child in the womb perceives everything that is around. He hears a voice, other sounds, reacts to emotional upheavals and even the mood of the mother. Threats of abortion or premature birth, as well as other antenatal complications of pregnancy, are a threat to the fetus. Thus, the fear of going out prematurely can be subconsciously formed. The womb is the environment in which the baby feels safe. Any threat of miscarriage is, first of all, a powerful stress for the baby, which can remain for a lifetime.
- Depressive state … Depression isn't just about being in a bad mood. In this state, there is a rethinking of values in life, the formation of new views and fears. A person delves into himself, his own feelings, looks for the root causes of all troubles and assures himself of his uselessness. Simply put, it artificially lowers self-esteem and diminishes its importance. Therefore, it becomes rather difficult to relate oneself to society, since a person considers himself unworthy.
- Psychological trauma … It can cause irreparable consequences for the human psyche and form fears, including agoraphobia. Most often, there is a history of domestic violence or sexual violence, a terrorist act. In fact, any shock to a person that posed a threat to life can become a triggering factor for the formation of a phobia. Therefore, it is necessary to study in detail the anamnestic data and determine the presence of psychotrauma, since only working with memories will help get rid of agoraphobia.
- Physical trauma … Much less often, but still can cause the formation of agoraphobia, bodily injury. This refers to severe physical trauma that left a psychological mark after itself, and the person is unable to get rid of obsessive experiences. For a phobia of open space to occur, the trauma must be associated with it or with a crowd of people. The conditions of trauma should coincide with those that the person subsequently fears.
Signs of agoraphobia in humans
The first symptoms of this disease will begin to appear exactly when a person tries to go out into an open space or in any other crowded place. Agoraphobia is manifested by short-term panic attacks and is eliminated by eliminating the triggering factor. That is, as soon as a person returns to a closed room and confines himself to walls, it immediately becomes easier for him. The main symptoms of agoraphobia are:
- Vegetative dysregulation … First of all, there are disorders on the part of the autonomic nervous system. There is increased sweating, general hyperthermia. In this case, the frequency of respiratory movements increases significantly. The heart begins to pound harder in the chest, so much so that this sound becomes the most distinct. Later, there may be an upset of the gastrointestinal tract as a result of dysfunction of the human vegetative system.
- Orientation … A person suddenly loses the sense of orientation in space and time. It is difficult for him to determine where he is and where he has just come from. Therefore, it is quite difficult for such people to stop the panic attack themselves. A person frantically tries to find where to hide, and is able to get lost in a completely open area.
- Increased blood pressure … Not all people with agoraphobia have hypertension. It all depends on the situation and the duration of this disorder in the life of a particular person. He feels high blood pressure like tinnitus, headache. In some cases, nausea or even vomiting may occur. Dizziness is often noted.
- Cognitive dysfunction … Speech disorders are common. It is difficult for a person to pronounce certain sentences, formulate words, or even ask for help. Sometimes there is short-term amnesia, which disappears over time. That is, in such a state, a person may not remember his own name or explain his condition. Hearing impairment is sometimes observed. Therefore, a person in a panic should be addressed loudly and clearly, without asking unnecessary questions.
Almost every person who suffers from agoraphobia, at the time of the attack, has disturbing obsessive thoughts about the threat to their own life. The problem is that a person treats them critically, understands their unreality, but cannot resist. The feeling of an influx of all-encompassing fear overshadows everything else, and it is difficult for a person to perceive anything else.
Varieties of agoraphobia in humans
The manifestations of agoraphobia differ from person to person. For one, even open doors to another room will be a reason to feel fear, while for another - only huge stadiums. Therefore, one should distinguish between specific types of fear in order to determine the degree of manifestation and treatment option for agoraphobia, since it has many varieties. Panic attack with this phobia occurs when:
- A person's stay in an open space … This means large areas in the city, open parks, fields. The absence of visible boundaries of space depressingly puts pressure on a person and causes discomfort.
- A person's stay in public places … Most often, these are even small cafes, shops, banks and other establishments where strangers can meet and interact without getting to know each other. It is the feeling of separation of oneself from society that gives a person discomfort.
- Staying at the event … A person with agoraphobia becomes ill in large crowds. These can be stadiums for a sports match or concert halls. The sight of a huge number of people is especially depressing. At the same time, it is difficult for a person with agoraphobia to feel safe.
- Attention to yourself … Appearing in a public place or other open space, a person is scared to draw attention to himself. The riveted glances of strangers further aggravate the condition and cause discomfort.
- Crowded crowd … This refers to public transport, second-hand metro traffic and queues. In such cases, the chance of interaction with other strangers and even physical contact, which the person with agoraphobia carefully avoids, increases.
- Open doors and windows … In some cases, agoraphobia significantly bothers a person's life, manifesting itself even in such conditions. At the same time, it is impossible to leave the room and provide yourself with the minimum necessary things. This condition requires outside help.
- Deserted places … Sometimes a person is afraid to be left completely alone in a large space, motivating this by the fact that there will be no one even to help. That is, fear causes some probable danger, which he himself cannot cope with.
- Loneliness … In some cases, agoraphobia is manifested by a fear of walking alone. Open streets and squares are, according to human feelings, a real threat, so you should take someone with you just in case. Naturally, the manifestations of phobia are significantly reduced in this case.
- Impossibility to return … If a person left the house, having set a goal for himself, he needs to know that in case of danger he can go back or hide. The realization that there is no shelter nearby or that the doors were immediately closed behind it adds fear and worsens well-being.
Features of the treatment of agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is a fairly serious disorder that, depending on its severity, can create significant difficulties in daily life. People are unable to complete normal daily tasks, visit public places, or even work. Therefore, choosing the right treatment for agoraphobia should be taken very seriously. It is best if a qualified specialist does this. Only a doctor knows how to treat agoraphobia correctly.
Psychotherapy
It is one of the most effective treatments for agoraphobia today. An experienced psychotherapist will help not only eliminate the symptoms of the disorder, but also understand the root causes of its occurrence. Having disassembled bit by bit the etiological factor in the formation of agoraphobia, you can help a person get rid of this problem.
Psychotherapy involves close contact between the patient and the psychotherapist, which is based on mutual professional trust. A person needs to trust a specialist and fully disclose his inner experiences. To objectify the diagnosis, special tests and scales are used that measure the severity of a given phobia, as well as other psychological components of this condition. Psychotherapeutic assistance usually takes the form of simulating various situations. A person is given the opportunity to look at his behavior from the outside. It is necessary to create the right patterns of behavior for future situations so that during an attack you do not get confused and act correctly. Psychoanalysis of children's psychological trauma, experiences that could cause the formation of agoraphobia, helps to establish the etiological factor. Working with these memories can eliminate this pathological response. For more complex cases of agoraphobia, hypnosis may be used.
Medical treatment
In some cases, when treating the symptoms of agoraphobia, it is necessary to resort to the use of pharmacological psychotropic drugs. Such funds should be prescribed by a doctor who takes into account all the individual characteristics of a person, the course of the disorder and the severity of the disease.
Varieties of medicines:
- Antidepressants … The most commonly used group of serotonin reuptake inhibitors. They help to calm the person down and eliminate unpleasant thoughts in his head, remove the attitude towards negative consequences and the expectation of trouble.
- Anxiolytics … These are anti-anxiety drugs that are used as a sedative. They relieve the symptoms of panic attacks well and improve a person's well-being. Long-term use can be addictive, so dose escalation and withdrawal should be gradual.
- Soothing … They are additional drugs and are prescribed in case of severe discomfort and fear, even in the absence of agoraphobic conditions. That is, when a person begins to fear what could happen to him when he finds himself in such a situation.
Since the specific causes of agoraphobia are unknown, specific prophylaxis of the disease is not possible. It is possible to reduce the manifestation of panic attacks by increasing your own resistance to stress. That is, you need to gain some attitudes that will help you more calmly react to events in life and not develop a panic attack at every case of danger around. Naturally, this requires training and strong endurance.
Important! Most antidepressants and anxiolytics have a number of side effects that should be considered when combining drugs from several groups. How to treat agoraphobia - watch the video:
[media = https://www.youtube.com/watch? v = XYj4p-k4uh8] Keeping an active lifestyle, socialization and communication contributes to the prevention of the formation of agoraphobia. A person who fits into society and fits in well will most likely never get agoraphobia.
