EBN–Agroraphobia is the fear of being in public and open places, because the sufferer suffers from anxiety, panic, and distress during situations from which it is difficult to escape.
People with this type of phobia tend to stick to places they consider safe, such as their homes or neighborhoods, and avoid situations they feel are unsafe, such as driving or walking around town alone, shopping in stores, or attending public events.
Symptoms of agoraphobia
Agoraphobia affects the daily life of the sufferer, and according to the Help Guide website, there are a number of common symptoms of this condition, such as:
Fear of leaving the house
t is considered the most common symptom of the disease, and if the patient is forced to go out to work or study, in that case he is forced to adhere to a specific daily routine for movement outside the home, such as adhering to a specific route to go and return, and he may deliberately sit near the emergency exit on public transportation.
Avoid social events
Because of the fear of being in public places, and feeling unsafe in the outside world in general, the patient may deliberately avoid social events such as weddings, funerals, meetings, and graduation parties, and ignore important opportunities such as job offers or romantic dates.
having panic attacks
Agoraphobia is a subtype or complication of panic disorder. It is a sudden attack of intense anxiety, accompanied by symptoms such as shortness of breath , chest pain, dizziness, and a feeling of disconnection from the world around you. This is because people with agoraphobia often stay in their safe places due to the anticipated anxiety of panic attacks .
Symptoms of agoraphobia
Symptoms usually appear before the age of 35, and people in late adolescence and early adulthood are most at risk. In order for a patient to be diagnosed with the disease, he must show at least two of the following symptoms:
Fear of using public transportation, such as riding a bus or car.
Fear of being in open spaces, such as parking lots.
Fear of being in enclosed spaces , such as stores or movie theaters.
Fear of standing in line with other people or being in a crowd.
Fear of leaving your home alone.
In this case, the fear is so intense that the person avoids these things completely, feels uncomfortable about them, or needs someone to be with him when doing them. The extent of the fear is also not proportional to the actual expected danger.
How to overcome fear of open spaces
In many cases, in addition to psychotherapy, it is possible to deal with the fear of open spaces through a series of lifestyle changes and self-care, and taking a number of steps, including:
Driving to visit family in another city
Explore nearby amusement parks
invite friends over for lunch
Traveling abroad with a loved one
Once a person can see the ways in which they feel fearful, it can be a form of motivation to confront fears about the world outside the home.
Symptoms of agoraphobia
Symptoms usually appear before the age of 35, and people in late adolescence and early adulthood are most at risk. In order for a patient to be diagnosed with the disease, he must show at least two of the following symptoms:
Fear of using public transportation, such as riding a bus or car.
Fear of being in open spaces, such as parking lots.
Fear of being in enclosed spaces , such as stores or movie theaters.
Fear of standing in line with other people or being in a crowd.
Fear of leaving your home alone.
In this case, the fear is so intense that the person avoids these things completely, feels uncomfortable about them, or needs someone to be with him when doing them. The extent of the fear is also not proportional to the actual expected danger.
How to overcome fear of open spaces
In many cases, in addition to psychotherapy, it is possible to deal with the fear of open spaces through a series of lifestyle changes and self-care, and taking a number of steps, including:
Driving to visit family in another city
Explore nearby amusement parks
invite friends over for lunch
Traveling abroad with a loved one
Once a person can see the ways in which they feel fearful, it can be a form of motivation to confront fears about the world outside the home.
