Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia: Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder. It causes fear and often avoids places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed. Agoraphobia symptoms include: Fear of being alone in any situation, Fear of being in crowded places, Fear of losing control in a public place, Fear of being in places where it may be hard to leave, Inability to leave your home (housebound) or only able to leave it if someone else goes with you, Sense of helplessness, Overdependence on others. In addition, you may have signs and symptoms of a panic attack, such as: Rapid heart rate, Excessive sweating, Trouble breathing, Feeling shaky, numb or tingling etc.

Causes: exact causes of agoraphobia are unknown. Suffering with panic disorder or other phobias, or experiencing stressful life events, may play a major role in the development of agoraphobia. it is diagnosed based on signs and symptoms. Diagnosis of Agoraphobia must meet criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) published by the American Psychiatric Association. Early treatment of panic disorder can often prevent agoraphobia.[34] Agoraphobia is typically determined when symptoms are worse than panic disorder, but also do not meet the criteria for other anxiety disorders such as depression.

Treatments: Agoraphobia treatment usually includes both psychotherapy and medication. psychotherapy involves working with a therapist to reduce your anxiety symptoms, Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy. Antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications are often used to treat agoraphobia and panic symptoms. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva) and fluoxetine (Prozac), are used for the treatment of panic disorder with agoraphobia Cognitive and behavioral treatments provide lasting relief to the majority of patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia. benzodiazepines, anti-anxiety medications are sedatives. Drugs like alprazolam (Niravam, Xanax) and clonazepam (Klonopin). Benzodiazepines are generally used

Statistics: The approximate Agoraphobia Incidence in Oceania, Australia was found to be 234,272. Agoraphobia occurs about twice as commonly among women as it does in men