Agoraphobia

Conner McMann

A.P. Psych

1st period

Definition!!!

• Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder, traditionally thought to involve a fear of public places and open spaces.

Important info!

• However it is said that this disorder comes from the complications of panic attacks.

• This disorder may arise by the fear of having a panic attack.

Cont’d

• Most people who suffer from this disorder hardly come into physical or social contact with any other human beings.

• They pretty much shield themselves from society.

Fun Facts!*!*!

• Approximately 3.2 million adults in the United States between the ages of 18 and 54, or about 2.2% suffer from Agoraphobia.

• Agoraphobia occurs twice as commonly among women than it does in men.

• The gender difference may be attributable to social-cultural factors that encourage, or permit, the greater expression of avoidant coping strategies by women.

Cont’d

• Other theories say that women are more likely to seek help and therefore be diagnosed.

• Men are more likely to abuse alcohol as a reaction to anxiety and be diagnosed as an alcoholic.

Causes

• The causes of Agoraphobia are currently unknown.

• It has been linked to the presence of other anxiety disorders, a stressful environment or substance abuse.

Factors

• Chronic use of tranquilizers and sleeping pills such as benzodiazepines have been linked to causing Agoraphobia.

Diagnosis

• Most people who present to the mental health specialists develop agoraphobia after the onset of a panic disorder.

• Agoraphobia is best understood as an adverse behavioral outcome of repeated panic attacks and subsequent anxiety and preoccupation with these attacks that leads to an avoidance of situations where a panic attack could occur.

Treatment

• Exposure treatment can provide lasting relief to the majority of patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia.

• Systematic desensitization may also be used.

Alternative Treatments

• Eye movement desensitization and reprogramming has been studied as a possible treatment for agoraphobia, with poor results.

• EMDR is only recommended in cases where cognitive-behavioral approaches have proven ineffective or in cases where agoraphobia has developed following trauma.

More treatments

• Many people with anxiety disorders benefit from joining a self-help or support group.

• Sharing problems and achievements with others as well as sharing various self-help tools are common in these groups.

Characteristics

• People develop anxiety when thinking about being in a situation out of their comfort zone.

• They try to avoid these types of situations which bring them anxiety or panic.

People with this disorder

• Howard Hughes the well known and respected aviator and billionaire bought himself a hotel and lived out his life in seclusion.

• According to historians, he suffered from anxiety panic attacks and a phobia of germs.

Howard Hughes

Kim Basinger

• As a child, Kim Basinger seemed so withdrawn her parents asked doctors if she had autism or some other psychiatric disorder, but tests revealed nothing.

Cont’d

• By high school, she had developed a self-deprecating sense of humor that helped her make friends.

• She was divorced twice and bought the entire town of Braselton, Georgia for 20 million dollars.

Conclusion

• Agoraphobia 100 years ago would have been devastating.

• The technology today is making the disease is making it less devastating on peoples lives and it is making it easier to live with.