Agoraphobia and Panic Attacks
Panic Attacks are part of the group of anxiety conditions and are seldom understood. Many individuals do understand what constitutes a panic attack, many others do not know what can bring on these panic attacks. The connection between panic attacks happening and agoraphobia is interesting, agoraphobia can be one of the causes of the attacks.
Agoraphobia is also misunderstood, because so many individuals are not aware of this being part of the disorders that take place due to anxiety. Precisely this is a disorder that occurs when people have anxiety due to unfamiliar environments and situations. An example of this is an individual who is afraid of wide open areas or surroundings, that are not familiar with may have trouble adjusting to a rural setting. The numerous types of environments that an individual afflicted with agoraphobia can be afraid of can be endless. These surroundings may differ greatly but it can trigger the same reaction. The reaction being panic attacks.
As the name implies, a panic attack infers to a severe amount of anxiety overcoming an individual until the person begins to manifest severe mental and physical problems as a result. These attacks can be long or short in duration but they are always serious.
The fear of the big open spaces can trigger a fight or a flight feeling. This is actually an instinct that all living beings large and small have when they perceive danger. All living beings want to fight or flee danger, when a threat is near, so that they can protect themselves and their loved ones. But when agoraphobia comes on, the reaction is made more severe because of confusion happening with all the other sensations.
Part of this confusion derives from the fact that the person may not be able to achieve flight. If a person opts to attend a football game with a friend, flight may not be possible. It would either be rude to leave or it may not even be possible if it was the friend drove the agoraphobic person to the game. Such a situation could lead to extreme stress which, in turn, could lead to a severe panic attack.
What can a person do when a panic attack ensues during such an inconvenient time? The first step would be to calm down, relax your breathing, and slow your heart rate by deep inhales. This will help alleviate the problem at the time it occurs. Of course, this is a short term solution and the main problem must be dealt with thoroughly in order to reduce its further occurrence.
Clearly, the best way to deal with curtailing the effects of a panic attack and its association with agoraphobia would be to seek professional help. A qualified mental health professional can certainly provide a treatment plan that would reduce the many problems associated with these conditions. As such, seeking professional help is recommended since the problem will not go away on its own.
Agoraphobia on its own is a very serious condition and when coupled with panic attacks, should be treated with a lot of care. Again to repeat, this disorder will not cure itself.
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