Agoraphobia is not the opposite of claustrophobia, but many think it is. Actually, I thought so. I thought for sure that even when I suffered from agoraphobia. I was even offered to join the agoraphobia group, but I said no, because I was not afraid of open spaces. I really liked the open spaces, while no one was next to me. In fact, if there were no other person, then it was normal, as far as I was concerned. But that was a long time ago.
Translation of agoraphobia is the fear of the market, and not, as many people think, the fear of open spaces. Essence market these are people and human interaction. This is what is scary. The places that agoraphobes usually avoid or have problems with them are supermarkets, theaters, cinemas, crowds, parties. Places where a quick exit can be difficult.
Fear, as a rule, manifests itself in some way in the eyes of others. Agoraphobes usually worry about such things as: vomiting (usually as a result of severe anxiety); fainting; with panic attack; or suffering from a real health emergency, such as a heart attack. Preoccupation is usually one of the difficulties - perhaps fainting and finding yourself on the floor in the supermarket, looking at the circle of interested people who will insist on hustling and calling an ambulance.
Many agoraphobia manage to do with a trusted assistant who compiles them when they need to go shopping or socialize. This man is there to save them and take them home, if anything bad is like a panic attack. But when this helper is unavailable, life is very limited.
If medical care is received, the most likely outcome is treatment with tranquilizers and anti-depressants. None of them really solve the problem, they just provide a minimal level of functionality. The problem remains, like a monster in the wardrobe, expecting to show your scary face as soon as you turn off the lights, or look the other way. So you are trapped. The medicine keeps the monster in the closet, but does not get rid of it. Stop the medicine, and the monster will be released again.
Life as agoraphobia is not at all entertainment.
Therefore, if you suffer from agoraphobia and read this, I want to reassure you about a few things:
- It is not a disease, but you can treat. It.
- There is nothing physically wrong with you.
- Your brain is as normal as everyone else.
- The reason is how you think.
- Treatment changes the way you think.
Changing how you think is not easy, but it is much easier than living the isolated, terrible life of agoraphobia.
When you think about the totality of changes you need to make, it looks like an overwhelming task.
When you think about the next step that you need to take, it becomes not only possible, but also relatively simple.
The first steps are the most difficult. Each step after these first few becomes easier. They become easier because you have a memory of successes and the knowledge that what you are doing is already making a positive contribution to your life.
