Coping With the Symptoms of Agoraphobia
The first self-help strategy often used by agoraphobia patients involves controlling some of the major symptoms of the disorder. These individuals may fear losing control in a public place, experience an overwhelming sense of helplessness or become overly dependent upon other people. In some cases, people may also experience symptoms similar to a panic attack such as lightheadedness, difficulty breathing, rapid heart rate and chest pain.In order to control these symptoms, some people may work on their own to overcome some of the most common signs of agoraphobia. For example, people often attempt to conquer a fear of leaving the house by setting relatively small goals (walking to the mailbox) and progressively working up toward a larger goal (walking around the block).
Learning to Identify Panic Triggers
Everyone experiences fear and panic differently, which is why it is important for people suffering from agoraphobia to learn how to monitor their symptoms and recognize their panic triggers. The first step involves understanding your individual reactions to stress. How do you typically feel during a high stress situation? Write down your feelings in a notebook so that you will be able to recognize these signs when you are in other triggering situations.The next step is to identify the lifestyle factors that may contribute to your agoraphobic symptoms. These might include a lack of sleep, an inadequate diet, smoking, excessive caffeine or a lack of exercise. Being in great physical health can also help improve your psychological well-being, so focus on making healthy choices every day.
Finally, start analyzing your thought patterns when you are in situations that trigger agoraphobic symptoms. How do you feel? What thoughts are running through your head? Use your journal to write down these experiences, and then take an honest look at your reactions. In many cases, people quickly realize that their own thoughts contributed to the panic symptoms and that these feelings are often blown far out of proportion. By learning how to moderate your own thoughts in triggering situations, you will be better able to control your symptoms and remain calm.
Agoraphobia can be a serious illness that causes major disruptions in family relationships, work, school and social functioning. Fortunately, there are a number of self-help strategies that can be effectively used to control the symptoms of this disorder. It is important for people to stay aware of their symptoms and work on a self-help treatment plan, but remain willing to seek out the help of a professional if symptoms become unmanageable.
