Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral Therapy & Agoraphobia
By Kam Meng Mok

Agoraphobia is a most common syndrome under Panic disorder. This term 'agoraphobia' is derived from Greek, 'agora' means the market place and 'phobia' means fear of specify event.

Generally, most people having perception that agoraphobia sufferer feel vulnerable and frighten in open or public place. For example in a queue, in shopping complex, garden and etc. Sufferer finds no obvious exit; develop dizziness and suffocating during this event.

However, agoraphobia is not, as many people believe, just as about open spaces. It is accurate for any place or situation where people feel unsafe, trapped and having the urge to escape. Therefore, people suffer under this event are more comfortable to stay at home and avoid themselves from the specific fearful place.

Sufferer feels insecure leaving their comfort zone, their home mostly, sometime, their room. In result, they seldom venture far from home after they struck by agoraphobia. They tend to rely on other people such as family members and friends for daily living.

Stay in comfort zone is not a solution for agoraphobia. Sufferer is avoiding him/herself to a particular dangerous zone, this imply they set up fences in limiting their free moving spaces. Restriction will not worsen the case at immediately but in next to no time.

In most cases, severe sufferers are heavily dependent on their family members or friends to perform their daily activities, this in time can put a strain on the care-givers whose revolve around for helping.

In fact, researchers find out agoraphobia is getting more common and it has infected ½ to 1% of world population. Moreover, there is 1 of 8 people having less severe form. Agoraphobia has it classic onset in early adult life which peak from 18 to 30. Studies proved that people at this age are facing more stressful and depressive event than other ages.