Agoraphobia and Panic Disorder

Agoraphobia is a type of panic disorder. Some people get confused about the relationship between agoraphobia and panic disorder. This article defines agoraphobia, panic disorder, and panic disorder with agoraphobia.

What is Agoraphobia?

Agoraphobia is about being afraid of open or public places from which it may be hard or embarrassing to leave or get help in the event of panic symptoms.

If you have agoraphobia, you start to avoid the types of situations where you might get stuck and can’t leave easily. These situations might include being alone away from home or being home alone, being in crowds, supermarket lines, cars, buses, planes, bridges, or elevators. Sometimes you can enter these situations when you have a safe, familiar person with you, but for the most part, if you have agoraphobia, your avoidance of these types of public situations will compromise your ability to work, travel, or carry out your normal responsibilities.

Most people with agoraphobia also have a panic disorder, but panic disorder is a little different and can exist separately from agoraphobia.

What is Panic Disorder?

Panic disorder has to do with recurring panic attacks, worrying a lot about the possibility of having another panic attack, and making big changes in your behavior as a result (like quitting your job or some other activity).

In panic disorder, the panic attacks happen out of the blue and are not in response to anything. During panic attacks, most people worry about imaginary but unrealistic consequences like having a heart attack, losing control, or going crazy.

To clarify, a panic attack is period of intense fear, usually lasting about ten minutes or so (but sometimes longer), in which you have at least four of the following symptoms:

palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
sweating
trembling or shaking
sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
feeling of choking
chest pain or discomfort
nausea or abdominal distress
feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
feelings of unreality or being detached from oneself
fear of losing control or going crazy
fear of dying
numbness or tingling sensations
chills or hot flashes

What is Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia?

Panic disorder with agoraphobia develops when you start associating the panic attacks with certain situations or places and start avoiding those situations and places as a result.

Article Source: http://www.agoraphobia.net

Stephen Price is a recovered agoraphobic with an informational website on agoraphobia. It is found on the web at: www.agoraphobia.ws

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