Panic disorder with agoraphobia does exist as agoraphobia and panic disorder are associated disorders but are classified as different conditions and come under different banners of psychiatry. We are here to discuss the association between the two, and the related Panic disorder with Agoraphobia therapies in the words below:
Defining Panic Disorder
When you sometimes have sudden attacks of anxiety and overwhelming fear that last for several minutes, your heart pounds, you sweat, and you feel like you can’t breathe or think clearly, then it usually substantiates the development of Panic disorder with Agoraphobia along the ride.
People diagnosed with panic disorder frequently have unexpected and sudden panic attacks, which can be debilitating to their everyday lives. Most people tend to have anxiety and most of us go through a panic attack at some point in our lives. But when these panic attacks start to get out of hand and become irrational, then they probably develop into a panic disorder. It is predominantly characterized by sudden waves of fear or a sense of losing control and discomfort while there is no presence of immediate danger and associated triggers.
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The panic causes extreme stress and anxiety and these are so heightened during a panic disorder that the symptoms that affected individuals feel that they are going through a heart attack due to symptoms like trembling, tingling, or rapid heart rate. These recurrent and persistent symptoms lead to the fear and anxiety of having another panic attack and often develop into a full-blown panic disorder. Usually, a panic attack consists of these symptoms in addition to the ones that mimic a heart attack:
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling that you are choking
- Hot flushes and chest pain
- Wooziness and feeling like you are about to faint
- Nausea (feeling like you are about to vomit)
When these symptoms become a recurring matter, that means you are probably suffering from recurrent episodes of panic attacks, affected individuals will also go through the following:
- Frequent and unexpected panic attacks obviously
- Excessive worry about having another panic attack, even if it happened a month ago
- Being afraid of the consequences or symptoms of panic attacks, including but not limited to losing control, having a heart attack, or acting like a crazy person.
But the question is, how does Panic disorder and Agoraphobia go hand in hand with each other and how can it induce a panic attack with agoraphobia? This is exactly what we will discuss in the next section and the follow-up ones!
Defining Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia, as the name suggests, is a type of anxiety disorder, that is characterized by feelings of fear and avoidance behavior that relate to panic about getting or being trapped or helpless in places and situations that are extremely enclosed or extremely open, which are predominantly public places such as a subway station.
In agoraphobia too, anxiety and stress are heightened so much that affected individuals feel that they have no way out of a certain place or situation and they can’t even get help for it. These affected individuals might fear that they might get lost, or they might be scared of having diarrhea without an outlet such as a bathroom for example. It is interesting to note that agoraphobia differs from a specific phobia in terms of feared consequences as situations in it are feared for anxiety or panic responses alone and not for other reasons.
Additionally, affected individuals will feel symptoms such as the ones mentioned above once they are under the influence of Agoraphobia with panic disorder, especially when they are stuck in:
- in an enclosed space, such as a theatre, a meeting room, or a small shop
- in an open space, like a concert arena, something like a car park, or a large shopping mall
- A public transport vehicle such as a bus, train, or plane
- A home-alone situation.
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What is Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia?
Coming back to the point of the subject matter in relation to Panic disorder with Agoraphobia, we should be asking what’s the association between Panic disorder and Agoraphobia. The thing is that Agoraphobia develops after affected individuals have had one or more panic attacks (although it is necessary for that to happen as people can develop agoraphobia without the presence of panic attacks), causing them to worry about having another attack. They then avoid the places where it may happen again. These pervasive and persistent panic attacks can transform into panic disorder, especially if they are left untreated. Hopefully, this answers the question, “How are agoraphobia and panic disorder related?”.
Causes of Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia
The causes of panic disorder with Agoraphobia can be described as a combination of different variables coming into motion at the same time and triggering panic disorder with agoraphobia. Both of these may come into motion due to:
- There is a running history of anxiety disorders, mood disorders such as bipolar disorder or depressive illness in the family, signifying a genetic component to the onset of panic disorder with agoraphobia symptoms
- Extremely negative experiences in life, which often stem from situations such as something like childhood abuse, getting laid off, or bereavement, all of which probably have led to recurrent and debilitating panic attacks in the past
- Physiological conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or irritable bowel syndrome, which are often associated with Panic disorder with Agoraphobia
Treatment for Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia
Prompt treatment is exceptionally compulsory when it comes to Panic disorder and Agoraphobia co-occurring. Treatment is extremely helpful in reducing recurring panic attacks and the persistent symptoms of agoraphobia as methods relating to it can be seen as a good start to the instructions on how to stop agoraphobia panic attacks. There is no best treatment for agoraphobia or panic disorder, but more like which one will be suitable when they are needed.
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Psychotherapies (also called “talk” therapies due to their nature of one-to-one sessions) are a good start. The most suitable of these is the one called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is adept at helping affected individuals look into their problematic behavior that can stem from negative cognitive processes that are impaired by mental health issues such as agoraphobia with panic disorder. CBT is a short-term and goal-oriented psychotherapy that will help affected individuals learn about what triggers their symptoms, how they can cope with their symptoms, and how they can change unwanted behaviors.
Medication is also a great complement to, and enhancer of psychotherapy, especially in the shape of medication management (which is a monitored version of medication by experts). Treatment for Panic disorder with Agoraphobia can include either antidepressants such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin Modulators like
Citalopram (Celexa), or anti-anxiety medication like Benzodiazepines, all of which are available with a prescription.
Lifestyle changes such as the usage of relaxation techniques or mindfulness and acceptance practices. Regular exercise, having a balanced diet, and keeping in touch with supportive family members and friends can greatly reduce the persistent symptoms of Panic disorder with Agoraphobia. Hopefully, this section was a good answer, if you were asking about treatment for agoraphobia or panic disorder.
Read More: Beyond the Basics: Unfolding the Mystery of Specific Phobia
Wrapping Up!
Panic disorder and Agoraphobia should not be taken lightly as both are separately classified mental conditions. Therefore, these should be treated swiftly. For that, you can book an appointment at Orange Coast Psychiatry because it serves the Orange Coast and surrounding areas and includes flexible options such as telehealth psychiatry to treat something like panic disorder or something else such as social anxiety disorder. What are you waiting for? Book an appointment today!