A phobia, a fear or anxiety, can become a disorder no matter the subject. I, personally, have a phobia that some may have heard of but probably do not know the correct definition. Agoraphobia is defined as "fear of the marketplace", suggesting that it is a phobia of crowded areas. This is not the case, as it is a fear of being unable to escape a place if affected by a panic attack. Agoraphobia commonly accompanies panic or anxiety disorder rather than manifest on its own. Some see it as a catch 22, having an anxiety attack because of the underlying fear of having one in the first place. Agoraphobia can cause one to become house-bound, as home is considered a person's safest place.
Systematic desensitization is a treatment option for agoraphobics, including myself. Meditation and muscle relaxation was extremely useful in the treatment process. This phobia can control your life, and other measures such as counter conditioning and reciprocal inhibition are also very useful.
Last semester in one of my psychology classes we studied phobias and we watched a video of someone who was under going systematic desensitization. In this setting it was interesting. First the therapist and the patient imagined herself with her phobia (a snake) after she got over the thought the therapist brought a live snake into the room. It was amazing by the end of the video she had the snake wrapped around her arm! The process was really very effective.
ReplyDeleteDanielle DeSandis