Help For Agoraphobia - How People Develop Agoraphobia

Written by HealthyPlace.com Staff Writer

sandee ane: Were you saying earlier, we fear the anxiety that we once felt due to a tramatic event? A pdoc told me that my problem is my feelings about my mother's death when I was 5. He said that I should have had help at age 5 and 9. What do I do about those feelings now? I am 53. I wittnessed her death in bed at night.

Dr. Foxman: It is not simply the traumatic event that causes anxiety. It is the painful feelings that were so overwhelming. In other words, it is the internal reaction to the trauma that we must deal with. You can deal with the feelings now by discussing them and realizing that they are not life-threatening. What you probably missed was help in dealing with strong feelings. Some skills for that are described in my book in a chapter called, "Feeling Safe with Feelings."

Tash21567: Is it true the longer you live with panic, the harder it is to conquer?

Dr. Foxman: In a sense, yes, because the patterns and habits that develop to cope with panic are so entrenched. But that simply means it may take longer to recover due to the power of habits. It should not mean being discouraged. The keys to success are motivation to change combined with a proper program for recovery. The three factors determining treatment success are: motivation, chronicity, and current stress level.

neofairy: Do you think that many agoraphobics have been abused at some point in their lives?

Dr. Foxman: Unfortunately, a history of abuse is common in people who develop anxiety disorders. In such cases, the abuse is the "trauma" that we have been discussing. If you read my book, you will find in "My Anxiety Story," that I was a victim of childhood abuse. Related to abuse is a pattern of low self-esteem in many people with anxiety disorders, including agoraphobia.

David: Here are two similar questions:

Zoey42: In my case, the first anxiety attack was the beginning of the end. Slowly starting avoidance and some good years. Then, when it would hit again, it would come back worse then it was. Then slowly for the next 24 years, continuing on and off, but always coming back. Is this common?

Danaia: What if the situation is not a "typical" situation? I have a strange fear of vomiting in public. How can I desensitize myself from that? I've tried everything from drugs to hypnosis and nothing so far has worked. It gets better for me, and then it gets bad again. Am I stuck with this forever? My fear is, what if this is as good as it gets?

Dr. Foxman: Without knowing what treatment efforts you have made, it is difficult to offer a definitive answer. Generally, however, I am optimistic that people can overcome anxiety with proper guidance. Many therapists deal with anxiety but are not truly specialists and do not understand the condition from personal experience. I have worked with many people who have suffered for years, and have had prior therapy. I usually use the CHAANGE program in such cases because it focuses on new skills rather than on talk therapy. The structure is important, as is knowing that other people with similar conditions have been successfull. Never give up hope.

As for the fear of vomiting in public, that is another form of fear of losing control and publicly embarassing oneself. When you learn to be in control of yourself, you can handle the situation.

David: Thank you, Dr. Foxman, for being our guest tonight and for sharing this information with us. And to those in the audience, thank you for coming and participating. I hope you found it helpful. We have a very large and active community here at HealthyPlace.com. Also, if you found our site beneficial, I hope you'll pass our URL around to your friends, mail list buddies, and others. http://www.healthyplace.com

Thank you again, Dr. Foxman, for coming and staying late to answer everyone's questions.

Dr. Foxman: Thanks for the opportunity to share on this important topic.

David: Good night, everyone.

Disclaimer: We are not recommending or endorsing any of the suggestions of our guest. In fact, we strongly encourage you to talk over any therapies, remedies or suggestions with your doctor BEFORE you implement them or make any changes in your treatment.

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