Panic Attacks and Agoraphobia

[NOTE: This is transcript of a spoken presentation. Please excuse the conversational grammar.]

Many people suffering from panic disorder also suffer from a condition known as agoraphobia. And this isn't surprising, because the two are actually very closely related issues. In fact, they're both types of anxiety disorders. Panic disorder is classified as an anxiety disorder, and likewise agoraphobia is another type of anxiety disorder.

Now, as you may know from my other videos, panic disorder is characterized by onsets of intense anxiety and fear - overwhelming levels. It's kind of like a normal state of panic where something terrible is about to happen to you. But with this condition, the panic is not associated with a physical danger, but rather it's being generated by what's going on in your subconscious mind.

And that's actually one of the most terrifying aspects of panic disorder. You're emotionally overwhelmed by anxiety and fear, but you don't know the source - so there's no escape.

So how does this relate to agoraphobia? Well, an interesting thing about panic attacks, and anxiety in general, is that your mind begins to associate those uncomfortable experiences with external stimuli or events... Perhaps a particular place, location, a social situation, a sight, sound, smell, person. Anything really. Do you remember where you were on the morning of September 11, 2001? What about more recently on September 11, 2011? Highly emotional events make deep psychological impressions.

These associations can form even when they don't logically make sense. For example, I once had a panic attack while I was watching a cheesy Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. For years I could not even hear the sound of Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice without feeling like I was going to have a mental breakdown.

So naturally, as you go through months or years suffering from anxiety/panic attacks in more and more situations, the number of places/people/situations that feel comfortable and safe to you will naturally become more and more limited. It can get to the point that some people are so overwhelmed by these negative associations that even leaving their homes can be difficult. Hello agoraphobia.

The dictionary defines agoraphobia as a fear of open spaces - which sounds kind of bizarre. But using a little logic, it's not hard to see how panic and other anxiety issues can quickly lead to such a condition. And this probably why agoraphobia is one of the very most common phobias there is.

So if you've been diagnosed with agoraphobia, don't worry too much that you've been labeled with some strange condition - because it's really not strange at all, and it's definitely something that you can overcome. And if you're also experiencing panic disorder, know that the two often go hand in hand. When you start to make some progress on one, you'll probably notice the other one start to disappear as well.

Stop Panic Attacks and Agoraphobia with Self Therapy