Agoraphobia
Common terms are agoraphobia, fear of space or fear of the street. Agoraphobia is mainly characterized by a fear of leaving a trusted and safe environment and can occur in varying degrees. For example, a person may feel unrest but may be in public places or, in severe cases, may withdraw completely and avoid social contact as much as possible.
Do i have Agoraphobia?
You qualify to Agoraphobia if you experience severe fear or anxiety for 6 months or more in 2 or more of the following situations:
- Use of (public) transport (such as in a car, train, bus, ship and / or plane)
- Located in open space (such as a car park, market square, bridges
- Be in an enclosed space (such as a shop, cinema, library)
- Standing in line or in a crowd
- Being outdoors alone
In addition, you experience this great fear or anxiety because of the thought that escaping from these kinds of situations is difficult or because help is not available if you feel powerless or ashamed of how you react to the situation. In Agoraphobia, the fear or fright of the above situations is extraordinary. Others in your environment do not respond this way in the situations above.
How do i get rid of Agoraphobia?
People with Agoraphobia avoid situations because they experience strong fear or anxiety. Treatment is therefore aimed at avoidance. Together with your practitioner you will look up ‘scary’ situations step by step and stop avoiding these situations. In this way you learn at your own pace that the ‘scary’ situations for you are not as scary as you think.