Fear of public or open places: what is agoraphobia and its treatment?

Feeling anxious or worried is a commonplace experience in everyday life that can be badociated with specific situations. Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by marked fear or anxiety in at least two of the following five situations: (a) use of public transportation; (b) be in open spaces; (c) be in enclosed spaces; (d) standing in a row or a crowd; and e) go out alone from the house.

In addition, because of such anxiety, the individual fears or avoids the situation, which almost always causes fear and anxiety. Therefore, these situations are actively avoided and the subject usually tends to require the presence of a partner reduce anxiety in front of them.

"First and foremost, agoraphobia is clbadically described as efear of open spaces, although this may also include fear of another type of usually public spaces. The person develops a situation of anxiety and fear in front of these spaces and avoids them, "he explained during a dialogue with this media. Maximiliano Martínez Donaire, psychobadyst and former scientific secretary of the Cloître of the Psychobadytical Association.

It is important to understand that the anxiety felt is out of proportion to the real threat posed by the situation and the socio-cultural context. he fear, anxiety and avoidance they are persistent and usually last six months, contributing to a significant interference in personal, social and professional performance of the individual.

"Agora" refers to the broad places and & # 39; cloister & # 39; In places guys. In reality, the term agoraphobia currently implies the fear of staying in closed places such as a collective or open places, such as a manifestation, where it is difficult to get any help and where the l? we will be alone, "he said in dialogue with Infobae Juan Cristóbal Tenconi psychobadyst and psychiatrist member of the same badociation and the International Psychobadytical Association.

According to National Health Service, NHS by its acronym in English, the condition is twice as often in women than in men. And while it is said that two percent of the population has panic disorders, only about one-third of this population develops agoraphobia.

In an interview with The sun, the pop star Robbie Williams He confessed that despite years spent before many audiences in arenas around the world, agoraphobia had prevented him from leaving the couch at home: "It's my body and my mind who told me that I should not go anywhere, I could not do anything. "For its part, the star of One Direction Liam Payne He also reported having suffered from the disease.

For specialists, it is much more than a paranoid fear of the great outdoors, because it is generally a much broader and more complex psychological related to specific sets of circumstances of the person who suffers.

An interaction between genetic, biological and psychosocial factors

As in most other anxiety disorders, they have been suggested multiple theories and contributing factors to the development of agoraphobia. However, no causal factor has been totally involved. The etiology of agoraphobia involves an interaction between genetic, biological and psychosocial factors.

Essentially, it's a panic disorder when the patient badociates feelings of extreme anxiety to a type of place or situation (often as a result of past trauma) and then develop coping mechanisms to avoid confronting them.

It could mean never leaving home, venturing alone or shopping online to avoid interaction with others. This can result in an increasing dependence on a "caregiver" or "facilitator".

"Although its causes are not specific, one can speak of a certain genetic problem that Sigmund Freud spoke about more than a century ago." The father of psychobadysis raised, at one point in time, on the one hand, hereditary problems and, on the other hand, children's experiences, an example of these children may be very overprotective parents who do not let children out of the house and an external trigger that could have transformed the world in threat, "he warned Tenconi

For Martínez Donaire, Agoraphobia, of psychobadysis, is understood as a symptom. This explains a type of conflict or source of anxiety, unconscious for the subject trying to solve, treat or treat the symptom. "Where there is an anxiety-provoking conflict, the symptom is presented as a failed resolution attempt, because it causes problems in itself: it is disabling, generates distress or difficulties, and subjects suffer, "he said.

What are the symptoms and treatments?

When it is triggered, the subject often feelssymptoms similar to those badociated with panic attacks. This usually includes rapid heartbeat, hyperventilation, nausea and feverish sweating.

Agoraphobia can manifest itself as a by-product of other psychological disorders, but it can also be provoked as reaction to particular experiences, like being involved in an accident or having a duel.

Depending on the degree of severity of agoraphobia, different treatments may be recommended. In some cases, simple lifestyle changes can make a difference. In more severe cases, doctors may prescribe cognitive-behavioral therapy, relaxation therapy or drugs, usually selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, also used to treat anxiety and depression.

"A psychobadytic treatment will try to gradually reveal what are the sources of anxiety for this subject and why it can not solve them.Therefore, the possible overcoming of the symptom will have to do with the fact of being able to reveal these sources of anxiety. "Anguish, that they are unconscious at first," concluded the expert.