This is an automatically translated article.
agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that affects approximately 0.9% of adults in the United States with a predominance of males. This disorder can lead to mild to severe functional impairment, in which the rate of severe functional impairment is up to 40.6%.
1. What is agoraphobia?
agoraphobia (or agoraphobia) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intense panic or anxiety when in a place or situation where it is difficult to find a way out, causing the person to avoid places that trigger this fear, such as leaving the house alone, traveling by car, bus, plane, or other crowded places.
The patient may experience typical symptoms of agoraphobia such as:
Fear of being alone at home Fear of crowds or waiting in line Fear of enclosed spaces such as cinemas, subways or small shops Fear of small shops open spaces damaged parking lots, bridges or shopping centers Fear of using public transport such as buses, planes, trains The patient's psyche when faced with these situations is usually fear of not being able to escape or seek help if panic and other symptoms of helplessness or manipulation appear.
Sợ đám đông là một trong những triệu chứng điển hình của chứng sợ khoảng rộng
2. How do I know for sure I have agoraphobia?
One thing is for sure, a definitive diagnosis of agoraphobia can only be made by psychiatrists or clinical psychologists. However, the patients themselves can also recognize the early signs of the disease to be given an earlier diagnosis. The patient must experience intense feelings of panic and anxiety, manifested by signs such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, nausea, chest pain, and tremors occurring in at least two of the following circumstances: Public facilities Open-air places such as bridges, parks, parking lots Closed spaces such as movie theaters, airplanes, supermarkets Crowded places or outside of one's home Manifestations such as fear of being alone, fear of being alone loss of control in public places, irritability, agitation, and prolonged stay at home are symptoms that reinforce the diagnosis. This fear will cause the person to avoid life situations, create feelings of loneliness and burnout caused by the illness, and may predispose the person to co-existing depressive or substance abuse disorders.
Sợ khoảng rộng trong thời gian dài có thể dẫn đến rối loạn trầm cảm
3. Causes of agoraphobia:
Studies have not yet been able to pinpoint a specific cause of agoraphobia in patients, but the idea that the brain regions that control the fear response are dysfunctional is strongly supported. In addition, agoraphobia may also be related to the following:
Environmental factors: a break-in or assault experienced by the patient Anxiety disorder occurs in families related to Genetic factors People with a history of prolonged panic and anxiety attacks in the past Anxiety disorders or other phobias
4. How is agoraphobia treated?
People with agoraphobia respond fairly well to psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of both. However, it should be determined that the treatment of these psychological disorders will take a long time and need the perseverance of both the patient and the doctor. Medications used to treat agoraphobia include:
Antidepressants: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine, sertraline are used to treat panic disorder with agoraphobia. extensive, especially anxiety symptoms
Bệnh nhân sử dụng thuốc chống trầm cảm để điều trị chứng sợ khoảng trống
Sedatives such as benzodiazepines can, in some cases, provide short-term relief of acute anxiety. However, because of the potential for addiction, these drugs need to be closely monitored by the treating physician. Besides, CBT psychotherapy will aim to change pathological thoughts and help patients identify identify realistically safe levels of open-minded, ethical environments, and then practice emotional regulation of behavior in these situations through forms such as exposure therapy and peer support groups.
Periodic health check-ups help to detect diseases early, so that there are treatment plans for optimal results. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has general health checkup packages suitable for each age, gender and individual needs of customers with a reasonable price policy.
The patient's examination results will be returned to the home. After receiving the results of the general health examination, if you detect diseases that require intensive examination and treatment, you can use services from other specialties at the Hospital with quality treatment and services. outstanding customer service.
Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.
