The Oxford English Dictionary, agoraphobia is an “extreme or irrational fear of entering open or crowded places, of leaving one’s own home, or of being in places from which escape is difficult.”
According to the DSM 5, the psychiatric manual of diagnoses, agoraphobia is considered an anxiety disorder in which a person has “persistent feelings of anxiety that affect their ability to function in daily life.” Such fear of spaces, whether open or crowded, causes the person to panic from possible embarrassment, and helplessness, and can result in panic attacks.
Agoraphobia, while having no known cure, can be treated in a recovery process as it can last for a short time, a few years, or in severe cases, lifelong. How long to recover from agoraphobia varies from person to person, and involves combined forms of mental health treatment and possible prescription of medication.
In particular, some places a person with agoraphobia might avoid because of fear include crowds, public transportation, and open and enclosed spaces. You could avoid anywhere you worry you would feel helpless, trapped, panicked, or embarrassed.
What are the Symptoms of Agoraphobia?
The symptoms of agoraphobia can feel similar to a panic attack. For example, there may be physical symptoms when someone is in a stressful situation or even thinking about doing something they dread. These symptoms can include nausea and rapid heartbeat.
The symptoms can be so severe that people with agoraphobia won’t do daily activities. They won’t do things like going to the grocery store, and they stay home most of the day.
Specifically, symptoms of the mental health condition include:
- Being afraid of leaving your home for extended periods
- Fear of being alone in a social situation
- Having a fear of losing control when in public
- Afraid of being in places where you might not be able to escape, like an elevator
- Detachment from other people
- Anxiety and agitation
As mentioned, agoraphobia symptoms tend to coincide with panic attacks. Panic attacks can have many physical symptoms like:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Racing heart
- Dizziness
- Trembling
- Sweating
- Hot flashes
- Chills
- Choking sensations
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Numbness
- Tingling
Is it Possible to Recover From Agoraphobia?
First, we must take a look at how it can be caused. Stressful life events, history of abuse, being attacked, sustained trauma, and traumatic loss can contribute to the severity of anxiety a person feels with this anxiety disorder. If symptoms have developed over a long history of experiencing these conditions, how long would it take to recover from agoraphobia? It is different from social anxiety disorders and is a complex condition that involves more than just a fear of open spaces.
People who suffer agoraphobia commonly have developed avoidance behaviors and even elaborate routines to avoid what triggers their anxiety. It is different from claustrophobia in that both crowded, closed spaces and open, outdoor spaces are a source of apprehension for having a panic attack in public, which could cause enormous embarrassment for the sufferer. Agoraphobic people are commonly known to be afraid of crowds, elevators, bridges, traveling, and have a fear of leaving their homes. Mostly, there exists an intense fear of being overwhelmed and trapped somewhere without help.
Are we as a society experiencing some forms of agoraphobia due to the Covid 19 pandemic?
That is a possible yes! It is possible that a larger group in the population has been experiencing more fear of leaving home and a heightened sensitivity to being out in public due to the dangers of contracting the coronavirus. Because of the devastating effects and dangers we have experienced since December 2019 due to Covid 19, mandates for quarantine and social distancing have contributed to isolation.
The effects of that isolation are mental health-related, likely to produce symptoms of anxiety that may feel like a form of agoraphobia. Normally, agoraphobia affects 1% to 2% of Americans. If fears of leaving the home or anxiety brought on by being isolated have interrupted your function in daily life, these are some signs you may be experiencing agoraphobia:
- Rapid heart rate when thinking of spaces or leaving the home
- Fearful and anxious feelings
- Trouble breathing
- Feel like you could have a panic attack
- Dizziness
- Sweating
- Nausea
While anxiety has reached through to many of us during this time, those with diagnosable agoraphobia feel the stress and anxiety about leaving the home, as well as a fear of being in and going into certain places. Some of the places they seek to avoid can be:
- Public transportation
- Open spaces
- Enclosed spaces
- Movie theaters
- Elevators
- Being in a crowd
- Standing in lines
- Fear of being alone in the home
The main way you can distinguish if you have agoraphobia is marked by avoidance. If you wonder how long it is to recover from agoraphobia, it depends on the severity of your fear and avoidant behavior. It may lead to dependence on others and being inside the home all of the time. It can lead to mental health disorders like depression, and even to alcohol and drug abuse.
How Long to Recover from Agoraphobia
Relaxation and desensitization techniques, as well as talking to a therapist, and taking medication can help in the recovery process. While there is no known cure, recovery from agoraphobia is possible if treated early and management of symptoms is practiced early on. Talking about your anxiety can aid in the recovery from agoraphobia.
If medication is prescribed, a combination of subduing anxiety chemically and receiving Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has proven to have better outcomes in recovery. Trying not to avoid what one is afraid of and working to gain more independence can result in steady recovery, especially where the dependency on others and reliance on restrictive routines are concerned.
Agoraphobia is not just about open or closed spaces, but the feelings brought on by what they trigger within the person who suffers. Feelings like helplessness, fear of losing control, or having a panic attack in front of people that bring on shame and embarrassment are what the agoraphobic person is really trying to prevent. Effects of that anxiety, like losing control of the bladder or vomiting from anxiety in a public place, would entail elaborately constructed avoidance routines because of the feeling of overwhelm they would produce.
One patient said, “There isn’t much I can say about how I became agoraphobic. I just slipped a little day by day. When I noticed something was wrong, I didn’t know how to stop it, and I was ashamed to ask for help for fear that someone would know my secret.” Another patient, called Mrs. L., had an intense fear of falling and dying, fears of fainting, being buried alive, and her husband leaving the home. Doctors started her on Zoloft. Patient “L” was encouraged to make gradual progress leaving her bed first, her room next, and her home over time.
Getting Help for Anxiety Disorders in Southern California
People with agoraphobia who have avoidance problems lead very limited and restrictive lives. It cuts down the ability of those who suffer to visit with friends, work outside the home, and can increase the risk of developing other mental health disorders if it is left untreated. Mental health can be detrimentally affected by the conditions of seclusion and isolation. How long it would take to recover from agoraphobia that has gotten that severe is presumably lengthy.
Currently, there is a stronger need for professional help for those who are experiencing the effects of the current pandemic, so the earlier you treat your symptoms, the sooner you can recover.
To learn more about treatment options available in Southern California for Anxiety and Agoraphobia, call (866) 476-2823 and talk to a caring member of the Story Wellness team.
