Agoraphobia is the anxiety disorder in which the person feels intense anxiety for places or situations in which escape may be difficult or there is no accessibility to help in case of an unexpected panic attack or unexpected symptoms causing discomfort (e.g. dizziness, rapid heartbeat, dyspnoea) which are not sufficient to diagnose panic disorder.

There are some instances where the person may avoid some places but does not attribute this behavior to the fear of physical symptoms. In addition, there are cases where the person needs the presence of a companion to find him/herself in places and situations he/she is afraid of.

Agoraphobia is usually manifested at the age of 20 years. It occurs in 6% of the general population and the highest percentage occurs in women.

Most people who experience panic attacks are likely to start restraining their activities because they fear that the crisis will be resumed. Because of this, they limit their exits, avoid places with a lot of people, they are afraid to stay at home or go out on their own.

The fear of a repetition of the crisis often leads people to give up their work, others restrict to a minimum, even activities that give them pleasure, and even more those that cause physical symptoms similar to those of the panic crisis. The above features are symptoms of agoraphobia.

Agoraphobia is usually associated with panic. It often occurs within the first year of onset of panic attacks. If the person has a panic attack connects the particular place with the unpleasant experience and starts to avoid that and other places with similar characteristics. The aim of this avoidance is to either prevent a new crisis or to protect him/herself from something bad or not resent in front of others.

All Programs of “Veresies” Clinic are approved and supervised by the Cyprus National Addictions Authority (CNAA).

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