Panic disorder is at its most severe when it becomes panic disorder with agoraphobia. Panic disorder with agoraphobia creates such anxiety that a person will do anything to avoid being in what he or she considers ‘unprotected space’. Public places are feared as ‘unprotected’ merely because a panic attack could happen there.

When a panic attack sufferer begins to avoid public places, agoraphobia has set in. The agoraphobic tries to stop attacks by making his or her world very small.

Agoraphobics have difficult networks of fears that totally control their lives. Major symptoms of agoraphobia are:

Frequent intense panic attacks and severe anxiety.

Avoiding attacks by staying home all the time.

Depending too heavily on others.

Never wanting to be alone.

Avoiding any place where you can’t escape.

Fear you’ll lose control in a public place.

Feelings of detachment plus isolation.

Helpless feelings.

A persistent feeling of unreality.

A feeling that your body is not quite real.

Twitching, trembling, or emotional outbursts.

Agoraphobics have symptoms which are periodically disrupted by panic attacks. Agoraphobics have very intense panic attacks. Heart attacks and agoraphobic panic attacks look and feel very similar. The following symptoms are typical during a panic attack:

Trouble breathing.

Extreme disorientation or dizziness.

Feeling like you may faint.

Numbness plus tingling sensations.

Blushing uncontrollably.

Chest pain.

Worry that you are dying.

Thinking you are going crazy.

Rapid pulse.

A spike in blood pressure.

A disorder with agoraphobia is serious and will not got away on its own. Agoraphobia usually develops after years of panic issues.

The negative effects of panic disorder with agoraphobia come with social isolation, unemployment, and broken private relations. Panic disorder with agoraphobia can be successfully treated even though the symptoms are severe.

Early diagnosis is critical. Early treatment creates the fastest cure. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) combined with systematic desensitization is the standard treatment for agoraphobia. Medication may also be prescribed.

CBT is a method for changing the way an agoraphobic thinks about fear and the world. Systematic desensitization actually desensitizes agoraphobics to fear so they never become afraid of specific stimuli.

Agoraphobics could start out by being asked to simply imagine leaving the house. When that can be done without panic, the next step might be to imagine opening the door. Stepping outside might be the final step. Agoraphobics are all different, but generally the prognosis for a full recovery is excellent.

Antidepressant medications may be prescribed to relieve the most intense symptoms. Drugs can improve the effectiveness of therapy. Agoraphobics may be weaned off medication when therapy is complete. Patients occasionally continue to take medications in order to maintain a full recovery.

Treating the panic problem early can prevent agoraphobia. The cause of panic disorder with agoraphobia is unknown. No other mental disorder is more common than anxiety and panic. Anxiety disorders are responsible for thirty percent of all the cash spent on mental illnesses.

Agoraphobia sufferers have several choices when it comes to deciding what kind of therapy they wish to receive to help with their phobia. There are conventional methods such as medication and psychotherapy and there are also complementary and self help therapies.

The most effective form of psychotherapy for agoraphobia treatment is CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). The reason CBT works for treating phobias is because it helps to reduce the negative thoughts and behaviours that trigger the anxiety.

There are some great self help panic attack guides available online that have been used successfully by thousands of people to overcome agoraphobia. They will help show you how to reduce your anxiety so that you don’t experience any more panic attacks. With repeated exposure to anxious situations and using these techniques you will overcome your agoraphobia. You can learn more about the best self help guides by clicking the link at the end of this article.

Another form of self help therapy that can help with agoraphobia treatment is EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). This is rather like acupuncture but works on the emotions by tapping certain points of the body with your fingertips. The theory behind EFT is that the tapping helps release emotional stresses that are causing the phobia.

Exposure Therapy can be used to treat agoraphobia. It works by teaching the sufferer relaxation techniques and then gets them to imagine that they are in a situation in which they have previously experienced panic. When they feel anxious they can then apply the relaxation techniques to control their feelings of anxiety. They will then need to apply the same techniques by exposing themselves to real life situations.

People with agoraphobia have also been helped with hypnosis. With hypnosis you either have the option of visiting a professional hypnotherapist or you can listen to recorded hypnotherapy sessions either on CD, DVD or MP3 downloads. These are available for all types of anxiety and phobias including agoraphobia.

Flower essences and herbal remedies can provide support during situations that cause anxiety. There are ready made herbal products specifically created for aiding panic and anxiety. These will usually contain Valerian, Lavender or Passion Flower. Most health stores sell a Bach Flower Essence called “Rescue Remedy” which is great for restoring calm if you start to feel anxious.

The alternative to natural therapies is medication. Anxiety and panic disorder such as agoraphobia are treated with sedatives and anti-depressants. Unfortunately these are likely to cause unpleasant side effects such as drowsiness. Prescription drugs only suppress symptoms of anxiety and do not heal the cause of the problem. Unless the root cause of the problem is treated then there is not going to be a long term cure.

It may be difficult for an agoraphobia sufferer to seek help if it’s not possible for them to leave their home; but there is much that can be done. Thanks to the internet all of the information needed to learn to overcome agoraphobia can be found online. Self help programs and hypnosis recordings are all available to download directly to your computer.

If I had to recommend one particular product for anxiety and panic attack sufferers it would be Joe Barry’s Panic Away program as that is the one that helped me the most. Whether you suffer from general anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, agoraphobia or phobias the Panic Away program has been designed to work with them all. There are chapters on specific phobias such as the fear of driving and public speaking. Joe Barry is very good at explaining his techniques in a very simple and clear common sense style. He is so confident in his Panic Away program that he claims that every single person without exception can use it to eliminate their anxiety.

Joe Barry used to suffer from panic attacks for many years so he knows how to present his information to his readers as he has been in their same situation before. The Panic Away book is based upon the same methods that he used to eliminate his own panic attacks. The method that the Panic Away program will teach you is a completely natural way of eliminating panic attacks and anxiety. The reason the Panic Away program is so successful is due to a simple technique called the One Move technique. When you learn and apply this technique you will be able to quickly eliminate panic attacks before they have chance to overwhelm you. You will find that your anxiety levels will become controllable. Once your anxiety is under control there can be no more panic attacks.

Case studies of people using the One Move technique are included in the book. These demonstrate how people with different types of anxiety disorders and phobias have used the Panic Away techniques to overcome their phobias, panic attacks and anxiety. It’s great to read about similar people with similar problems turning their lives around using this system. There are other people like you and they do get better using these techniques. Suffering from anxiety and panic attacks can be a lonely and confusing experience. It’s a great help and comfort to read about how other people have succeeded in overcoming anxiety.

The book also teaches you how to eliminate unwanted and anxious thoughts. This is valuable information to all anxiety sufferers but will be especially valuable information to those readers who suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder. There are also chapters on exercise, diet and nutrition and the role that they all play in influencing your anxiety levels. You will be taught how to change your diet to include healthier foods that can reduce your anxiety levels.

As a bonus you will also be taught a powerful self help technique called Thought Field Therapy. This is also known as Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT. This works in a similar way to acupuncture but you tap on certain points of the body to release emotional stress. But the One Move technique is so effective that by the time you get as far as reading this chapter you are probably well on your way already to eliminating your panic attacks and anxiety.

Joe Barry also provides unlimited one-to-one coaching to all Panic Away readers if they need it. This is a great bonus if you need help in understanding any part of the course or you start to struggle at any point in applying the techniques. The Panic Away program has helped thousands of people and there are many video testimonials on the website. If at any time during the 8 weeks from when you purchase the program you don’t believe it is working for you then there is a 100% money back guarantee.