Fear Of Open Or Crowded Spaces Phobia Agoraphobia
Agoraohobia is an interesting phobia since it can exist in a crowded environment, or a very open and exposed one. One of the key influences is personal space. If a person feels crowded in, there is s suffocating feeling for some, others their personal space is being invaded. Conversely in a very open space, there is no apparent limit to personal space. In either example the safe or comfortable range of distances that define personal space is absent.
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Tips For Managing Claustrophobia
Many people with claustrophobia will avoid the spaces that trigger the condition. But that may not be a good long-term solution because you may eventually find yourself in a scary but unavoidable situation. Here are some ways to cope during an attack:
- Breathe slowly and deeply while counting to three with each breath.
- Focus on something safe, like time passing on your watch.
- Remind yourself repeatedly that your fear and anxiety will pass.
- Challenge whats triggering your attack by repeating that the fear is irrational.
- Visualize and focus on a place or moment that brings you calm.
Its also important not to resist the attack when its happening. You may want to stop the attack from happening, but if youre unable to stop it, your anxiety may increase and make the attack worse.
Instead, accept that the attack is occurring, remind yourself that its OK to experience these feelings, reassure yourself that the attack isnt life threatening, and remember that it will pass.
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Common Types Of Phobias And Fears
There are four general types of phobias and fears:
- 1. Animal phobias such as the fear of snakes, spiders, rodents, and dogs.
- 2. Natural environment phobias such as a fear of heights, storms, water, and of the dark.
- 3. Situational phobias including the fear of enclosed spaces , flying, driving, tunnels, and bridges.
- 4. Blood-Injection-Injury phobia, the fear of blood, injury, illness, needles, or other medical procedures.
Some phobias, however, dont fall into one of the four common categories. These include fear of choking, fear of getting a disease such as cancer, and fear of clowns. Other common phobias that dont fit neatly into any of the four categories include:
Social phobia, also called social anxiety disorder, is fear of social situations where you may be embarrassed or judged. If you have social phobia, then you may be excessively self-conscious and afraid of humiliating yourself in front of others. Your anxiety over how you will look and what others will think may lead you to avoid certain social situations youd otherwise enjoy.
Fear of public speakingan extremely common phobiais a type of social phobia. Other fears associated with social phobia include fear of eating or drinking in public, talking to strangers, taking exams, mingling at a party, or being called on in class.
Agoraphobia was traditionally thought to involve a fear of public places and open spaces, but is now believed to develop as a complication of panic attacks.
Causes Of Agoraphobia Or The Fear Of Open/crowded Spaces
There is no single cause for the fear of open or crowded spaces. Researchers believe that a number of physical and psychological factors may be responsible for this phobia.
- In the majority of cases, an underlying panic disorder may be responsible for Agoraphobia. A panic disorder is characterized by an intense and irrational fear that can cause the sufferer to lose control, cry, shake and have thoughts about dying. In his/her mind, the sufferer then links the attack to situations and then tries to avoid those situations completely.
- A research is also suggesting a possible link between long term tranquilizer or sleeping pill usage with Agoraphobia.
- Individuals with difficulty of spatial orientation and balance are also known to experience the extreme fear of crowded or open spaces.
- A history of alcohol or drug abuse, traumatic childhood experiences, recent life changes such as death, divorce, relationship difficulties, war, explosion, earthquakes etc can bring on the fear of open or crowded spaces.
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Cbt To Help Agoraphobia
CBT helps a person realise the thoughts they are experiencing about open spaces are irrational and unhelpful. Someone with a fear of open spaces may feel threatened by strangers. Helping the person understand the thoughts and that they can take control of the thought process, can help them to develop strategies and create experiments to help.
Tip : Challenge Negative Thoughts About Your Phobia
When you have a phobia, you tend to overestimate how bad it will be if youre exposed to the situation you fear and underestimate your ability to cope. The anxious thoughts that trigger and fuel phobias are usually negative and unrealistic. By writing down the negative thoughts you have when confronted by your phobia, you can begin to challenge these unhelpful ways of thinking. Many times, these thoughts fall into the following categories:
Fortune telling. For example, This bridge is going to collapse;Ill make a fool of myself for sure;I will definitely lose it when the elevator doors close.
Overgeneralization.I fainted once while getting a shot. Ill never be able to get a shot again without passing out;That pit bull lunged at me. All dogs are dangerous.
Catastrophizing.The captain said were going through turbulence. The plane is going to crash!The person next to me coughed. Maybe its swine flu. Im going to get very sick!
Once youve identified your negative thoughts, evaluate them. Use the following example to get started.
Negative thought: The elevator will break down and Ill get trapped and suffocate.
Ask yourself the following 4 questions:
1. Is there any evidence that contradicts my negative thought?
Yes, for example: People are currently using the elevator and it hasnt broken down.
Even if it did break down, Ive never heard of anyone dying from suffocation in an elevator. There are air vents which would stop the air from running out.
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Explain The Principles Of Classical Conditioning And Phobias
This essay will attempt to mention and explain the principles of classical conditioning; define classical conditioning and how it comes about. Also this essay will define Phobias and how these Phobias are developed including examples. We will look at how systematic desensitisation is used and by the end of this essay one will have a better understanding and knowledge about the definition and principles of classical conditioning, Phobias and systematic desensitisation.Classical conditioning is
What Are The Complications Of Phobias
If not treated, a phobia can worsen to the point in which the persons quality of life is seriously impaired, both by the phobia itself and/or by attempts to avoid or hide it. For example, a fear of flying can result in the sufferer being unable to travel. Some people have problems with their relationships, have failed in school, and/or been unable to maintain employment as the result of a severe phobia. While there may be periods of spontaneous improvement, a phobia does not usually go away unless the individual gets treatments that are specifically designed to address this condition. Alcoholics can be up to 10 times more likely to develop a phobia than nonalcoholics, and phobic individuals may be twice as likely to suffer from or another than those who have never been phobic. It has even been found that phobic can be life-threatening for some people, increasing the risk of suffering from heart disease in both men and women.
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How This System Works
Re-wiring your unconscious mind is the key to this program and its safe and surprisingly easy to do. On the surface, you know that this business with open spaces doesnt make sense. But it affects you because your unconscious mind has associated open spaces with fear and perhaps a bunch of other negative emotions and they get triggered automatically like clockwork every time.
Until now, you just havent had the techniques for re-programming those connections. Were here to give you give you what you need to take back control. Isnt it time you took control?
Fear Of Open Spaces Symptoms
The symptoms of the Fear of Open Spaces are very similar to other specific phobias and will often include:
- Panic attacks
- Breathlessness
- Migraines and Headaches
Agoraphobia Symptoms are generally automatic and uncontrollable and can seem to take over a persons thoughts which frequently leads to extreme measures being taken to avoid the feared object or situation, what are known as Safety or Avoidance behaviours.
Unfortunately, for the sufferer, these safety behaviours have a paradoxical effect and actually reinforce the Fear of Open Spaces rather than solve it!
Your Fear of Open Spaces may be the result of negative experiences that can be either directly or indirectly linked to the object or situational fear.
Over time, these symptoms can become;normalised and accepted as limiting beliefs in that persons life you have learnt to live with it.
In just as many cases, Agoraphobia may have become worse over time as more and more sophisticated avoidance behaviours;and routines are developed.
The good news is that the vast majority of people who suffer with a Fear of Open Spaces will find that a course of Psychological Therapy will help enormously by helping to change the fundamental thinking contributing to the problem in the first place!
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What Is Social Phobia Or Social Anxiety Disorder
Social phobias are fears of various social situations. They are another type of complex phobia and another kind which are extremely common.
Social phobia may relate only to a specific type of social situation. This might mean:
- Speaking in front of other people
- Performing certain actions in front of other people because of an irrational fear of ridicule
- Socializing at parties or in other group situations
- Talking to strangers
- Being singled out in front of others
Often called social anxiety disorder, social phobia can lead someone to actively avoid certain social situations which they might otherwise like to be a part of.
List Of Phobias And Fears Including Their Meaning
Synopsis: List and definitions of both rare and common fears and phobias in children and adults. Fear of particular objects or social situations that immediately results in anxiety and can sometimes lead to panic attacks. Algophobia is a phobia of pain, an abnormal and persistent fear of pain that is far more powerful than that of a normal person.
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Examples Of Phobia In A Sentence
phobiaphobia Good Housekeepingphobia Washington Postphobia New York Timesphobia CNNphobiaSmithsonian Magazinephobia NBC NewsphobiaPEOPLE.comphobia Los Angeles Times
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word phobia. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
How Does Agoraphobia Present
Often the first sign that someone has the phobia is a tendency to avoid very crowded or very open spaces. It is often mild at the start, but reinforced over time. As the person becomes very uneasy in the wrong setting there is often a strong anticipatory stress present at the thought of entering such an environment. This then causes a reinforcement and the very crowded or open space becomes more significant in its fear level over time.
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What Are The Treatments For Kenophobia
Many of lifes greatest adventures involve wide, expansive spaces: going to the beach, relaxing in a park, or driving on the open road. If fear of empty spaces is interfering with your ability to live your life or interact with loved ones, there are treatment options. Phobias dont just mean you need to grow up or get over it. Phobias are real, and accepting that you have a clinical disorder is the first step toward recovery. Next, you can find a qualified provider or to begin treatment.
The most effective kenophobia treatments are forms of psychotherapy:
- Cognitive behavior therapy. This form of psychotherapy, or talk therapy, teaches you to identify and change unhealthy thoughts, emotions and behaviors. A therapist will help you change your perception of open spaces and develop the skills to face your fear. You might also discuss possible origins of your kenophobia from your childhood. Therapists usually combine CBT with exposure therapy.
- Exposure therapy. This type of talk therapy gradually and repeatedly exposes you to your fear of empty spaces. Also known as desensitization therapy, this process takes you through a series of controlled situations that slowly build your tolerance and confidence around the source of your fear. Your therapist may have you start by thinking about open spaces. From there, you may look at pictures of empty landscapes or go visit a wide-open space. The goal is to master your fear instead of it mastering you.
Virtual Reality And Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is a fear of open spaces which is the polar opposite of claustrophobia. But, both these phobias cause a great deal of anxiety and distress for the sufferer. This often causes the affected person to avoid situations which trigger an anxiety reaction but this can impact their work and home life.
This article talks about the use of a computerised therapy or virtual reality immersion therapy as a means of investigating and treating this type of phobia.
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What Is The Most Common Phobia
The most common phobia is usually said to be agoraphobia. This is because it covers a huge range of scenarios where a person feels that they are unsafe in a situation from which they cannot easily escape.
This could mean they are on a bus, in a car, in a wide-open space, in a confined space, in a tunnel there is a huge range of possibilities.
In addition, there are a number of very common phobias, specific and complex:
- Acrophobia the fear of heights.
- Aerophobia the fear of flying.
- Arachnophobia the fear of spiders.
- Aquaphobia the fear of water.
- Blood, injury and injection phobia the fear of injuries involving blood.
- Claustrophobia the fear of being in a confined space.
- Hypochondria the fear of becoming ill.
- Ophidiophobia the fear of snakes.
- Zoophobia the fear of animals
Fear Of Open Spaces Solution:
What if we could bypass the over-analytical part of the brain completely? Imagine if we could input positive affirmations directly into the subconscious mind and bypass the over-analytical part of the brain completely.
Once you start accessing the subconscious mind youll start to notice a real change in a very short period.
You would no longer feel apprehensive or suffer from anxiety when in the open.
When you listen to embedded subliminal affirmations twice a day, you should notice a difference in the way you feel when you are in the open.
These are the benefits of taking action yourself. You can write & record your positive affirmations from your laptop or desktop & listen to these subliminal messages whenever you feel you need them.
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Virtual Reality Treatment For Agoraphobia
How does this work? The affected person is given a head mounted display to wear which contains a tracking system, headphones and/or microphone. This enables the therapist or counsellor to monitor their reactions and adapt their treatment accordingly.
A fear of open spaces includes the countryside, beaches, roads, shopping centres and cities. But these can be recreated in virtual reality as a way of enabling the sufferer to overcome their fears and participate in society. They are shown images from a virtual landscape which they can move around in and experience as being in the real world. Doing this on a regular basis starts to reduce their anxiety levels as well as removing the threat which triggers the anxiety reaction.
The overall aim is for the sufferer to become familiar with being outside that they no longer feel scared or anxious when they do so. This familiarity is then transferred to the real world: by this time the sufferer will have become accustomed to the source of their phobia that it no longer holds any fears for them and is able to go outside.
The affected person is given a head mounted display to wear which displays a series of images. These images change as the person moves their head which also alters their perception. This replicates what would happen in the real world which ensures that their experience is realistic and engaging.
How Is Agoraphobia Treated
Treatment of agoraphobia includes cognitive behavioural psychotherapy. This therapy helps a person to gain perspective on the object of their fear and to control their phobia and its manifestations using various desensitization techniques . The success rate for this type of therapy is high.
If needed, the treating physician can prescribe medication, such as antidepressants or an anxiolytic as an add-on treatment. The use of other drug treatments may be considered.
Furthermore, relaxation techniques such as abdominal breathing, mindfulness meditation and visualization can be taught to agoraphobics to help them control their anxiety and panic attacks.
Untreated agoraphobia can run a variable course; in some rare cases, it can disappear on its own.
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