Agoraphobia is a common condition that is characterized by symptoms of anxiety and a sense of panic when one feels exposed. Agoraphobia treatment aims at reducing symptoms of anxiety as well as changing thoughts and behavior patterns associated with the fear of being out in public.
There are several types of effective agoraphobia treatments, both mainstream and alternative.
Cognitive-behavior Therapy.
Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), for example, is a traditional type of therapy that is thought to be among the best forms of agoraphobia treatment. In cognitive-behavior therapy, people who suffer from agoraphobia are taught to identify and modify thoughts associated with being in public. At the same time, sufferers are encouraged to slowly begin to go out in public until the experience becomes natural and no longer causes panic.
Along with cognitive-behavior therapy, many mainstream practitioners may prescribe anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications to ease symptoms, especially in the early stages of therapy when panicky feelings are still highly likely in social situations. An alternative option would be herbal anti-anxiety remedies.
Xtend Life’s Neuro-Natural Serenity is a product we would definitely recommend to promote healthy serotonin levels which in turn promotes a much happier state of mind, relieving anxiety and reducing stress levels.
How to Beat Agoraphobia using Energy Psychology.
A relatively new form of therapy that is gaining attention among those seeking agoraphobia treatment is derived from energy psychology. There are several energy psychology techniques, each based on the idea that thoughts and emotions are held physically in the body.
Techniques include self guided healing, emotional freedom techniques, and thought field therapy, all of which target the energy systems in the body that are thought to hold negative emotions so that these emotions can be released. There are also energy psychology techniques that work physically through methods like acupressure and eye movements to rebalance energy fields in the body and dissolve negative energy states.
While energy psychology may not be the agoraphobia treatment for everyone, many people find relief from symptoms by exploring this unique treatment option.
Neurolinguistic Programming.
Another agoraphobia treatment that is often successful is a technique known as neurolinguistic programming (NLP). This approach is actually a series of methods that are based on human communication and experience. The goal is to model the mental strategies of people who have desired skills or talents in order to learn new behaviors.
When used as an agoraphobia treatment, the goal NLP is to teach a person with agoraphobia to be calm and anxiety free when out in public. NLP actually uses the thought patterns that trigger an anxious response and retrain the mind to use those thoughts to create a different response; in this case a feeling of calm when one is in public.
Another method of NLP, known as NLP anchoring, uses a thought or action as an anchor that is consciously connected to a desired response until the response begins to occur unconsciously. For example, a person with agoraphobia may consciously practice squeezing a stress ball while imagining going out in public without feeling anxious. Eventually, the person will be able to imagine being in public without feeling anxious, and finally, he or she will actually be able to go out in public without feeling afraid.
The idea behind this and all NLP methods is to reframe one’s thinking about an anxiety-producing stimulus, perhaps awkwardly at first, until a new response is learned.
Relaxation Techniques.
Basic relaxation techniques also work well as agoraphobia treatment methods. Since the condition is stressful and causes tension, learning to relax can help to alleviate symptoms of agoraphobia when a person who suffers from the condition is in public.
Some relaxation techniques that may be helpful include yoga, meditation, and guided imagery.
A closely related form of agoraphobia treatment is hypnosis, which is really a form of meditation that is induced by a suggestion. A hypnotherapist can guide a person who suffers from agoraphobia in relaxation exercises or one can learn self-hypnosis to counteract the anxiety of agoraphobia.
More on agoraphobia treatment at our anxiety information page
Wishing peace and joy in your life, your friends ,