A person with this problem will find it very hard to feel safe in public areas especially when there are a lot of people around. There are also people who feel that the safest place is their home and will stay there the whole day. Symptoms which are related to agoraphobia are anxiety. Sufferers experience it when they are in such kind of environment in which there are more people.
The main physical symptoms of agoraphobia include:
- Accelerated heart beat
- Ringing in the ears
- Rapid and shallow breathing
- Feeling light headed
- Feeling hot
- Dizziness
- Stomach upset
- Trembling
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Trouble with swallowing
- Waking up in sweat
If these are present because of agoraphobia then immediate treatment should be administered after consulting a doctor. There are several treatments for the disorder that do not involve medications.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
In this therapy the affected person will be allowed to undergo systematic desensitization. The person will be allowed to deal with their own problems. During this process there will be a trusted person of the sufferer like friend, father or mother or a partner around them.Another technique which will be used is cognitive restricting. This treatment will be generally done by a therapist who is experienced. They will discuss the situation with the patient. The basic goal of this treatment is to make the patient believe in logical thoughts. Apart from this, relaxation techniques will be taught to the patient in order to help them deal with anxiety and the panic attacks.
EMDR
EMDR also know as eye movement, desensitization and reprogramming is an alternative treatment which should be done if the cognitive behavioral treatment does not produce satisfactory results. This is the treatment which is generally used when agoraphobia is developed after the trauma.Natural remedies for Agoraphobia
There are some natural remedies which are found to be effective for treating agoraphobia. Some of the natural remedies which can be used are:- Passion flower
- Skullcap
- Chamomile
- Valerian
- Lemon balm
- Kava
- Lavender
- St. John’s Wort
These are the alternative treatments which should be used only if cognitive behavioral and eye movement desensitization and reprogramming do not give better results. Also it is better to consult a doctor and get advice from them on the natural remedies that are to be used for the treatment of agoraphobia.