Agoraphobia

Diagnosis

Agoraphobia is diagnosed based on:

• Symptoms.
• In-depth interview with your health care provider or a mental health provider.
• Physical exam to rule out other conditions that could be causing your symptoms.

Treatment

Agoraphobia treatment usually includes both psychotherapy — also called talk therapy — and medicine. It may take some time, but treatment can help you get better.

Talk therapy

Talk therapy involves working with a therapist to set goals and learn practical skills to reduce your anxiety symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective form of talk therapy for anxiety disorders, including agoraphobia.

Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on teaching you specific skills to better tolerate anxiety, directly challenge your worries and gradually return to the activities you’ve avoided because of anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy is usually a short-term treatment. Through this process, your symptoms improve as you build on your initial success.

You can learn:

• What factors may trigger a panic attack or panic-like symptoms and what makes them worse.
• How to cope with and tolerate symptoms of anxiety.
• Ways to directly challenge your worries, such as whether bad things are actually likely to happen in social situations.
• That anxiety gradually decreases and that feared outcomes tend not to happen if you remain in situations long enough to learn from them.
• How to approach feared and avoided situations in a gradual, predictable, controllable and repetitive manner. Also known as exposure therapy, this is the most important part of treatment for agoraphobia.

If you have trouble leaving your home, you may wonder how you could possibly go to a therapist’s office. Therapists who treat agoraphobia are aware of this problem.

If you feel homebound due to agoraphobia, look for a therapist who can help you find alternatives to office appointments, at least in the early part of treatment. The therapist may offer to see you first in your home or meet you in what you consider a safe place. Some therapists also may offer some sessions by video, over the phone or through email.

If the agoraphobia is so severe that you cannot access care, you might benefit from a more intensive hospital program that specializes in the treatment of anxiety. An intensive outpatient program usually involves going to a clinic or hospital for either a half or full day over a period of at least two weeks to work on skills to better manage your anxiety. In some cases, a residential program may be needed. This includes a stay in the hospital for a period of time while receiving treatment for severe anxiety.

You may want to take a trusted relative or friend to your appointment who can offer comfort, help and coaching, if needed.