Agoraphobia Treatment Options: Medication & Therapy

Agoraphobia is an overwhelming anxiety experienced when a person who suffers from the disorder is outside of his safe zone. Some agoraphobics experience anxiety so severe that they can't even walk outside of their homes.

Methods of Treatment

• There are two main ways of treating agoraphobia: medication and psychotherapy. Psychotherapy consists of two parts: cognitive and behavioral.

Types of Medication

• A combination of antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications are generally used to treat agoraphobia.

Warning

• Anti-anxiety drugs can cause dependence if taken in large doses or over an extended period of time.

Cognitive Therapy

• Cognitive therapy includes discovering what factors create the anxiety and learning how to control them with coping mechanisms such as breathing techniques.

Behavioral Therapy

• Behavioral therapy includes gradual exposure to people and places that create the anxiety. This process is often referred to as desensitization.

Considerations

• Therapists who deal with agoraphobia usually conduct the initial sessions in the patient's home or in an area where the patient feels safe.