What Is Agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety that results from fears of being in specific places or situations in which escape might be difficult or embarrassing, and help may not be available during an unexpected or situational panic attack or panic-like symptoms. Agoraphobic fears typically involve specific situations such as being outside the home, crowded places, lines, and open spaces. Agoraphobia can impact mental health and functioning. The condition may affection relationships, the ability to work, isolation, and loneliness.
Individual Therapy
With A Cognitive Behavioral Focus
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a widely utilized approach in individual therapy for addressing agoraphobia and various mental health conditions.
In CBT, the focus is on modifying both cognitive or thinking patterns and behavioral responses associated with the condition, facilitating comprehensive positive changes to your mental health and well-being.
In your individual therapy sessions, we will pinpoint irrational thoughts and beliefs linked to avoidance behaviors, replacing them with rational alternatives. For instance, entertaining the thought, "If I go to my friend's house, I will have a panic attack," may not be rational unless there is an inherent threat at the friend's house. Anticipating negative events in the future and treating those thoughts as absolute predictions is an irrational mental process. The behavioral component of your CBT therapy will involve taking progressive steps toward a specific goal or behavior. An example of such a progressive step might be gradually increasing exposure to feared situations, starting with less intimidating environments and progressing towards more challenging ones.
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