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| Sunday, 8 June 2003 |
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by Umangi de Mel Are you scared to stepout doors? Do you get cold feet thinking of the possibilities you have of being killed if you go out of the house? Does fear hover around you like a dark cloud scaring the life out of you? Read on, you may not be able to `snap out of' the fear but it could be helpful. "Agoraphobia is a fear of open places. People often find it very difficult to leave their houses fearing that something terrible will happen to them," says Ranil Abeysinghe, Consultant Psychiatrist, University of Peradeniya. `Agora' in greek means a market place. Commonly seen in females, most of the phobic cases are agoraphobic. The disability to leave home comes with the fear of being alone in a place or situation where escape would seem difficult or assistance is not available. According to our shrink, those who are affected avoid being in crowded places, theatres, busy streets and closed places. It may be totally distressing for them to leave home. The symptoms include sweating, difficulty in breathing, pounding chest, dizziness, feeling faintish and feeling sick. "Agoraphobia is the result of one or more panic attacks. It happens out of the blue. They can experience feelings of intense, overwhelming terror accompanied by above symptoms," he says. According to him, the symptoms occur without warning, making it difficult for the person to guess what situation triggers the reaction. "It usually starts in late adolescence. It can become a life long problem if not treated properly," Dr. Abeysinghe says. He says that Agoraphobia has become a real problem in today's society, "It wasn't that big a problem in the past as women seldom went out of their houses but as the times have changed, many women face a grave problem. People who are timid by birth and those who fear to go to school are more likely to suffer from the phobia," he reveals. People with Agoraphobia are bound to develop depression in the long run. "As the condition progresses, they start developing other fears like `Claustrophobia' after which taking a bath can even be a problem," he points out. Fortunately, phobias are apparently very treatable. People who seek treatment have completely overcome their fears for good. "There is medication or it can also be overcome with behaviour therapy where they are gradually exposed to places where they fear to go," he says. According to Dr. Abeysinghe, children who sleep with their mothers are prone to develop Agoraphobia. "Lack of development in children in their childhood, causes the illness," he says adding that the terrible fear that makes one dependant for life would have gone unnoticed in the past but it's an increasing dilemma in modern society. |
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