What is cognitive behavioral therapy for agoraphobia like?

Agoraphobia is one of the anxiety disorders that best defines the essence of this group of psychopathologies, since that makes us lose control of the situation in anticipation of seeing ourselves in a situation in which we do not have the control; In other words, it produces a phenomenon called "self-fulfilling prophecy" whereby anxiety calls for more anxiety, and we end up in a vicious circle of anguish and fear from which it is difficult to get out without having help professional.

Fortunately, Cognitive-behavioral therapy has proven to be very effective in cases of agoraphobia, so that today it is possible to leave this alteration behind in a matter of months by attending the psychologist. Let's see how this type of psychotherapy works.

What are the main characteristics of agoraphobia?

As I have anticipated, the agoraphobia It is a psychopathology classified within the category of anxiety disorders according to the diagnostic manuals most used by clinical psychologists. Specifically, it is expressed through a rapid and intense rise in anxiety levels in situations that are perceived as threatening because

In case of needing help, it would not be easy to escape from them or to have the help of someone., when in reality those experiences do not entail a real danger. In other words, the person assumes that they are at risk despite the fact that objectively there are no reasons to assume that they are exposing themselves to danger; a very biased and pessimistic perception of reality appears, based on anticipatory anxiety.

Thus, people with agoraphobia they tend to experience these symptoms when being in large places and where for one reason or another they would have trouble physically leaving the place or have external support, such as squares, avenues, or even parking lots or large exhibition halls. Although the idea that agoraphobia is the fear of open spaces has been widely spread, in reality what worries these people is not the place itself, but the implications of the place if you are there and find yourself in an emergency situation, such as For example, the fact of suffering an anxiety attack so intense that it prevents you from moving or breathing well, or having a heart attack. heart. As we will see, these types of irrational thoughts are the focus of cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention for agoraphobia.

As with other phobias, this psychopathology presents latent states, on the one hand, and direct expression of symptoms in moments of crisis, on the other. This means that in the situations of greatest discomfort, which are those in which anxiety rises in a matter of seconds, alterations such as tremors and tension appear. muscle pain, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, nausea, dizziness, sensitivity to stimuli, and inability to concentrate, while even when this does not occur, the disorder makes it impossible for the person to lead a normal life due to behavior patterns based on avoiding certain places and situations.

• Related article: "What to expect and what not to expect from psychological therapy"

How does cognitive behavioral therapy work for patients with agoraphobia?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy aims to intervene both in objectifiable behavior patterns (that is, directly observable by both the patient and the other people in your environment) and internal psychological processes, especially those elements known as cognitions: ways of thinking, belief systems, etc Thus, it has a double path of action: it influences both the routines of interaction with the environment and with other people, and it also affects the way in which the person relates to their way of thinking and interpreting reality.

Taking this into account, let's see what are the functions of cognitive-behavioral therapy in cases of agoraphobia.

1. psychoeducation

As the way of thinking influences the way of behaving, psychoeducation tasks are carried out in the psychologist's office, consisting of inform the patient about the characteristics of the problem she has and helping you unlearn certain mental health myths that may have been hurting your quality of life.

• You may be interested in: "Psychoeducation in psychological therapy"

2. cognitive restructuring

By means of the cognitive restructuring the person is taught to detect the beliefs that they have internalized and that, in addition to being unreasonable, contribute to keeping the disorder functioning. For example, beliefs that cause low self-esteem or that lead to exaggerate the degree of danger of certain harmless situations.

3. controlled exposure

It is not possible to overcome agoraphobia if the patient does not learn to face the situations that he has learned to fear through dysfunctional psychological dynamics. For this reason, another of the ways in which cognitive-behavioral therapy is applied in the treatment of agoraphobia is to train the person in the coping with what makes you manifest the symptoms, while following the psychologist's instructions and fighting against the desire to avoid what gives you fear.

For it controlled exposure strategies are applied to anxiogenic stimuli, starting with the easiest and ending with the most difficult to manage, or you can even choose to use the systematic desensitization, in which the person is exposed to relaxing stimuli while coping with what it causes fear.

• Related article: "Exposure therapy with response prevention: what it is and how it is used"

4. Relaxation techniques to alleviate anxiety

In the psychologist's office it is also possible to learn useful relaxation techniques that help keep anxiety levels somewhat lower, something useful to improve the quality of life of the person and solve some sleep problems associated with sleep disorders anxiety.

Are you looking for professional psychological assistance?

If you need professional help to overcome an anxiety disorder through a psychotherapy process, contact me.

My name is diego red and I serve people of all ages as a cognitive-behavioral psychologist.