Treatment - Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is treated with various types of psychotherapy, and in some cases with medication. The person is encouraged to return to the anxiety-provoking situation (graded exposure treatment). Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is also used with good effect, often to prevent relapse after an initial good response to graded exposure therapy.
Benzodiazepines such as diazepam, Alprazolam may be prescribed to help people with agoraphobia. People may use them on a one-off or intermittent basis when it is necessary to confront the anxiety-provoking situation. These drugs have a risk of dependency if used long-term. Antidepressant drugs may also be helpful, even in those people whose agoraphobia is not part of a concurrent depressive disorder. The following drugs may be used in this way – Imipramine, Clomipramine, Citalopram, Fluvoxamine, Paroxetine, Sertraline, and Fluoxetine. Prescription of such medications may often be found as an adjunct to psychotherapeutic techniques, when panic attacks are frequent and/or severe. In such cases medication may be prescribed for long term.
Agoraphobic symptoms are often found in people with mild/moderate depressive illness. This is a common situation in clinical practice with many claims being made by people whose primary diagnosis is depression. Successful treatment of the depression usually results in a marked improvement or the disappearance of the agoraphobic symptoms, which are often mild in nature.
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Amended December 2010
