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Are you aware of the fact that some people who suffer from panic attacks might also suffer from a condition called agoraphobia where they will avoid certain places for fear that a panic attack will happen again? People tend to create a negative mental connection with the place they have experienced an attack because panic attacks affect a person mentally and physically. People who suffer from agoraphobia may start avoiding places like sports arenas, malls, or public transportation because they are afraid to leave their comfort zones.

When you experience intense feelings of fear, sweating, shortness of breath, and other things that seem to have come out of nowhere, you may be diagnosed with panic disorder, according to the Anxiety Disorders of America. Panic attacks may last for minutes or more than an hour, and can occur unexpectedly.

If a person is experiencing at least four of the following things, they are having a full-blown panic attack: fear of dying, chills or heat flush, a tingling sensation, nausea or abdominal discomfort, trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and dizziness. There are some people who may feel depersonalization from their environment or may think that they are going crazy.

A person having a panic attack may become very afraid of the physical environment they are in because panic attacks trigger fear and a need to escape. The term for the fear which associates the place where the person thinks that they will experience an attack and would have difficult to escape from is called agoraphobia. Examples of these places are theaters, arenas, concert halls, public transportation, and other public places where it will be impossible to get away.

Fortunately, there are treatment options available for panic attacks, anxiety disorders, and these can help lower the instances of agoraphobia. Current treatment options for panic attacks include cognitive behavioral therapy, certain types of medication, lifestyle changes and mental health counseling. Sometimes diet and lifestyle changes are enough to keep anxiety under control and reduce the risks of panic attacks. People who have intense agoraphobia but are no longer experiencing recurrent panic attacks may also be able to get help with mental health counseling where they are desensitized to the problem-causing environment.

Both panic disorder and agoraphobia are subtypes of general anxiety disorder and their root cause is still unknown. Environmental factors or stressful life events and other major transitions in your life can trigger panic disorders, and it often runs in the family. Experts can trace the cause of agoraphobia from a childhood experience of panic disorder and anxiety, but the root cause of it is still unknown. There are some people that believe an individual may be able to unlearn agoraphobia, if it is indeed a learned behavior, and in doing so they will be able to have a more balanced lifestyle.

Behavioral therapy and lifestyle changes will be able to weaken the strong link between panic disorder and agoraphobia. If you are suffering from a panic disorder, you can learn how to keep under control your response to a certain environment so that you can live a healthier lifestyle.

If you have ever suffered from anxiety when vacationing or traveling, there is hope. Powerful non-pharmaceutical approaches are available to help you to free yourself from the fearful thoughts that can lead to panic attacks.