What is agoraphobia

What is agoraphobia

How to get out of quarantine without earning agoraphobia

It is difficult to remember when before there was such a large-scale panic among the world's population. The coronavirus pandemic in a matter of weeks captured the bulk of the planet, and then all of humanity. The global quarantine has locked us, active and ambitious people, within four walls, and how long this confinement will last is hard to say.

But, the restriction in communication, the pressure of the walls and the ceiling - this is not the worst thing that has fallen upon us along with the threat of getting sick with a strange ailment. The worst thing is the endless obsessive fear of getting infected even from the gaze of a stranger. One can argue endlessly about whether our worries about the notorious coronavirus are justified, but the quarantine regime will definitely end someday. And there will be a high risk of another problem - agoraphobia. How to overcome the fear of leaving home after a long imprisonment and return to your usual way of life?

What is agoraphobia

The idea of ​​living in isolation is not new in itself. Voluntary hermitage in our bustling world and without the caronavirus is gaining more and more popularity. For example, in advanced Japan this phenomenon is called " hikikomori " and its turnovers are gaining an alarming scale. In an effort to protect themselves from the aggressive outside world, people choose seclusion, thereby depriving themselves of simple everyday joys. However, the motives for such behavior are fundamentally different from those that guide the rest of humanity in the difficult period of the pandemic. In this case, this is not a choice, but a necessity. But it generates irrational fear and it becomes more difficult to take control of your emotions every day.

Agoraphobia is a panicky obsessive fear of leaving home, followed by a categorical voluntary refusal of any contacts outside the home. This state is based on the fear of losing control over the situation if it is impossible to avoid it. Such as sudden fainting or seizure. However, in this case, we are talking about the fear of contracting a disease about which not much is known.

The frustration is accompanied by irrational stubbornness and unwillingness to accept a different position. Agoraphobia is fraught with physical and mental exhaustion due to panic attacks and depressive moods. Having reached the level of phobia, this obsessive state makes it impossible for a person's further normal life activity.

Who is affected by agoraphobia

Despite the fact that the quarantine rules are the same for everyone, agoraphobia threatens only a few.

As a rule, these are impressionable, easily suggestible people. They are pedants with the makings of perfectionists, very demanding of themselves. Any deviation from the given scenario brings them out of balance. They find it difficult to be flexible and guided by intuition. Such people are governed by common sense and prudence. But it is these character traits that make them defenseless against the unknown. Discretion and perfectionism are not in themselves a disadvantage, rather the opposite. But, in the event of a stressful situation, these qualities can be accentuated and interfere with an adequate perception of reality.

How fear manifests itself

The environment in which our society has become hostages is atypical, and therefore generates emotions with which, perhaps, some of us were not familiar. The oppressive feeling of powerlessness, uncertainty, fear for oneself and loved ones are fertile ground for the development of agoraphobia. Like any disorder, it has its own symptoms.

Desire to avoid risk at all costs

The self-preservation instinct is one of the basic ones and its importance can hardly be overestimated. But a person obsessed with fear tries to protect himself by causing damage. He minimizes communication, which greatly impoverishes his life and turns it into "Groundhog Day." This behavior is now a necessity. It will become a symptom of a phobia if a person continues to live locked up after quarantine.

Defensive behavior

People who are prone to frustration have unresolved internal conflict at the unconscious level. If it is impossible to make it public and work it out, it becomes necessary to drown out the mental discomfort. Unfortunately, the most accessible and dangerous methods are often used for this:

alcohol;

prohibited drugs;

passion for drugs;

all kinds of addictions and eating disorders.

Needless to say, such dubious mental anesthesia has a short-term effect. But addiction joins the company to fear.

Anxiety up front

A person constructively responding to a threat solves problems as they "What to do, what to do?" The sufferer is worried even when there is no objective threat. Premature anxiety prepares him for the worst thing to happen. Therefore, catching him by surprise will not work. However, being constantly in a state of alertness, a person deprives himself of physical and moral strength, since this is very exhausting.

Fear to experience fear

This quality is typical for all people suffering from phobias. They are frightened by the very likelihood of a critical situation, which gives food for fear in advance. Unpleasant sensations are manifested both in internal discomfort and in external. These are weakness in the body, tremors, numbness of the extremities, palpitations, pressure surges. Uncontrolled conditions of this type are the harbingers of panic attacks.

How to return to normal life after quarantine

The fear of leaving home is the fear of losing control and protection. However, the experience of people who, for one reason or another, have already experienced forced isolation, are confident that this fear can be overcome. They say that quarantine is a kind of test of who a person really is and how comfortable he is in the company of himself. In a period when the usual life slows down, such an important resource as time can fall in value. If this happened to you and you are tormented by fears for an unknown future, listen to the advice of those who have managed to turn a painful situation to their own good.

Realize that quarantine is temporary

The centuries-old wisdom of King Solomon is still valid: "This too will pass." This means that the paused time is better used with constructiveness. What it will be for you, decide for yourself. Online trainings, visiting a virtual gallery or exhibition, gaining new skills and knowledge. Anything, if only this pastime sets a positive tone for your life.

Minimize negativity

Information debris poisons the soul and distorts our perception of reality. Yes, coronavirus is dangerous. But even this fact should not enslave the consciousness. The information that has been surrounding us lately is blocking objective thinking. Therefore, discard content after viewing which the level of anxiety rises rapidly. You already know what you need to know about protection and prevention. The rest is information poison.

Feel the body

Restrictions in physical activity often become an uncomfortable surprise for those whose rhythm was previously kept non-stop. Energy, physical or emotional, always needs to be released. Let her do it. Dance to your favorite music, play with children, arrange a Skype conference with friends, master a new hobby. It is pleasant, and most importantly, it will release your energy in the right direction.

Clean regularly

Any chaos, if desired, can be streamlined, and an uncontrolled process can be monitored and led. Try to treat cleaning like meditation. Like an action you directed yourself. You decide what it will be for you to clean up the house, a little daily torture or a productive process that works for the future. It's not just about self-discipline, though, it's about her too. This is about the desire to surround yourself with cleanliness, and, therefore, about respect for yourself and those people who live with you. This is about the desire to use really necessary, beautiful and useful things. This is about a joy for the eyes, because the sight of a clean and bright space gives us aesthetic pleasure and a sense of security.

Be disciplined

Yes, it sounds boring, but having lost control over everyday life, you paint to lose control over actions and thoughts. Therefore, include in your home schedule, charging, meals by the clock, time for productive work and rest. No piles of dirty dishes and household chores postponed for the day after tomorrow. Otherwise, relaxation will play a bad joke on you.

Don't stand still

Now you have a unique opportunity to upgrade your professional capabilities. And for this it is not at all necessary to pay for expensive training. There are tons of free courses, master classes and trainings on the Internet. You just have to arm yourself with a notebook, a pen and a desire to be better than yesterday.

The main condition for a correct exit from quarantine is the ability to think objectively. It is very easy to fall into despair, but are we looking for easy ways?

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