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Agoraphobia - Treatment

Treatment Of Agoraphobia

Like with many other mental disorders, agoraphobia treatment typically includes a combination of psychotherapy and medication, and is often successfull.

Medications
    Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are most commonly used to treat agoraphobia and panic symptoms, but the patient may have to try several different medications before finding the one that works best for them.

The doctor is most likely to prescribe one of the following:

A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) - The drugs in this category which are usually used to treat agoraphobia include fluoxetine, paroxetine or sertaline

Another type of antidepressants such as tricyclic antidepressants or monoamine oxidase inhibitor - Though effective treatments for agoraphobia these drugs are associated with more side effects than SSRIs.

An anti-anxiety medication - Also known as benzodiazepines, can help control symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks.  These medications however can cause dependence if taken in dosages larger than presribed or over a longer period of time than prescribed.

Psychotherapy
    Several different types of psychotherapy are employed for treatment of agoraphobia, but the most common of these is cognitive behaviour therapy.

Cognitive behaviour therapy.
    Consisting of two parts, the cognitive portion of the therapy involves learning more about agoraphobia and panic attacks as well as how to control them.  The behavioural portion involves changing unwanted or unhealthy behaviours through desensitization, sometimes also called exposure therapy.

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