Being agoraphobic can take many forms, and most people with agoraphobia are not complete shut-ins. Instead, they may have trouble walking outside alone for fear of feeling dizzy and falling down, or be afraid of driving on the freeway because they might faint, or avoid public venues for fear of losing physical or emotional control in a crowded place. Whatever form agoraphobia takes, it is a highly treatable and surprisingly common anxiety disorder.
The Agoraphobia Workbook can help you or someone you love overcome agoraphobia in any of its forms. The book offers clear information about how the disorder develops and a practical, step-by-step treatment strategy you can use to control specific fears and symptoms. In an interactive, easy-to-follow style, the workbook takes you through exposure and desensitization exercises. By taking it step-by-step, you can work up to formerly difficult tasks like walking outside, driving, taking public transportation, and going to stores and malls. The book also includes tips on avoiding relapses, managing setbacks, and finding help and support.
The Agoraphobia Workbook is a self-help resource dedicated to helping readers overcome the disorder in all its forms. Formatted in an interactive, easy-to-follow style, this supportive workbook presents the latest and most effective techniques, including gradual exposure and desensitization exercises, plus information on avoiding relapses, managing setbacks, and finding further sources of help and support. With agoraphobia affecting an estimated three to six percent of Americans, this clinically proven handbook will help many face their fears and overcome this disorder.
| Acknowledgments |
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vii | |
| Introduction |
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1 | (8) |
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Part 1 What You Need to Know |
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Understanding Fears and Phobias |
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9 | (10) |
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Understanding Agoraphobia |
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19 | (12) |
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The Four Components of Agoraphobic Fear |
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31 | (14) |
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Why Your Agoraphobia Has Not Gone Away |
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45 | (12) |
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How to Make Your Agoraphobia Go Away |
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57 | (8) |
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Some Final Things to Consider Before You Start |
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65 | (8) |
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Part 2 What You Need to Do |
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Step
1. Setting Recovery Goals and Objectives |
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73 | (8) |
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Step
2. Acquiring a Healthy Perspective and Useful Coping Strategies |
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81 | (12) |
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Step
3. Challenging Your Beliefs about Danger |
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93 | (8) |
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Step
4. Overcoming Your Fear of Internal Sensations in the Absence of External Danger Signals |
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101 | (16) |
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Step
5. Overcoming Your Fear of Internal Sensations in the Presence of External Danger Signals |
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117 | (20) |
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Part 3 Evaluating and Continuing Your Progress |
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137 | (8) |
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What to Do if You Get Stuck |
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145 | (4) |
| Appendix A Why Some People Develop Panic and Phobias |
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149 | (2) |
| Appendix B How Negative Automatic Thoughts Reflect Cognitive Traps |
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151 | (4) |
| Appendix C Factual Information about Symptom Attacks |
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155 | (6) |
| Appendix D The Physiology and Symptoms of Hyperventilation |
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161 | (4) |
| Appendix E Specific Feared Agoraphobic Situations |
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165 | (8) |
| Appendix F Worksheets |
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173 | (8) |
| References |
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181 | |
C. Alec Pollard, the Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center in Saint Louis, and Elke Zuercher-White, agoraphobia expert and author of An End to Panic, team up to produce the first self-help resource dedicated to helping readers overcome agoraphobia in all its forms. Together they provide clear information about how the disorder develops, and practical, step-by-step treatment strategies readers can use to put an end to their specific fears and symptoms. In an interactive, easy-to-follow style, the workbook takes readers through exposure and desensitization exercises. By taking it step-by-step, readers are able to accomplish such feats as walking outside, driving, taking public transportation, and going to stores and malls. Final sections help readers avoid relapses, manage setbacks, and find help and support
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