Judith's Case of Agoraphobic's Dilemma

Judith: Each day on my way to work I have to pass a high fence about a hundred yards long. On the other side of the road is a church with a very tall steeple, which soars into the sky. I try to avoid looking up at it as I begin to feel dizzy and slightly sick, and I walk along beside the fence which appears to go on for ever. I feel more and more disorientated. If I break into a run my heart starts to race and I begin to sweat.

How crazy to be afraid of a stretch of road! I cannot avoid it as it is the only approach to the local train station and I must get to the city centre to my office. I have seriously thought of giving up my job because I cannot face this daily ordeal for much longer.

The agoraphobic's dilemma is that if she experiences these feelings in certain places, she will avoid these places in order to avert the panic; but with sensations of anxiety always resent she then begins to worry about other situations. She expects the panic to occur - so it does, almost as though her mind has an 'on' switch which operates whenever she thinks about the dreaded spot. The trouble is that she does not know to operate the 'off switch, so she retreats to safety - only soon nowhere is safe. If she is really unlucky she will feel that the only place to avoid panic is behind her own front door; but even then, if the habit of switching on fear has become established, the security of her home may not protect her from the dreaded attacks.

Some long-term agoraphobics may not be able to recall the last time they experienced a full-blown panic attack but, trapped by the fear of fear, they are not prepared to risk facing a dreaded situation - just in case.



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