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Quick Fix for Agoraphobia?
by Stephen Price
As much as I wish there were,
there is no quick fix or miracle cure for agoraphobia. Now
before some of you write me off as a pessimist or someone of
little faith, allow me to explain.
I am a spiritual person and have an open mind when it comes
to things like spiritual forms of healing and the
possibility of miracles. All I am saying is that these types
of healing are more the exception than the rule, and there
is no overnight cure for agoraphobia that is backed by any
substantial body of research.
However,
there are ads posted on the internet that will try to
persuade you differently. Just type "anxiety disorder,"
"panic disorder," or "agoraphobia" into Google and you will
see a number of self-proclaimed "experts" in the sponsored
ads telling you that they have the sure-fire solution to
stopping panic attacks right away or getting rid of
agoraphobia overnight.
I know from experience that if you have panic disorder or
agoraphobia long enough, you can finally get so desperate
that you want to believe there is an overnight cure and are
willing to try just about anything. That makes us vulnerable
to people who are opportunistic enough to play on our
desperation. It really hurts me to see innocent,
well-meaning people waste their money on quick fix recovery
programs designed to play on the vulnerability of someone
suffering from an anxiety disorder.
It also
hurts me to see people who sincerely want to recover from an
anxiety disorder being distracted by and wasting time on
dishonest claims and programs that don't work.
Before you
fall for the temptation to spend your money in hopes of a
quick fix, think about this:
If
there really were a credible overnight cure for anxiety
disorders, panic disorders, or agoraphobia that was
well-supported by research wouldn't psychologists and
psychiatrists everywhere be using it?
Enough
said.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (in its various forms) is still
the most effective therapy for panic disorder and
agoraphobia. If and when this changes, I am sure the mental
health community - people who conduct real research - will
let us know.
Until
then, don't believe anyone on the internet who claims to
know the secret cure for panic and agoraphobia, especially
the ones that have never even studied psychology.
If this
article sounds a little cynical, it is. I am just tired of
seeing good people getting taken advantage of in their
darkest hours.
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