Other Names:
Irrational Fears, Anxiety Disorder, Agoraphobia, Claustrophobia

Symptoms:
An irrational fear of something, which ordinary people are not bothered by. The experts call it an irrational, involuntary, inappropriate fear reaction that generally leads to an avoidance of common everyday places, objects, or situations.

Symptoms include attacks of tension, panic, dizziness, tightening of the throat, inability to swallow, muscle twitching, sweating, depression, nausea, and obsessions. Feeling of being outside the body.

The heart starts beating faster; the person feels nauseous, shaky, as if about to faint.

Cause:
There are three types of phobias: simple phobias, social phobias, and agoraphobia.

Those with simple phobias dread a certain situation, place, or object.

Social phobics are those who do not like to be in public situations, such as a party. They fear doing something which may embarrass themselves.

Agoraphobics fear being alone, being in public places, or being in strange places. It is a fear of being away from a safe person or place. This is the phobia that people most frequently talk to professional counselors about. Most agoraphobics are women, who develop it between 15 and 35.

Panic attacks are closely related to phobias and strongly held anxieties.

The body has a natural fight-or-flight mechanism, when more adrenaline is produced, causing the body to increase metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, so the body will have more immediate energy. Muscles become tense, and heartbeat and breathing become more rapid.

But when this mechanism occurs, without a reasonable reason, the result is a panic attack.

The problem often develops suddenly after a major problem, such as a severe illness, accident, or mental depression.

The attack may occur suddenly, perhaps while standing in line at the checkout counter. The worst thing such people can do is to go home and stay there, in order to avoid facing the problematic situation. This prevents the formation of coping skills and only worsens the problem.

Some can only go outdoors if they have a certain friend or trusted dog with them. Some can move freely about in a feared area if it is dark. Wearing sunglasses when they go out in the daytime may ease the problem while they are overcoming it.

Hot weather, fatigue, or illness often makes the symptoms worse.

Post-menstrual syndrome is another cause.

Treatment:
• Phobics often eat lots of sweets. Cut them out of the diet.

• White flour should also be eliminated. Only eat whole grains.

• Avoid caffeine in every form (including chocolate) if you have panic attacks. Do not drink alcohol. Medicinal drugs can be a cause.

• Rebound anxiety and panic attacks can occur when Valium, Xanix, or Prozac is taken, to ward them off. Xanix can be addictive!

• Food allergies can be the cause (cow's milk, corn, etc.). Keep a food diary and gradually, over a period of time, determine what foods are bothering you. Do pulse tests (which see).

• Panic attacks and calcium deficiencies go hand in hand. Calcium protects the nerves and prevents toxins from irritating them.

• Valuable minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium are depleted by stress. The B vitamins are also important in resisting stress.

• Selenium elevates mood and decreases anxiety.

• Take chromium (200-300 mcg/day), B6 (100 mg/3 times day), B3 (450 mg/3 times day), B1, B2, B5 (50 mg/3 times day), tryptophane (10 gr/3 times day), calcium (2000 mg/day), and magnesium (800 mg/day).

• Eat a rounded balance of amino acids; but, of course, do not consume too much protein.

• Chemical fumes, such as formaldehyde from newly purchased clothes or carpets, can induce panic attack feelings.

• A severe hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) reaction. Professionals call this a "crash and burn" curve because the down slope on the glucose curve is almost vertical. Diabetes can be involved here. (See "Hypoglycemia" and "Diabetes.")

• Do a six-hour glucose tolerance test.

• Get regular exercise out-of-doors. Adequate rest is important.

• When you have a problem, have a friend you can talk it over with.

• Avoiding your fear keeps you from overcoming it. Face your fear and, slowly, reason with yourself that it is nothing to be worried about. One individual feared allowing a small bird on, or near, her. She overcame it by slowly placing her finger near a tame canary in a cage, which hopped on and sat quietly. After doing this for several days, the fear was overcome.

• Think to yourself, "That person (object, place) cannot hurt me." It is the truth, and keep telling it to yourself. Shift from negative thoughts toward it, to positive thoughts.

• Recognize the attack for what it is. You have had them before, so you know you are not going to die. You have left the house before, and you know you can do it again. You can do it.

• Be easy on yourself, but keep pushing forward. Even if an attack comes on, tell yourself how you succeeded, and keep at it. Do not give up.

• Start out slowly, but expose yourself to the unpleasant environment a little every week. Set goals for yourself: one-week goals, 8-week goals, etc. Push forward and accomplish them.

• You will notice that sometimes the fear is stronger than at other times. Determine what causes it to increase: a dietary problem, not enough rest, etc.

• When an attack comes on, you have an excess of adrenaline. So do not sit still. Instead move about and do something; this will help use it up. Walk around or exercise during the attack. If the situation is such that you cannot move about (you are standing in line, etc.), then play a game at alternatively tightening and loosening various muscles in your body. Tighten the large muscles in your upper legs, then release them.

• It is now known that people with inner ear problems (where the sense of balance is located) tend to have phobias and panic attacks.

• When an attack seems to be coming on, breathe deeply. Take repeated deep breaths. This relaxes the mind and helps the whole system brace against the intruding fear. (When an attack begins, phobics tend to take short, rapid breaths. The body is not receiving enough oxygen and is losing too much carbon dioxide, the heart begins beating faster, and there is a sense of air hunger.) Instead, breathe slowly and deeply.

• Women who wear tight-fitting clothes tend to become chest breathers, and are more likely to have panic attacks. Men should wear suspenders.

• Maintain good posture. Practice deep breathing every so often.

• When an attack begins to occur, or if even the thought of the feared item begins to come to mind, tell yourself "stop!" If necessary, say "Stop!" out loud. Then consciously change your thoughts to something else, something pleasant. Keep doing this. By doing thought-stopping, you will see excellent progress in as little as 4 weeks.

• When you are completely relaxed and in a pleasant environment, think casually about the feared item. Candidly tell yourself that it does not amount to anything. Then change the thought to something else.

• "Flooding" occurs when the person goes into the feared situation (such as a shopping mall) and stays there until the fears leave. This generally takes 8 to 12 hours.

• Reinforcement takes place when you write the shopping list until it no longer bothers you. Then you put on your coat and go to the door. Then you go outside to the car. Then, when this no longer bothers you; you go to the store and walk up to the door. Later, you go on in and buy the groceries.

• Herbs to help strengthen the body include dong quai, gotu kola, kelp, ginkgo, passion flower, slippery elm, suma, valerian, and lady's slipper.