Agoraphobia Center - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham Psychiatrist Doctors for AgoraphobiaType of Physician: Psychiatrist What is a Psychiatrist? A certification by the Board of Psychiatry & Neurology; practitioners are skilled in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental, addictive and emotional disorders. He or she is trained to understand the biological, psychological and social components of illness and is qualified to order diagnostic laboratory tests and to prescribe medications, as well as to evaluate and treat psychological and interpersonal problems. The psychiatrist is also prepared to intervene with individuals and families who are coping with stress, crises, and other problems in living. Specialty: Psychiatry Common Name: Psychiatrist Doctors in Bellingham * Robert E Watson & Affiliates  Drs Harle & Levine  Drs Harle & Levine  Christopher N Noell MD  SHIFA Health PLLC  SHIFA Health PLLC  SHIFA Health PLLC  Bay Psychiatric Center  Bay Psychiatric Center  Bay Psychiatric Center  Bay Psychiatric Center  Judith R Milner MD  Dale F Sobotka MD  Cascade Psychiatric Services  John M Zimburean MD  Otis E Payne MD  James A Salmon MD  Heritage Counseling Associates  Mill Creek Psychiatry, PLLC  Michael G Deming MD  Pacific Institute of Mental Health  Terence F McGuire MD  Woodinville Psychiatric Associates  Woodinville Psychiatric Associates  Patrick L Mathiasen MD  Sleep Medicine Associates  Sound Sleep Health  Pacific Medical Centers  Pacific Medical Centers  ABCD Inc  Sue M Wood MD  Owen E Clark MD  Evergreen Clinic  Evergreen Clinic  Evergreen Clinic  Psychiatry for Women  Phillip A Cohen MD  Martin M Johnson MD  Lynne Anne Wilk MD  Samaritan Center of Puget Sound  Steve R Mitchell MD  Pacific Neuropsychiatric Institute  Psychiatry Associates  Psychiatry Associates  Mary H Shwetz MD  Psychiatry Associates  Robert G Janes MD  Drs Forslund & Innes  Drs Forslund & Innes  Childrens Hospital Regional Medical Center  Childrens Hospital Regional Medical Center  UWMC Roosevelt Outpatient Psychiatry Center  UWMC Roosevelt Outpatient Psychiatry Center  UWMC Roosevelt Outpatient Psychiatry Center  UWMC Roosevelt Outpatient Psychiatry Center  UWMC Roosevelt Outpatient Psychiatry Center  UWMC Roosevelt General Internal Medicine Center  Jeffrey C Sung MD  UWMC Roosevelt Outpatient Psychiatry Center  Anna M Harvey MD  Elizabeth A Noll MD  Lake Union Psychiatric Group  Lake Union Psychiatric Group  Lake Union Psychiatric Group  Lake Union Psychiatric Group  CHDD Clinic  Hall Health Primary Care Center  UWMC Inpatient Psychiatry Clinic  UWMC Inpatient Psychiatry Clinic  UWMC Inpatient Psychiatry Clinic  UWMC Inpatient Psychiatry Clinic  UWMC Inpatient Psychiatry Clinic  UWMC Inpatient Psychiatry Clinic  CHDD Clinic  UWMC Inpatient Psychiatry Clinic  UWMC Inpatient Psychiatry Clinic  UWMC Inpatient Psychiatry Clinic  UWMC Inpatient Psychiatry Clinic  UWMC Inpatient Psychiatry Clinic  Judith Eve Lipton MD  Margaret A Cashman MD  Martha A Bird MD  Silverdale Psychiatric Services  Seth A Cohen MD  Richard T Adamson MD  East Lake Counseling Group  Ellen F Gottheil MD  East Lake Counseling Group  Northwest Psychoanalytic Building  Northwest Psychoanalytic Building  Northwest Psychoanalytic Building  Northwest Psychoanalytic Building  Darlene H Gabanek MD  Lori Rubens MD  Margaret E Bangs MD  Cynthia L Dyess MD  Brooke J Thorner MD  Norman F Peterson MD  Ronald G Early MD  Doron Raphaely MD Bellingham, WashingtonUpcoming Local Events2012-06-02
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AgoraphobiaRead the Agoraphobia article » What is agoraphobia?A phobia is generally defined as the unrelenting fear of a situation, activity, or thing that causes one to want to avoid it. The definition of agoraphobia is a fear of being outside or otherwise being in a situation from which one either cannot escape or from which escaping would be difficult or humiliating. Phobias are largely underreported, probably because many phobia sufferers find ways to avoid the situations to which they are phobic. The fact that agoraphobia often occurs in combination with panic disorder makes tracking how often it occurs all the more difficult. Other facts about agoraphobia include that researchers estimate it occurs in less than 1 percent to almost 7 percent of the population and that it is specifically thought to be grossly underdiagnosed. What causes agoraphobia?There are a number of theories about what can cause agoraphobia. One hypothesis is that agoraphobia develops in response to repeated exposure to anxiety-provoking events. Mental-health theory that focuses on how individuals react to internal emotional conflicts (psychoanalytic theory) describes agoraphobia as the result of a feeling of emptiness that comes from an unresolved Oedipal conflict, which is a struggle between the feelings the person has toward the opposite-sex parent and a sense of competition with the same-sex parent. Although agoraphobia, like other mental disorders, is caused by a number of factors, it also tends to run in families and for some people, may have a clear genetic factor contributing to its development. What are the symptoms of agoraphobia?The symptoms of agoraphobia include anxiety that one will have a panic attack when in a situation from which escape is not possible or is difficult or embarrassing. The panic attack associated with agoraphobia, like all panic attacks, may involve intense fear, dis... Recommended Reading Related to AgoraphobiaWhat are panic attacks?Panic attacks may be symptoms of an anxiety disorder. These attacks are a serious health problem in the U.S. At least 20% of adult Americans, or about 60 million people, will suffer from panic attacks at some point in their lives. About 1.7% of adult Americans, or about 3 million people, will have full-blown panic disorder at some time in their lives, twice as often for women than men. The peak age at which people have their first panic attack (onset) is 15-19 years. Another fact about panic is that this symptom is strikingly different from other types of anxiety; panic attacks are so very sudden and often unexpected, appear to be unprovoked, and are often disabling. Childhood panic disorder facts include that about 0.7% of children suffer from panic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder and that although panic is found to occur twice as often in women compared to men, boys and girls tend to experience this disorder a... Other Related Agoraphobia ArticlesEmergency Contact for Bellingham
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Suggested Reading on Agoraphobia by Our Doctors
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Related Diseases & Conditions
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Anxiety
- Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.
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Panic Attacks
- Panic attacks are sudden feelings of terror that strike without warning. These episodes can occur at any time, even during sleep. A person experiencing a panic attack may believe that he or she is having a heart attack or that death is imminent. The fear and terror that a person experiences during a panic attack are not in proportion to the true situation and may be unrelated to what is happening around them. Most people with panic attacks experience several of the following symptoms: racing heartbeat, faintness, dizzyness, numbness or tingling in the hands and fingers, chills, chest pains, difficulty breathing, and a feeling of loss or control. There are several treatments for panic attacks.
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Alcoholism
- Alcoholism is a disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law.
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Stress
- Stress occurs when forces from the outside world impinge on the individual. Stress is a normal part of life. However, over-stress, can be harmful. There is now speculation, as well as some evidence, that points to the abnormal stress responses as being involved in causing various diseases or conditions.
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Depression
- Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
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Suicide
- Suicide is the process of intentionally ending one's own life. Approximately 1 million people worldwide commit suicide each year, and 10 million to 20 million attempt suicide annually.
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Phobias
- Phobias are unrelenting fears of activities (social phobias), situations (agoraphobia), and specific items (arachnophobia). There is thought to be a hereditary component to phobias, though there may be a cultural influence or they may be triggered by life events. Symptoms and signs of phobias include having a panic attack, shaking, breathing troubles, rapid heart beat, and a strong desire to escape the situation. Treatment of phobias typically involves desensitization, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and beta blockers.
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Mental Health
- Mental health is an optimal way of thinking, relating to others, and feeling. All of the diagnosable mental disorders fall under the umbrella of mental illness. Depression, anxiety, and substance-abuse disorders are common types of mental illness. Symptoms and signs of mental illness include irritability, moodiness, insomnia, headaches, and sadness. Treatment may involve psychotherapy and medication.
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