Agoraphobia Center - Penn Hills, PA
Penn Hills 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 Penn Hills * John P Shields DO  John Delaney MD  Paul I Weiss MD  Martone & Martone MD  Sailaja P Allanki MD  Paul Blastos MD  Colleen Sari MD  Community Psychiatric Centers  Alice Buchdahl MD  Maurice S Cerul MD  Murray T Charlson MD  Howard K Foster MD  Ralph Gardener MD  Ralph Gardener MD  Marc E Garfinkel MD  Nancy S Hazlett MD  Stuart Hirsch MD  Lawrence T Lobl MD  Sylvia R Mendelsohn MD  John P Nelson MD  Gerald B Sandson MD  C Paul Scott MD  Kenneth Stanko MD  Family Services of Western Pennsylvania  Gail M Kubrin MD  Daniel S Shrager MD  Robert H Trivus MD  Center for Integrative Medicine  Chester M Berschling MD  Prabir K Mullick MD & Associates PC  Associates in Clinical Psychiatry  Prabir K Mullick MD & Associates PC  Associates in Clinical Psychiatry  Associates in Quality Psychiatric Medicine  Associates in Quality Psychiatric Medicine  Stress Management Center  Barry L Judd MD  Charles S Berlin MD  Drs Kann & Harris  Elliott J Goldstein MD  Eileen Gorry MD  Vista Behavioral Health Associates  Vista Behavioral Health Associates  Robert L Wittig MD  Rudolph E M Janosko MD  Duane G Spiker MD & Robert H Howland MD  Duane G Spiker MD & Robert H Howland MD  Harold B Pinkofsky MD  The Braddock Center for Behavioral Medicine  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Kurt Ackerman MD PhD  Penn Psycare Inc  Services for Research & Recovery  Penn Psycare Inc  Penn Psycare Inc  UPMC Senior Care Benedum Geriatric Ctr  UPMC Senior Care Benedum Geriatric Ctr  UPMC Senior Care Benedum Geriatric Ctr  UPMC Senior Care Benedum Geriatric Ctr  UPMC Senior Care Benedum Geriatric Ctr  UPMC Senior Care Benedum Geriatric Ctr  UPMC Senior Care Benedum Geriatric Ctr  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Children & Family Services  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic STAR Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Thomas Detre MD  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Roger F Haskett MD  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic  Martin Lubetsky MD  University of Pittsburgh Medical Center  Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic Penn Hills, PennsylvaniaUpcoming 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 Penn Hills
Nearby Penn Hills Hospitals *HEALTHSOUTH Harmarville Rehabilitation Hospital UPMC St Margaret VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System LifeCare Hospitals of Pittsburgh Main Campus Transitional Infant Care Hospital The Children's Institute UPMC Shadyside Western Pennsylvania Hospital UPMC Braddock The Western Pennsylvania Hospital Forbes Regional Campus HEALTHSOUTH Hospital of Pittsburgh Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh UPMC Presbyterian Magee-Womens Hospital UPMC Mercy UPMC Southside Allegheny General Hospital Kindred Hospital Pittsburgh North Shore Alle-Kiski Medical Center Select Specialty Hospital McKeesport UPMC McKeesport UPMC Passavant Allegheny General Hospital Suburban Campus LifeCare Hospitals of Pittsburgh North Campus Jefferson Regional Medical Center Ohio Valley General Hospital St Clair Hospital Westmoreland Excela Health Hospital at Jeannette Heritage Valley Sewickley Hospital UPMC Passavant Cranberry Mayview State Hospital Southwood Psychiatric Hospital HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital of Sewickley Westmoreland Regional Hospital Kindred Hospital Pittsburgh Monongahela Valley Hospital Butler Memorial Hospital Canonsburg General Hospital ACMH Hospital Butler VA Medical Center Latrobe Area Hospital Select Specialty Hospital Greensburg Frick Hospital Kindred Hospital at Heritage Valley Medical Center of Beaver Torrance State Hospital The Washington Hospital Ellwood City Hospital Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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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