Agoraphobia Center - Westfield, MA
Westfield 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 Westfield * Ricardo A Mujica MD  Lydia A Kapell MD  Baystate Medical Center  Baystate Medical Center  Baystate Medical Center  Providence Behavioral Health  Providence Behavioral Health  Luz M Martin MD & Associates  Luz M Martin MD & Associates  Moris Pardo MD  Behavioral Health Network  Aloysius L Davis III MD  Behavioral Health Network  Ballis Psychiatrics Associates  Brightside School Street Counseling Institute  Memory Wellness LLC  Valley Psychiatric Services Inc  SuEllen Hamkins MD  Holyoke Hospital Outpatient Psychiatry  Donna M Cohen MD  Holyoke Hospital Outpatient Psychiatry  Holyoke Hospital Outpatient Psychiatry  Holyoke Hospital Outpatient Psychiatry  Nancy Westermann MD  RiverBend Medical Group Chicopee Office  RiverBend Medical Group Chicopee Office  RiverBend Medical Group Chicopee Office  RiverBend Medical Group Chicopee Office  Baystate Behavioral Health Associates  Bay State Behavioral Health  Baystate Behavioral Health Associates  Benjamin Liptzin MD  Baystate Behavioral Health Associates  Baystate Behavioral Health Associates  Elizabeth A Bramson MD  Counseling & Gynecology Group  Therapeutic Associates PC  Jay Pomerantz MD  Psychiatry Care Associates PC  Raymond Gottlieb MD  Richard C Rice MD  Ira Addes MD  Marc A Bleicher MD  Sanford Bloomberg MD  Harold R Jordan MD  Service Net Inc  Michael Perlman MD  Carl Saviano MD  Cooley Dickinson Hospital Behavioral Health Services  Valley Medical Group PC  Valley Medical Group PC  Valley Medical Group PC  Cooley Dickinson Hospital Behavioral Health Services  Kenneth Talan MD  Killian O'Connell MD  UMass Mental Health Services  UMass Mental Health Services  Shoshana Sokoloff MD  Ralph L Cohen MD  Griswold Center Wing Memorial Hospital  Griswold Center Wing Memorial Hospital  Griswold Center Wing Memorial Hospital  Griswold Center Wing Memorial Hospital  Franklin Medical Center Psychiatry  Franklin Medical Center Psychiatry  Franklin Medical Center Psychiatry  George B Wells Human Services  Barre Family Health Center  George B Wells Human Services  George B Wells Human Services  George B Wells Human Services  George B Wells Human Services  Stephen R Greenberg MD  Austin Riggs Center  Austin Riggs Center  Austin Riggs Center  Austin Riggs Center  Berkshire Mental Health & Substance Abuse  Philip J Pryjma MD  Berkshire Medical Center Psychiatry  Berkshire Medical Center Psychiatry  William E Knight MD  The Breen Center  County Psychiatric Center  Brien Center for Mental Health  Brien Center for Mental Health  Heywood Hospital Mental Health  Newton Square Counseling Center  Arbour Counseling Services  Mark Cutler MD  Scott B Cutler MD  Community Health Service  Community Healthlink  Community Health Service  Apogee Integrated Mental Health Services Inc  Richard C Tomb MD  Psychiatry & Counseling Associates  Sherrill A Conna MD  UMass Memorial Medical Center Psychiatry  UMass Memorial Medical Center Psychiatry Westfield, MassachusettsUpcoming Local Events2012-05-26
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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 Westfield
Nearby Westfield Hospitals *Western Massachusetts Hospital Baystate Medical Center Mercy Medical Center Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital Shriners Hospital for Children Noble Hospital Providence Hospital Kindred Hospital Park View Holyoke Medical Center HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts Cooley Dickinson Hospital Northampton VA Medical Center Wing Memorial Hospital & Medical Center Johnson Memorial Hospital Rockville General Hospital St Francis Care Hospital Mount Sinai Campus The Hospital at Hebrew Healthcare Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital St Francis Hospital & Medical Center Manchester Memorial Hospital Baystate Mary Lane Hospital Hungerford Emergency & Medical Care Connecticut Children's Medical Center Hartford Hospital Institute of Living Hartford Hospital University of Connecticut Health Center John Dempsey VA Connecticut Healthcare System Newington Campus Cedarcrest Hospital Hospital for Special Care The Hospital of Central Connecticut New Britain Campus Veterans Home & Hospital Rocky Hill Harrington Memorial Hospital Charlotte Hungerford Hospital Bristol Hospital Franklin Medical Center 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. |
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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
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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
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Suicide
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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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