Ask Dr. Ceren: Prisoner Of Fear
© 2003-2006, Sandra Levy Ceren. All Rights Reserved.

A young woman stands in line at the supermarket. Suddenly, her palms sweat, her legs feel wobbly, her heart pounds. She feels dizzy and is gripped by her first panic attack. A physical exam and lab work reveal that she is physically well. Since the supermarket incident, she dreads going anywhere alone. The prospect of being in a crowd, or in an isolated place alone, terrifies her. She freezes at the idea of driving her car while alone. A visit to her parents in Texas seems impossible. She imagines she will become ill and will become embarrassed on the plane as she did in the supermarket. She suffers from agorophobia.

A thirty-seven year old man has spent half his life in the Navy. When thinking about civilian life, a feeling of dread comes over him. Every time he leaves the base, he feels as if he has butterflies in his stomach, a lump in his throat, headache and a feeling of uneasiness that grows into a sense of doom. While other sailors confront the prospect of starting a new life with anticipation and some apprehension, he becomes a prisoner of his own fears.

A mother of two children finds excuses to keep the oldest child from attending school. She needs the child with her because she is afraid of being alone. The father makes several attempts to liberate his child, but child finds excuses for not going to school. The parents argue. The mother’s problems cause marital and family strife. Her husband feels like an outsider and seeks family therapy.

The three situations described above are real cases. These people are not going mad, although they report they sometimes feel “crazy.” They, like well over one million other Americans suffer from a common and severe phobic disorder causing them to limit their activities, managing their world around their fears. The condition varies in how much they limit. Many are alert to exits and all potential dangers. Dependency and guilt over drawing others into their problem compound the problem. Embarrassment is a key issue for them. Their biggest fear is the fear itself. It sets up the physiological response of danger and those bodily responses are experienced as panic. A vicious cycle ensues.

The cause of the initial panic attack varies for each person. It may be precipitated by an accident, an operation, a prolonged illness, a perceived profound life change in circumstance, a birth, death, marriage, divorce or change in residence or job.

It is important to rule out any physical problem before or while consulting a psychologist, psychiatrist or counselor. Psychotherapy can help with many of the problems surrounding the situation. Long term reliance on prescription drugs to treat the symptoms may cause addiction, potential adverse side effects. It robs the person of self-confidence at a time he or she needs it most for recovery.

When the situation is understood, feelings of embarrassment and guilt are lessened. Many audio tapes and books are available at bookstores and libraries and they can be supportive and compliment psychotherapy.