Daily life can be truly stressful, and it can be even more difficult to cope with if you find it hard to step beyond your front door. Starting your morning with a few little problems is one thing, but those people suffering from Agoraphobia experience intense mental discomfort at the mere thought of leaving the safety of their homes. Day-to-day activities like shopping, taking a train journey, or finding yourself in amongst crowds of people can precipitate very unpleasant feelings, but luckily there are techniques which can be easily learned and which are quite effective at combating the problem.

Those people who suffer from agoraphobia feel that they are out of control of their environment and are unable to cope with unexpected occurences, let alone day-to-day stresses. Because staying in control when you're in a familiar and safe place is easier, this can explain the reason sufferers of agoraphobia often do not wish to venture outside the confines of their own house. The physical and mental manifestations of agoraphobia can include sweating, dizziness, feelings of panic, and difficulty breathing, but successful treatment can quiet the mental anguish and thus calm the physical symptoms typically associated with agoraphobia. The treatment for agoraphobia is based on enabling the sufferer to function effectively in their daily lives, obviously how successful the treatment is will depend on the individual sufferer and how intense their phobia is.

Some relaxation techniques are effective in helping to treat anxiety-related problems, including agoraphobia. With what's generally called systematic desensitization, therapists trained in such techniques encourage their patients to relax and focus on what is causing their anxiety. Normally, patients are instructed to start with what is least disturbing and work their way up to imagining the things that trouble them the most. After mastering this technique in an imaginary setting, the treatment continues by performing desensitization techniques in a real world location. In a similar way to the first (imaginary) scenarios, patients are instructed to begin with the real situation that provokes the least amount of fear.

Effective therapy should be sufficient to treat mild cases or agoraphobia in a relatively short time frame. Having a number of effective relaxation techniques to call forth can calm the mind and body, enabling the sufferer to cope with their phobia and live a normal life. While more severe cases of agoraphobia may be treated in this manner, antidepressants or medications designed to control anxiety may be needed periodically as well. After conquering the seemingly all-powerful feelings of anxiety and fear, an agoraphobic will be able to continue to use relaxation techniques and benefit from their previous treatment to ensure they are able to live life to the full.