Agoraphobia and Panic
and virtual reality
WHAT IS PSYCHOEDUCATION?
In the last few decades, psychoeducation has come up as a useful and effective mode of psychotherapy for persons with mental illness. It has been found to be fruitful in both clinical and community settings.
Psychoeducation combines the elements of cognitive-behavior therapy, group therapy, and education. The basic aim is to provide the patient and families knowledge about various facets of the illness and its treatment so that they can work together with mental health professionals for a better overall outcome.
Barker, in the Social Work Dictionary, defined psychoeducation as the “process of teaching clients with mental illness and their family members about the nature of the illness, including its etiology, progression, consequences, prognosis, treatment, and alternatives.”
GENERAL GOALS OF PSYCHOEDUCATION
- To ensure basic knowledge and competence of patients and their relatives about the illness
- To provide insight into the illness
- To promote relapse prevention
- Engaging in crisis management and prevention
Adapted from: Sarkhel, S., Singh, O., & Arora, M. (2020). Clinical Practice Guidelines for Psychoeducation in Psychiatric Disorders General Principles of Psychoeducation. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 62(8), 319. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_780_19
PANIC ATTACKS
People with panic disorder have recurrent unexpected panic attacks. Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear that come on quickly and reach their peak within minutes. Attacks can occur unexpectedly or can be brought on by a trigger, such as a feared object or situation.
During a panic attack, people may experience:
- Heart palpitations, a pounding heartbeat, or an accelerated heart rate
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Sensations of shortness of breath, smothering, or choking
- Feelings of impending doom
- Feelings of being out of control
People with panic disorder often worry about when the next attack will happen and actively try to prevent future attacks by avoiding places, situations, or behaviors they associate with panic attacks. Worry about panic attacks, and the effort spent trying to avoid attacks, cause significant problems in various areas of the person’s life, including the development of agoraphobia
The psychoeducational Psious’ environments will help you understand the basics of panic and agoraphobia and how to manage those.
Source: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml