Editing Agoraphobia (section)

=== Therapy ===
[[Systematic desensitization]] can provide lasting relief to the majority of patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia.  The disappearance of residual and sub-clinical agoraphobic avoidance, and not simply of panic attacks, should be the aim of exposure therapy.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Fava GA, Rafanelli C, Grandi S, Conti S, Ruini C, Mangelli L, Belluardo P | title = Long-term outcome of panic disorder with agoraphobia treated by exposure | journal = Psychological Medicine | volume = 31 | issue = 5 | pages = 891–898 | year = 2001 | pmid = 11459386 | doi = 10.1017/S0033291701003592 | s2cid = 5652068 }}</ref> Many patients can deal with exposure easier if they are in the company of a friend on whom they can rely.<ref>{{cite web | title = Agoraphobia – Diagnosis & Treatment | publisher = Mayo Clinic | date = 18 November 2017 | url = https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/agoraphobia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355993 | access-date = 15 May 2020}}</ref><ref name=GelderMayouGeddes2005 /> In this approach, it is suggested that people being treated remain in the situation that provokes anxiety until the symptoms anxiety have subsided because if they leave the situation, the phobic response will not decrease and it may even rise.<ref name=GelderMayouGeddes2005 />

A related exposure treatment is {{lang|la|[[in vivo]]}} exposure, a cognitive behavioral therapy method, that gradually exposes patients to the feared situations or objects.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |last1=Sanchez-Meca |last2=Rosa-Alcazar |last3=Marin-Martinez |last4=Gomez-Conesa|date=11 September 2008|title=Psychological treatment of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia: A meta-analysis|journal=Clinical Psychology Review|volume=30|issue=1|pages=37–50|doi=10.1016/j.cpr.2009.08.011|pmid=19775792}}</ref> This treatment was largely effective with an effect size from ''d ='' 0.78 to ''d ='' 1.34, and these effects were shown to increase over time, proving that the treatment had long-term efficacy (up to 12 months after treatment).<ref name=":0" />

Psychological interventions in combination with pharmaceutical treatments were overall more effective than treatments simply involving either CBT or pharmaceuticals. Further research showed there was no significant effect between using group CBT versus individual CBT.<ref name=":0" />

[[Cognitive restructuring]] has also proved useful in treating agoraphobia.<ref name=pmge>{{Cite journal |last1=Emmelkamp |first1=Paul M. G. |last2=Mersch |first2=Peter Paul |date=March 1982 |title=Cognition and exposure in vivo in the treatment of agoraphobia: Short-term and delayed effects |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/BF01185728 |journal=Cognitive Therapy and Research |language=en |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=77–90 |doi=10.1007/BF01185728 |issn=0147-5916}}</ref> This treatment involves coaching a participant through a dianoetic discussion, with the intent of replacing irrational, counterproductive beliefs with more factual and beneficial ones.<ref name=pmge/>

[[Relaxation technique]]s are often useful skills for the agoraphobic to develop, as they can be used to stop or prevent symptoms of anxiety and panic.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/agoraphobia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355993|title=Agoraphobia – Diagnosis and treatment – Mayo Clinic|website=mayoclinic.org|language=en|access-date=2019-07-01}}</ref>

Videoconferencing psychotherapy (VCP) is an emerging modality used to treat various disorders in a remote method.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Fernández-Álvarez|first1=Javier|last2=Fernández-Álvarez|first2=Héctor|date=2021|title=Videoconferencing Psychotherapy During the Pandemic: Exceptional Times With Enduring Effects?|journal=Frontiers in Psychology|volume=12|page=589536|language=English|doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2021.589536|pmid=33679513|issn=1664-1078|pmc=7933024|doi-access=free}}</ref> Similar to traditional face-to-face interventions, VCP can be used to administer CBT.<ref name=":1">{{cite journal|last1=Bouchard|first1=Stéphane|last2=Allard|first2=Micheline|last3=Robillard|first3=Geneviève|last4=Dumoulin|first4=Stéphanie|last5=Guitard|first5=Tanya|last6=Loranger|first6=Claudie|last7=Green-Demers|first7=Isabelle|last8=Marchand|first8=André|last9=Renaud|first9=Patrice|last10=Cournoyer|first10=Louis-Georges|last11=Corno|first11=Giulia|date=2020-08-21|title=Videoconferencing Psychotherapy for Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia: Outcome and Treatment Processes From a Non-randomized Non-inferiority Trial|journal=Frontiers in Psychology|volume=11|page=2164|doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02164|issn=1664-1078|pmc=7472915|pmid=32973638|doi-access=free}}</ref>

[[Virtual reality]] computer stimulated therapy has been suggested to help people with [[psychosis]] and agoraphobia manage their avoidance of outside environments. In the therapy, the user wears a headset and a virtual character provides psychological advice and guides them as they explore simulated environments (such as a cafe or a busy street).<ref>{{cite journal |date=20 July 2023 |title=Virtual reality could help people with psychosis and agoraphobia |url=https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/virtual-reality-could-help-people-with-psychosis-and-agoraphobia/ |journal=NIHR Evidence|doi=10.3310/nihrevidence_59108 |s2cid=260053713 }}</ref>