European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 22, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Agoraphobia Michael Rustock left and members of phonics with anxiety coping together visit the Bridgewater commons mall in new Jersey. Most members of the group feared leaving their Homes some feared Riding on escalators. Not of providing help when fear is fear itself by Carlotta Gulvas Swarden new York times s ome Are afraid to ride in an elevator. A for others a traffic Jam the supermarket checkout line a ranging Telephone or a visit to the dentist can cause crippling fear and any excuse to avoid the situation. For still others these irrational fears so severely impair the Quality of their lives that they remain prisoners in their. Homes. They suffer from phobias and panic disorder. The number of groups that provide help for these people has been increasing in recent years yet representatives of the  health care professionals say the Public s awareness and comprehension of the disorder needs to be increased. Many people with such phobias say additional measures Are needed to educate the Public about the disorder to filter out its male victims who often camouflage symptoms with alcohol abuse and to identify a predisposition to the a disorder in childhood., Quot there is a need to educate people in ways to recognize a panic disorder As something which is very real Quot said or. Andrew Seabee medical director of fair Oaks Hospital in Summit . Quot those who suffer from the disorder often face ridicule a the Lack of understanding by family friends and the general Public can undercut Many important relationships. Doctors say panic disorder is a condition in which people experience an attack of panic combined with real not imaginary physical symptoms. These May include heart palpitations nausea a sweating severe dizziness numbness of limbs a Lump to your health the Throat difficulty m breathing or swallowing tremors and a sense of impending Dooma Sut lovers from panic disorder often recall a relative who has experienced the same disorder much As some alcoholics arc children of alcoholics the site of a person s Fust panic attack often results in a later avoidance of that place or situation a person suffering his first panic attack in an elevator for example May associate the experience with the elevator and avoid elevators the prey acquiring a simple phobia the fears of flying driving and Heights Are the most common but some people have similar fears about. Certain colors about writing their names in Public and about the nighttime. A m. If panic Strikos in a diff int situation experts say the person May connect it with his avoidance behaviour and without professional help slowly expand the Range offers  becomes a prisoner to his own fear of fear or becomes agoraphobic a having a fear of being in open or Public places a Tho phobic in this Way begins to engage in what if i have another attack a thinking or Anticipatory anxiety and. Avoid More and More situations Quot said Meg ,. Director of the anxiety disorder self help group network in Rockville my. A. Quot like the rings that Well from one Pebble cast in a Lake the Range of avoidance becomes larger and larger a a combination of factors including heredity biochemistry and an overload  often act As a catalyst that sets the first panic attack into motion it is less common that a song la event like a cat Accident or a fire will bring on an attack. A a. Seabee theorizes that panic disorder is actually  of a double anxiety some people experience. A an already anxious individual at school Aye for example May fear  he said. A if the fear builds and spreads to other areas and is left untreated the. Person could eventually develop panic  a. A. The anxiety disorder group network estimates that., 2.9 million americans or 1 6 percent experience panic disorder at some time in their lives the new Jersey self help Clearinghouse at St Clare s a a Riverside Hospital in Denville reports that in 1986 there were 10 self help panic disorder and phobic groups in the state. Now there Are 24, it says. Diagnoses continue to be a problem for Many phonics. Fearing that their symptoms indicate heart attacks Many sufferers wind up in Hospital emergency rooms after their Firlet attack. It took Alicia Mogardo of now Providence ., three a years to receive a diagnosis of panic disorder. During that time she quit her Job and Seldom left her Home Quot i struggled while six doctors told me it was everything from an inner ear infection to a heart condition Quot she said. A when i finally found out it had a name a  a i was almost relieved. At least i knew i was t going crazy or imagining . Bogardo leads the panic disorder group at the now Providence methodist Church every wednesday night. Quot it still amazes me that people Don t realize what the disease is All about Quot she said. Quot the support group lets people breathe a sigh of Relief that they Are not alone Quot Michael Rustick said he had rarely left his living room. Sofa for two years immobilized by the fear of a panic attack. He now holds a Job leads pact a phonics with anxiety coping together a in Somerville and is starting three other self help groups in Clark Flemington and Green Brook .Rustick still experiences periodic panic attacks but is Able to Cope effectively through a number of Learned behavioural responses. Humor is one of them Quot it really is the Best Medicine Quot he said. Quot this is such a crazy disorder since it can strike from out of the Blue with absolutely no warning what else can you do but laugh about it i be done All the worrying i m going to. Now it s continued on Page 1-1