Fearful Avoidance

Avoidance of feared situations is a common behavior associated with panic disorder. Avoidant behaviors are “dysfunctional” because they tend to provide only short-term relief from anxiety. They are non-productive in alleviating the actual problem in the long run and may, in fact, serve to reinforce underlying fears.

For many people, the symptoms of panic disorder often trigger an array of avoidant behaviors. This can result in agoraphobia, a common complication of PD. Agoraphobia can take a little time to develop, or it can come on rather quickly. Some sufferers believe their agoraphobic symptoms began after their first panic attack. Once agoraphobia takes root, avoidance behaviors often multiply quickly.

Facing your fears and putting yourself into anxiety-provoking situations is not easy. But, doing so will help you to develop adaptive ways to deal with your anxiety and will aid in your recovery from panic disorder. Systematic desensitization is based on the principles of classical conditioning and the premise that what has been learned (conditioned) can be unlearned. Ample research shows that systematic desensitization is effective in reducing anxiety and panic attacks associated with fearful situations.

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