Out of all the phobias that exist, agoraphobia is truly one of the most debilitating. It stems from a deep fear of unfamiliar or potentially uncomfortable situations, and can escalate to the point where a sufferer becomes confined to their home. If you suffer from agoraphobia, you don't need to let this condition rule your life. You can understand this disorder and learn how to beat it by using hypnotherapy. 

The word agoraphobia literally means "fear of the marketplace," but sufferers may feel afraid in any area where there is a crowd. These settings are usually public settings or unfamiliar places outside of the home. Sufferers may fear being in restaurants, airplanes, lines, shopping centers, or any location where they might not feel completely safe. 

People with agoraphobia are afraid of having panicky feelings or anxiety attacks in a setting where it would be difficult or impossible for them to leave. Agoraphobics usually lead happy and normal lives in the settings where they feel comfortable, even entertaining guests and conducting business from the safety of their own homes. Unfortunately, agoraphobia can be so extreme that sometimes sufferers will only feel safe in the most confined spaces. One recently publicized case revealed a woman whose anxiety was so severe that she refused to leave her bathroom for several years, suffering several negative health effects as a result. 

Agoraphobia often arises from other anxiety disorders and phobias. For example, people with social phobia often develop agoraphobia because they are afraid of having to interact with other people. It can also result from traumatic incidents such as having had an accident outside of the home. Veterans of war often develop the condition along with post-traumatic stress disorder. It can affect both men and women, although it is believed that agoraphobia is more common amongst women. 

People with agoraphobia might feel that they risk embarrassing themselves if they go out in public and experience an anxiety attack. It is often humiliating for a phobia sufferer to experience symptoms such as sweating, shaking, or nervous breakdowns and have no control over their reaction. 

Agoraphobia is typically treated with medication or counseling. However, it can be particularly challenging to treat because sufferers may have other phobias and underlying causes for their fears.

The reason why people with phobias cannot seem to control their fears is because their feelings are rooted at the unconscious level of the mind. No amount of conscious effort or willpower is entirely effective to control a fear that stems from this deep within the mind. 

Hypnotic techniques found in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) are effective on phobias because they operate at the unconscious level of the mind. Hypnotherapy is an excellent treatment option because it is safe and non-invasive, with no negative side effects. 

There are Ericksonian hypnotherapy and NLP programs available on CD that are remarkable because they can treat any phobia, or even multiple phobias if necessary. It isn't necessary to get a program that deals specifically with each phobia. This is because a good program will work with the thought process that triggers any phobia. This makes this type of program perfect for many sufferers of agoraphobia. 

In addition, a good multi-session program will offer a variety of techniques, which will make the program effective for virtually every user. With a step-by-step program, people can overcome their fears with relative ease. 

Achieving a relaxed state is the first step in the hypnosis phobia program. As a form of treatment, hypnosis has traditionally been used for stress-relief, helping even the most stressed-out people feel rested and relaxed. Once a person is free of anxiety, NLP techniques extinguish a phobia by changing the single thought process that causes it.

Ericksonian hypnotherapy is a sophisticated form of hypnosis that uses suggestions hidden in a conversation, story or metaphor to cure a phobia. Ericksonian hypnotherapy is more effective than conventional traditional hypnosis because the conscious mind finds it harder to resist suggestions that are hidden, than direct post-hypnotic suggestions. Unlike direct suggestions, which merely "tell" your unconscious what to do, suggestions that are hidden in stories and metaphors will guide your unconscious mind into a desirable, anxiety-free thought process.