What Is The Cause Of Panic Disorder And Agoraphobia?
Both panic disorder and agoraphobia are sub-types of anxiety disorder. The typical onset of these disorders is marked during childhood or adolescence, however, in some cases it may come into notice during adulthood. Although both of these conditions are categorized under the heading of anxiety disorder, the causes of these two conditions are entirely different.
Causes
As estimated by National Institute of Medical Health (NIMH), more than 4 million individuals in the United States are suffering from panic disorder. Although researchers are putting much effort, they have not come into a single conclusion regarding the exact cause of this problem. In fact, they shed light on a wide array of factors that may contribute to the development of the problem, including genetic, psychological, physiological and environmental factors.
Many clinical evidences show that panic disorder runs through families, which means, if any or both of the parents are suffering from it, there is high possibility that the offspring will be diagnosed as such. In fact, it is also seen that individuals may experience this illness if their parents are suffering from depression or any other sorts of anxiety disorder.
Moreover, twin studies have shown there is a strong likelihood of genetic inheritance for developing this disorder. In addition, biological malfunction or biological imbalance may cause further development. 5-HTT, a particular gene, is responsible for forming the regulation of serotonin, a factor supposed to influence the development of panic disorder.
Environmental factors such as stress may also trigger an attack. Stressful life events such as divorce, separation, recent loss, major life transitions may contribute to the development. Childhood experience may also lead anxiety to erupt. Many individuals with panic disorder in adult phase reported about child abuse during their childhood.
Causes of Agoraphobia
The term agoraphobia was coined from the Greek meaning ‘fear of the marketplace’. This disorder is described as an anxiety that a victim experiences about situations, where escape is not possible. An individual suffering from agoraphobia may reveal some typical behavior patterns: (1) deliberate avoidance of stressful situations, (2) looking for company in such situations, (3) strongly unwilling to stay inside the car, airplane, crowded room.
The exact causes triggering agoraphobia are still unknown to the researchers. However, they put forward few hypotheses to determine the causes behind the development of agoraphobia. One of them is of course childhood experience. It is seen that if an individual with child abuse experience is at higher risk for developing agoraphobia later in life. Some theorists also contend the cause of agoraphobia as a learned behavior. Genetic makeup and chemical imbalance also add up to the development of agoraphobia.
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