Months of limited exposure to the rigors of daily commutes, crowded malls and other activities might have worsened agoraphobia patients’ symptoms, mental health experts say.
心理健康专家说，由于疫情，广场恐惧症患者几个月来日常通勤变少，更少去拥挤的商场购物，也更少参加社交活动。这可能使他们的症状恶化。
What is agoraphobia?
什么是广场恐惧症？
Agoraphobia is a fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult or that help wouldn't be available if things go wrong.
广场恐惧症是一种给人带来恐惧的心理疾病，害怕身处的环境有危险而自己难以逃脱，或者在不好的事情发生时无法及时得到帮助。
Many people assume agoraphobia is simply a fear of open spaces, but it's actually a more complex condition. Someone with agoraphobia may be scared of:
许多人认为广场恐惧症只是对开放空间的恐惧，但它实际上更为复杂。患有广场恐惧症的人可能会害怕以下事物：
traveling on public transport
搭乘公共交通工具
visiting a shopping centre
去购物中心
leaving home
离开家
If someone with agoraphobia finds themselves in a stressful situation, they'll usually experience the symptoms of a panic attack, such as:
患有广场恐惧症的人发现自己处于紧张的情况下，通常会出现惊恐发作的症状，例如：
rapid heartbeat
心跳加快
rapid breathing (hyperventilating)
呼吸急促（换气过度）
feeling hot and sweaty
燥热出汗
feeling sick
感到恶心
The agoraphobia patients worse in pandemic
疫情下的广场恐惧症患者疾病恶化
Nine months into the pandemic, clinical psychologist Karen Cassiday started seeing patients who had been coping well with the disorder for a decade or longer. “They were saying, `I’m scared to drive. I’m scared to go into a big box store, or even go in a store where I can’t get out quickly. I’m afraid to go to the dentist or get my hair done,’ ” said Cassiday, who treats patients with anxiety disorders in the Chicago area.
凯伦-卡西迪是一位在芝加哥治疗广场恐惧症患者的医生。疫情开始的九个月后，她开始接诊一批患者，这批患者在十年或更长时间里一直能够很好地应对这种疾病，但现在病情出现了恶化。"我害怕开车。我害怕进入大卖场，甚至害怕进入一个我无法迅速离开的商店。我害怕去看牙医或做头发。” 那些病人对卡西迪说。
“Or I had people calling and saying, ‘I just need to talk with you because I’m white knuckling my way through things that I could do before the pandemic.’ ” Also, she said: “People who never had agoraphobia were coming in, and they’ve got it.”
"也有人打电话给我说需要和我谈谈，因为他们疫情前本已基本恢复健康，但现在问题又出现了。"她说。"并且，有些原本没有广场恐惧症的人也得了广场恐惧症。"
l How the pandemic affects agoraphobia patients?
疫情是如何影响广场恐惧症患者
Due to the pandemic, people have been more likely to avoid some locations or activities to reduce their viral risk, Cassiday said. “So we know that for anyone with an anxiety disorder, that if you are not living what I call an exposure-based lifestyle or a face-your-fear lifestyle, that you increase the risk that something is going to become a fear, an anxiety problem for you,” she said.
卡西迪说，由于疫情的原因，人们可能会避开一些场所，减少活动，以降低他们被感染的风险。"所以，对于任何有焦虑症状的人来说，如果无法坦然面对公共场合，或是无法面对自己被感染的恐惧，就会增加患上恐惧症和焦虑症的风险。
l How to treat agoraphobia: push against boundaries
如何治疗广场恐惧症：打破局限
Even those individuals who have not been diagnosed with the anxiety disorder shouldstart pushing against their personal comfort boundaries, if they notice that they have developed new avoidance tendencies during the pandemic, Cassiday said.
卡西迪说，即使是那些没有确诊的人，如果他们意识到自己在疫情期间出现了回避倾向，也应该开始挑战自己的个人舒适界限。
If driving on the freeway provokes more anxiety than it used to, she suggested driving a few exits farther. If crowded restaurants have become a new stressor, try sitting a table or so away from the door, and then even farther into the room the next time, she said.
她建议，如果在高速公路上开车比以前更容易引起焦虑，可以把车开到更远的几个出口。如果拥挤的餐厅已经成为一个新的压力源，可以尝试坐在离门一桌左右的地方，然后下次再去更内部的地方。
“What you’re trying to teach yourself is that my body doesn’t have to be afraid, and my mind doesn’t have to be afraid — it’s just an unpleasant sensation,” Cassiday said. If someone can successfully push back against those avoidance patterns over time, they probably will not need to seek treatment, she said.
“我们要告诉自己，我们的身体和思维都不必害怕--这只是一种不愉快的感觉，"卡西迪说。“如果有人能够在一段时间内成功地克服回避倾向，他们可能就不需要寻求治疗。”
New words:
1. hyperventilate v. 换气过度
She began hyperventilating and was rushed to accident and emergency.
她开始过度呼吸，被急忙送到急诊室。
参考链接：
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/04/29/agoraphobia-pandemic/
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/agoraphobia/overview/
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