Sheila Jackson Psychological Disorder Essay

Agoraphobia is a psychological disorder characterised by panic and anxiety. This particular anxiety disorder involves the fear of experiencing a panic attack in a public place where safety may be unavailable, which causes discomfort (Lilienfeld, 2017). This disorder is commonly recognized in women and often arises during adolescent years. Often times, people develop agoraphobia after a previous panic attacks, which than causes them to worry about having another in the future (Agoraphobia, 2017). This results in avoidant behaviours, such as evading places where an attack may occur. There are many causes, symptoms, effects on both the individual with the disorder and their loved ones, as well as a variety of treatments available.

Symptoms

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She lives in a house with her ex-husband Eddie who later commits suicide, her daughter Karen who becomes pregnant, and her current boyfriend Frank Gallagher. Sheila has an obsession with inappropriate sexual desires or thoughts and is very anal about shoes. Like everyone else, when a new person enters her house, not only does she get overwhelmingly anxious and paces around, but she immediately put their shoes in a bag in order to avoid dirt. With disability checks coming in, Sheila is entirely dependent on her loved ones for doing grocery shopping and any other duty that would be necessary in leaving the house. For the past five years, Sheila has secluded herself from the outside world and society all around. With severe panic attacks and anxiety, she has developed a more intense psychological disorder; Agoraphobia. Such psychological disorder has caused Sheila to feel especially safe being homebound. Sheila's fear of being in a situation without escape or aid, has caused her to even feel unsafe beyond her front door steps. Shameless has provided Sheila with a clear example of what Agoraphobia may look like. Sheila's symptoms have brought such diagnosis to mind because her symptoms fit entirely with the requirements for Agoraphobia diagnosis. In the Youtube clip "Shameless - Sheila Agoraphobia", there are different parts from the series in which provide us with multiple expressions of Sheila's disorder. In particular, some examples of her symptoms are: the safety at home, unexpected panic attacks when going out, and the avoidance of society. In one of the clips, Sheila is left in charge of Frank's youngest son Liam who accidentally gets outside. Sheila must take responsibility and bring him back inside, in doing so, she ties bedsheets to herself and to the stairs inside the house so that she has a continuous sense of comfort. Sheila is well aware of her disorder and takes the initiative