Understanding Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder, is characterized by an overwhelming fear of specific places and situations that evoke a sense of entrapment. Triggers encompass various scenarios like public transportation, open spaces, crowded areas, and lines at stores. The focus here isn't solely on the specific locations but on the fear associated with the difficulty of escape. Moreover, the apprehension of experiencing panic attacks in public spaces accompanies this condition, intensifying the anxiety associated with these situations.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Techniques

CBT stands as the leading treatment for agoraphobia, incorporating patient education, goal establishment, exposure therapy, and skill enhancement. The primary objective of this therapy is to empower individuals by equipping them with the tools to manage their anxiety and refrain from avoiding situations they fear. Exposure techniques gradually acclimate individuals to their feared scenarios, progressing from visualization exercises to confronting fears with support. This approach involves experiencing a moderate level of anxiety while remaining in the situation until the anxiety subsides, emphasizing a graduated exposure approach. However, this therapeutic method demands commitment and effort, encouraging a shift in mindset from perceiving these challenges as markers of fragility to embracing them as adventurous opportunities. It emphasizes action despite fear, illustrating that feared outcomes are improbable and that individuals can learn to tolerate and manage panic.

Concept

The idea entails a mobile app paired with a smartwatch companion app. It focuses on reclaiming personal freedom. Users can generate a grid-based map and aim to conquer each square by spending time within those areas, revisiting them multiple times to achieve their goal.

Homepage

The homepage aims to highlight the user's achievements, boosting their sense of self-efficacy. The initial section features a progress bar indicating the percentage of territory conquered. Below, it explicitly shows the conquered area measured in square kilometers and the total time the user spent outside while conquering territories. The following section provides a bird's-eye view of the map, allowing users to visually and practically observe the areas they have conquered.

Community Chat

For additional support when needed, there's an anonymous forum divided into chatrooms, each with a maximum user limit. To access the community support chat, creating an anonymous account is necessary due to technical reasons. The aim of the chat is to offer mutual support and encourage users to continue their journey by sharing successful stories from others. This space fosters a sense of belonging and encourages prosocial behavior, benefiting both members of the community and the users themselves. As it's an anonymous chat, there's a reporting system available in case of any misconduct by users.

Conquering a zone

To conquer a zone, users must select a square on the grid map view. Once a square is chosen, they can view the requirements for conquering it. If the zone has been previously visited, previous data such as heart rate from the previous session and any notes written will be visible. After selecting the zone to conquer, the user can get directions to that area.

Upon reaching the area, a dialogue box appears, prompting the user to start the conquering session. In "conquering mode," the user can monitor their heart rate (collected from the smartwatch), track their current location within the zone boundaries, and observe the time remaining to conquer the zone. This screen also allows the user to journal their feelings and emotions. It's essential to include a button for immediate support, which automatically contacts the selected emergency contacts from the settings. If the user feels uncomfortable, they can abort the session, receiving quick directions to return home. In the event of a panic attack or when a high heart rate is detected, a message is sent to the chosen emergency contacts, alerting them to reach out and provide support.

Configuring the Map Grid

The map grid configuration can be done during the onboarding session or at any time through the settings page. Setting up the map grid involves choosing a central location that acts as the grid's focal point. Then, by zooming in or out, the user can adjust the overall size of the grid. Following this, the user can determine the number of squares within the grid using sliders for both the x and y axes.

Emergency contacts

Users can effortlessly add emergency contacts by typing their names or numbers into the search bar. These contacts can be called by the user while they're in the process of conquering a zone.

Alternatively, the system can reach out to these contacts for support whenever the user's heart rate surpasses a predetermined threshold, which can be adjusted in the settings.