What is agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and avoid places or situations.
That kind of situations might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed.
You fear an actual or anticipated situation, such as using public transportation, being in open or enclosed spaces, standing in line, or being in a crowd.
The anxiety is caused by fear that there's no easy way to escape or get help if the anxiety intensifies. Most people who have agoraphobia develop it after having one or more panic attacks, causing them to worry about having another attack and avoid the places where it may happen again.
People with agoraphobia often have a hard time feeling safe in any public place, especially where crowds gather. You may feel that you need a companion, such as a relative or friend, to go with you to public places. The fear can be so overwhelming that you may feel unable to leave your home.
Agoraphobia treatment can be challenging because it usually means confronting your fears. But with psychotherapy and medications, you can escape the trap of agoraphobia and live a more enjoyable life.
Symptoms
Typical agoraphobia symptoms include fear of:
- Leaving home alone
- Crowds or waiting in line
- Enclosed spaces, such as movie theaters, elevators or small stores and open spaces, such as parking lots, bridges or malls
- Using public transportation, such as a bus, plane or train
Some people have a panic disorder in addition to agoraphobia.
Causes
Biology — including health conditions and genetics — temperament, environmental stress and learning experiences may all play a role in the development of agoraphobia.
Risk factors for agoraphobia include:
- Having panic disorder or other phobias
- Responding to panic attacks with excessive fear and avoidance
- Experiencing stressful life events, such as abuse, the death of a parent or being attacked
- Having an anxious or nervous temperament
- Having a blood relative with agoraphobia
Agoraphobia can greatly limit your life's activities.
If your agoraphobia is severe, you may not even be able to leave your home. Without treatment, some people become housebound for years. You may become dependent on others for help.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/agoraphobia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355987
