Agoraphobia

Although the literal definition of agoraphobia is ‘fear of open places’ the reality of suffering with agoraphobia is somewhat different. In the majority of cases people with agoraphobia have a fear of leaving what they feel is a ‘safe zone’, which for most sufferers is usually their home, or any place or situation where they feel safe.

For many people agoraphobia can develop when a person begins to avoid a situation that makes them feel anxious. For example if an anxious person felt very panicky whilst out shopping they may start to worry the next time they are in a similar situation that they will panic again.

This worry in itself is often enough to trigger another panic attack the next time they are out and the person can very soon begin to think the only way to control their symptoms is to avoid places where they feel they will panic or cannot quickly escape from.

This can quite quickly lead to avoidance of other places that a person feels could cause them to panic. Anywhere that makes a person feel ‘trapped’, for example the checkout at the supermarket, going to the hairdresser, going to the theatre, driving a car, going to meetings or social gatherings, are all situations that an agoraphobic may start to avoid.

Unfortunately by avoiding a situation we tend to make it far worse. The more a feared situation is avoided, the harder it becomes to overcome the fear and a vicious cycle is created. Only by facing our fears can we learn ways to deal with them. There are many ways to treat agoraphobia, from cognitive behavioral therapy to drug therapy or a combination of therapies.