An individual who suffers from agoraphobia fears being in places where they are at risk of having a panic attack that people may witness.[1] Oftentimes, the ability to leave these situations quickly may be difficult.¹ Therefore, the person will deliberately avoid these places, such as crowded areas, special events, buses, trains, stores, shopping centers, and airplanes.¹ An individual may find it difficult to feel safe in any type of public place, especially where there are large number of people.¹ In fact, some have agoraphobia so severely that they only feel safe at home and rarely ever leave.¹

More than 95 percent of people who have agoraphobia also have panic disorder, which is a risk factor for agoraphobia.¹ The longer the individuals lives with panic disorder, the more likely they are to develop symptoms of agoraphobia.¹

Individuals with agoraphobia will usually only experience symptoms when they find themselves in a situation or environment that causes them anxiety.¹ As individuals with agoraphobia usually avoid situations that trigger panic, physical symptoms are rare; however, when they do occur, they may include the following:¹

• Accelerated Heart Beat
• Rapid and Shallow Breathing
• Feeling Hot/Flushed
• Stomach Upset
• Diarrhea
• Trouble Swallowing
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Feeling Light Headed
• Dizziness

There are also psychological symptoms that these individuals may experience:¹

• Feeling a Loss of Control
• Depression
• General Feeling of Dread
• Dread of Being Left Alone
• Believing Without Help They Would Not be Able to Survive or Function
• Fear of Going Crazy
• Fear They May Die

Due to these symptoms, many need reassurance from others that they are able to leave the house.¹ Some need to have or take something with them in order to confront situations or places that trigger anxiety.¹ Many escape immediately and return home.¹

While it is not clear what the exact causes of panic disorder and agoraphobia are, many believe they are a learned behavior as they tend to re-occur in places or situations where they have in the past.¹ Agoraphobia is thought to be a complication of a panic disorder, a disorder that is characterized by regular episodes of panic attacks that trigger severe physical reactions for no apparent reason.¹ As they are extremely frightening, they cause people to think they are losing control or dying.¹ Agoraphobia rarely develops without an accompanying panic disorder.¹

Treatment usually involves a combination of medicine and psychotherapy.¹ Anti-anxiety medicines and antidepressants are commonly prescribed, although sometimes a few different must be tried before finding the one that works best.¹ Cognitive-behavioral therapy is also a common treatment for agoraphobia.¹ It focuses on learning more about the panic-triggers and how to manage them.¹ Coping techniques are taught and practiced, and then unhealthy and undesirable behaviors are altered.¹ The patient will often be asked to safely confront the situations or places that cause problems in a slow manner, using their coping techniques to get through it, optimally realizing there is no need to panic.¹ After many confrontations, the level of anxiety declines.¹