Agoraphobia is the fear or anxiety of locations or situations where the surroundings are too big or too crowded. Unlike generalized anxiety where a person is anxious without any specific reason, in agoraphobia the fear is clearly defined.
It could be a fear of specific locations like bridges, open grounds, elevators or crowds. In Agoraphobia, the person avoids the thing feared and would feel extremely uncomfortable if he/she visits the place feared or is in the vicinity of the object of his/her horror.
Furthermore, the person can also fear that he will have a panic attack if exposed to those locations and embarrass himself/herself in public. This fear of panic attacks will also keep the person from coping with this phobia. It is this irrational fear of being trapped in a place from where there can be no escape is the Agoraphobic’s worst nightmare.
The symptoms of Agoraphobia is similar to other phobias
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Excessive Sweating
- Light headedness
- Difficulty in breathing
People suffering from Agoraphobia find it extremely difficult to venture out of their house as they don’t think it is safe to go out. The fear of losing control in public places is so great that they generally lock themselves in and as a consequence suffer greatly in their jobs and relationships. There could be certain ‘safe places’ where the Agoraphobic might feel somewhat comfortable, but mostly these places are very few and far between.
Agoraphobia is more prevalent in women
Studies have revealed that women are twice more prone to Agoraphobia than men. The reason for this is unknown, and it could just be that women are more expressive about their phobias than men.
Some people suffering from Agoraphobia may not even be aware that it is a serious mental condition and hence might successfully have ‘Avoidant Coping Strategies’ which may go unnoticed to people at large.
Agoraphobia can be treated by medication and psychotherapy.
