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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffAgoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder related to fear. With agoraphobia, you fear being in places where it may be difficult or embarrassing to get out quickly or where you may have a panic attack and can't get help. Because of your fears, you avoid places where you think you may have a panic attack or panic-like symptoms.
People with agoraphobia often have a hard time feeling safe in any public place, especially where crowds gather. Commonly feared places and situations are elevators, sporting events, lines, bridges, public transportation, driving, shopping malls and airplanes. The fears can be so overwhelming that some people are essentially trapped in their own homes — it's the only place they feel truly safe, so they don't venture out into public at all.
Agoraphobia treatment can be challenging because it usually means confronting your fears. A combination of medications and psychotherapy can help you escape the trap of agoraphobia and live a more enjoyable life.
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- Ciechanowski P. Overview of phobic disorders in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 3, 2009.
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- Agoraphobia. In: Moore DP, et al. Handbook of Medical Psychiatry. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/125211023-6/0/1243/85.html?tocnode=52436571&fromURL=85.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02911-6..X5001-5--section6_797. Accessed March 10, 2009.
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