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Agoraphobia
The most common phobic disorder,
agoraphobia is the fear of being alone in public places from which the person thinks
escape would be difficult or help unavailable if he were incapacitated.
These people avoid being on busy streets
or in crowded stores, theatres and churches. Normal activities become restricted as the
person avoids these situations. Many agoraphobia victims become so disabled
that they literally will not leave their homes. If agoraphobics do venture into public
places, they do so only when accompanied by a friend or family member.
Two-thirds of those suffering from
agoraphobia are women, The disorder tends to be more common among families where
other members also suffer from an anxiety disorder and/or possibly abuse alcohol. Most
agoraphobias develop symptoms between the ages of 18 and 35. The onset may be sudden
or gradual.
Many agoraphobia victims develop the
disorder after first suffering a series of panic attacks in public places. The
attacks seem to occur randomly and without warning, making it impossible for a person to
predict what situation will trigger such a reaction.
The unpredictability of the panic attacks
"trains" the victims to anticipate future panic attacks and, therefore, to fear
any situation in which an attack may occur. As a result, they avoid going out in public.
Agoraphobia victims also are likely to develop depression, fatigue, tension, spontaneous
panic and obsessive disorders.
| Phobias | Social
Phobia | Simple Phobia | |
