Agoraphobia and Panic Attacks

There is phobia that is linked to the experience of panic attacks‚ and that is agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is the fear of open spaces or of being in crowded‚ public places such as shopping markets. It is a fear associated with leaving a safe zone‚ such as the home.

Because of a feeling of being vulnerable‚ people who experience this fear often suffer from panic attacks in these “open” situations. It is true to say many people who have regular panic attacks experience different degrees of agoraphobia. Some have a lingering background anxiety about being away from home should they experience a panic attack. Other people are so immobilized by this fear that they find it very difficult to leave their home for even a short period.

The thinking behind agoraphobia usually follows the line that were a panic attack to occur‚ who would look after the person‚ how would he or she get the assistance and reassurance they needed? The vulnerability grows from the feeling that once victims of agoraphobia are caught in the anxiety‚ they are suddenly unable to look after themselves and are therefore at the mercy of the place they find themselves in and the strangers around them. In its extreme form‚ agoraphobia and panic attacks can lead to a situation where people become housebound for numerous years. Please note‚ this is by no means a hopeless situation‚ and I always need to reinforce the fact that something only becomes hopeless once the person really believes that to be the case.