What is Agoraphobia?

What is Agoraphobia?

Agoraphobia is a powerful, disproportionate fear of open spaces.

Imagine an overwhelming sense of dread and danger whenever you go outside.

That's agoraphobia.

The Agoraphobia Fear

Agoraphobia is a very disruptive anxiety disorder.

It happens when a subconscious process is concerned about being out of control.

It creates an intense and often uncontrollable fear of situations or places where, irrationally, escape might be difficult.

The term agoraphobia comes from the Greek words "agora" (meaning marketplace) and "phobos" (fear).

That overwhelming fear can happen outdoors, in open spaces, shops, cars, public transport, workplaces, restaurants, etc.

It's different to claustrophobia and social anxieties, but may be related in some cases.

Agoraphobia Shrinking World

When people feel extreme fear when they are outside, they tend to start avoiding the outside world.

This can leave them trapped at home, doing their best to avoid those unpleasant and unwanted feelings.

In many cases, Covid lockdowns appear to have made things worse.

Being afraid of going out can be inconvenient, isolating and debilitating.

The impact on people's lives can be huge.