What Is Agoraphobia Really?

Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that few people really understand. Even the word "agoraphobia" has a mysterious sound to it, as if it speaks of strange and secret fears. Let us look at the two words that make up this larger one. The word "phobia" is common in our culture; most people know it refers to an irrational and excessive fear of an object or situation that is actually harmless. A truly phobic person will alter his behavior; for instance, if he is phobic about bridges, he will drive far out of his way to avoid driving over one.

But the word "agora" is not so well known. This is a Greek word that means "marketplace." So now we can get close to the meaning of agoraphobia by saying it is a fear of going to a market, such as a shopping mall or grocery store. This is basically true, except the "markets" actually include any place where lots of people are gathered in a closed-in environment. This would include a sports event, church service, concert, restaurant...anything of this nature. A person with agoraphobia is afraid of being in these places and in these situations. He or she (usually a she) may become so afraid that she rarely leaves home.

The questions is "why?" Where does this fear come from?

The key to the answer to this question is in the panic disorder that underlies agoraphobia. In other words, agoraphobia does not exist in a vacuum; it is actually an outgrowth of the disorder that creates panic attacks. A person who has experienced several frightening and debilitating panic attacks usually lives in fear of another attack happening. And the worst place to have a panic attack is any place where a lot of other people are gathered. Being noticed or watched by a crowd of people that you can't easily get away from would add tenfold to the misery experienced by a panic attack sufferer. So that person may become terribly afraid - phobic - of those situations, and avoid them at all cost. At that point, the person is suffering not just from panic attacks, but from agoraphobia, as well.

View the original article here