Agoraphobia is a common but often misunderstood anxiety disorder that can make everyday situations feel overwhelming or even impossible; understanding the signs and seeking the right support can help you reclaim your freedom,
Many mental health conditions are simply extreme degrees of minor challenges that most people face regularly. It’s perfectly natural to feel some nervousness when you’re going somewhere you’ve never been before or going to a crowded place where there are a lot of people you don’t know; But, agoraphobia is different.
If that slight tinge of nervousness becomes intense anxiety that prevents you from doing things you normally would, it might be a condition called agoraphobia.
What Is Agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is an intense fear of situations where there may not be an easy way to escape or where you may feel trapped or helpless.
At its core, it’s a phobia of being in a situation where you’re panicking and there’s not an easy way out. This typically translates into a fear of familiar places, crowds, public transportation and very open areas like large parking lots and open water.
In any given year, about 2% of people experience agoraphobia. That is about 6.8 million people in the US. It’s more commonly diagnosed in women than in men.
Agoraphobia can have a profound impact on your daily life. It can range in severity from avoiding certain activities you might otherwise enjoy, like parties, concerts or other large social events, to being unable to leave your home.
Some people become homebound for years or are unable to maintain a career and care for themselves because of it.
The Relationship Between Agoraphobia and Anxiety and Panic Disorders
Agoraphobia, like any other phobia, is a type of anxiety disorder. But it also has a unique relationship to panic disorders.
Agoraphobia often develops after a panic attack in a public place where escape feels impossible. Even if you were able to get out of the situation the first time, you have a fear that next time you won’t be able to.
Symptoms of Agoraphobia
The symptoms of agoraphobia include an extreme fear of:
- Unfamiliar places
- Public spaces, especially crowded places
- Waiting in line
- Leaving home by yourself
- Using public transportation
- Enclosed spaces outside your home, like elevators or movie theaters
- Large open spaces like parking lots or open water
Agoraphobia is specific to these types of circumstances, where you might not have a clear path to safety. Extreme anxiety in situations other than these might indicate other anxiety disorders.
Where’s the Line Between Worry and Agoraphobia?
One of the tricky aspects of phobias is understanding the difference between a “normal” amount of anxiety about a particular situation and a phobia. While only a mental health professional can diagnose agoraphobia, you could have this condition if:
- Your level of anxiety in the situation is out of proportion with the actual danger
- Your fear prevents you from doing things you would otherwise enjoy, like certain social outings
- You stop doing certain things or going places unless you have a trusted companion with you
- You’re experiencing these symptoms for six months or longer
When you’re in a situation that triggers your agoraphobia, the symptoms can manifest in physical, emotional or psychological and behavioral ways.
In these situations, physical symptoms can include:
- Tightness in your chest
- Rapid heartbeat
- Shortness of breath or hyperventilating (breathing too fast)
- Dizziness or disorientation
- Shaking or trembling
- Sweating even though you’re not warm
- Upset stomach
Meanwhile, the emotional or psychological symptoms can include:
- Dread
- Fixating on what could go wrong
- Feeling a loss of control
- Fear that you’re dying
During agoraphobia triggering situations, you may also have these behavioral symptoms:
- Avoiding certain situations, like crowded places
- Only going to certain places if you have someone with you
- Only going to certain places or events after planning out escape routes or what to do if you need to get out
Causes and Risk Factors of Agoraphobia
How do you know if you’re at risk for developing agoraphobia? It usually develops in the teenage or early adult years and does seem to have a genetic link. People who have a close relative with agoraphobia are more likely to develop it. Some studies indicate that the heritability is as high as 48-61%.
Genetics isn’t the only factor, though. There are often traumas and life experiences that contribute to agoraphobia, especially trauma that occurs in childhood. This can include abuse, being attacked or the loss of someone with whom you felt safe, such as a parent.
It’s also important to note that many people with agoraphobia have other mental health conditions too, like panic disorder, depression or PTSD. In particular, a large number of people with agoraphobia already had a panic disorder.Their agoraphobia may have been triggered after having a panic attack in a place where they felt unsafe or helpless.
While a panic attack in a public place might trigger agoraphobia, often these people already had some level of anxiety in these situations. So it may be a combination of panic disorder and existing agoraphobic tendencies.
How Agoraphobia Affects Daily Life
One of the hallmarks of a phobia or other anxiety disorders is its impact on your daily life and the limitations that it creates for you. It can affect your work, romantic relationships, family relationships and social life in numerous ways.
You may decline social events and invitations due to anxiety about the situation, or struggle to complete work assignments if they involve situations that make you anxious. You could be limited in the types of jobs you can accept.
Maybe you can only able to perform jobs where you can work from home or jobs that don’t involve situations in public or crowded places. Finally, your relationships may suffer because you aren’t able to join loved ones for the things they enjoy doing.
Agoraphobia can even prevent you from taking care of yourself and living independently, especially when it is severe. It could prevent you from doing essential tasks like going to the grocery store or running other errands, such as going to the doctor.
Finally, agoraphobia can have a substantial impact on your mental health, especially if you have co occurring conditions already. It can worsen conditions like depression, because you feel trapped at home or aren’t able to do activities that could boost your serotonin. In some cases, it can make substance use disorder worse, too.
Agoraphobia changed my life over five years ago. I don’t drive, walk outside of house, only leave the house for doctors appointments or to see my hairdresser. It’ also affected the activities I did in the past with my husband. I’ve read some great information on how to slowly gain confidence on being by myself. I have a plan to start as soon as my shoulder heals from surgery.
If Agoraphobia is impacting you quality of life, I hear you, and wish you all the best at venturing out when the time is right for you.
I am in no way supporting the site or it’s service offers, it is just the great information.
Melinda
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Reference:
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