Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia develops from a fear of being in a situation from which you believe escape is impossible or in which you believe there will be no one to assist you if you experience a panic attack or panic like symptoms.  This fear results in severe physical symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks which are extremely uncomfortable. For more information on Panic Attacks, click here.

Agoraphobia usually develops in the following manner.  First, a person may have a panic attack (this can occur for any number of reasons, including prolonged stress, perception of immense fear, change of lifestyle, relocation, pressure at work, family commitments etc).  The person will then start to develop a fear that the panic attack may happen again.  Situations in which the initial panic attack occurred are then anticipated with dread, or avoided all together.  Over time, the situation in which the first panic attack occurred, can become very generalised to the point where a person starts to fear many more situations and eventually cannot leave their own home.  Common situations feared in Agoraphobia include shopping centres, airports, railway stations, closed places such as public transport, churches, theatres, and even quiet places.

From the first panic attack, agoraphobia can develop quickly or over many years and can move from a mild phobic anxiety, to an inability to enter any public situation.